Preparations underway for Shuswap-North Okanagan Rail Trail work

Development work on the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail has begun in advance of the 2024 construction season.

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) dubbed the two-kilometre pilot section of the trail in Enderby a huge success, and has selected Splatsin Development Corporation’s Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) as the primary construction contractor.

As of April 3, construction of the trail between kilometres 1.5 and 4.5 was underway near Mara Lake, and the CSRD said work on the sections south to Stepney X Rd. north of Grindrod, is expected to begin in the near future.

Also planned for 2024 is working on the section between kilometres 49 and 50 to Lansdowne Road in Armstrong.

Once complete, the trail from Armstrong to Sicamous will be just over 50 km in length, traversing lakefront shorelines, forested hillsides, rivers, streams, farmlands and rural towns.

The finished surface of the trail will be made up of crushed and compacted aggregate, allowing people of all abilities to access it on food, bike, or wheelchair.