The District of West Vancouver has submitted a grant application to cover the costs of much-needed restoration to a part of the popular Baden Powell Trail, which would also free up funds for other critical projects.
The rugged, but mostly well-maintained, trail that stretches over 40 kilometres and connects municipalities and regional parks from Horseshoe Bay all the way to Deep Cove in North Vancouver is in need of a little love in some sections.
The portion requiring immediate restoration provides a key east-west connection from the Upper Lands to the Capilano River Regional Park through the Glenmore neighbourhood. The plan includes repairing about 760 metres of the trail from Bonnymuir Drive to Craigmohr Drive.
The district has submitted a grant application to the Canada-British Columbia Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program: COVID–19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream for $230,000 to cover the repairs.
The restoration was already an approved project in the district’s 2020-2024 Five Year Financial Plan, with funding from the Capital Infrastructure Reserve set to cover the estimated costs.
“Restoration was included as a capital project in the 2020 budget process because of the trail condition and because of community complaints about the state of this section of the Baden Powell Trail,” the report to council states.
However, $50,000 from the project’s allocated funding was redirected to slope stabilization of a portion of the Capilano Pacific Trail in 2020. In this year’s district budget, there is a funding request to reinstate $50,000 back toward the Baden Powell Trail restoration project but if the ICIP-CVRIS grant is approved, it would mean the district could use the capital reserves for other plans.
Although council has already approved the project, the ICIP-CVRIS grant application required that there was a specific resolution made by council to support it and agree to pay for ineligible costs and any cost overruns. Council approved the recommendation to support the application at Monday’s (Feb 22) general meeting.
If the district receives the grant, the restoration project is set to start before Sept. 30 and be completed by Dec. 31, 2021.
The COVID–19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream is a joint initiative of the provincial and federal governments, developed as part of the ICIP in response to the effects of the pandemic on communities.
The grants were on offer for upgrades and repairs to local government and Indigenous government buildings, health and educational infrastructure, developing active transportation networks, improving infrastructure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and for disaster mitigation and adaptation projects.
Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
