Details about a 28-kilometre walking and biking trail proposed to connect Tofino and Ucluelet with the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve will be discussed in public forums in coming weeks.
The multi-use trail 鈥� expected to be completed by the spring of 2018 鈥� will link existing paved paths into Tofino and Ucluelet to the north and south boundaries of the national park to create one long trail.
Funding of $17.7 million for the multi-use trail in the park reserve was announced on March 22 as part of the federal government鈥檚 2016 budget.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been lobbying for a very long time to have some sort of safe connection for bicyclists and walkers and hikers between Tofino and Ucluelet,鈥� said Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne.
鈥淎nd this is really meaningful for the First Nation communities in the park 鈥� Tla-o-qui-aht has two communities in the park 鈥� and this will provide a safe bicycling access into Tofino,鈥� she said.
About 22聽kilometres of the main trail in the park will parallel Highway 4 on the ocean side. It will be set back about 20 metres from the roadside, separated from the road by trees.
An offshoot of the trail will run parallel to Wickaninnish Road from Highway 4 to the Kwisitis visitor centre and museum and Wickaninnish Beach 鈥� one of the area鈥檚 most visited beaches.
The exact route has yet to finalized, but overall the trail is expected to be a boon to users of the park and those living in or visiting both communities, said Renee Wissink, acting superintendent of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
鈥淚t will bring visitors to some of the most popular beaches 鈥� Florencia, Long Beach and Wickaninnish Beach 鈥� and make them accessible to hiking or biking or rollerblading,鈥� said Wissink.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to open up the park in a whole new way,鈥� said Wissink. 鈥淩ight now, it鈥檚 a very car-based park where you drive from beach to beach or trail to trail, and now some of those same trails and activities will be accessible through this new multi-use trail.鈥�
Osborne said preliminary figures suggest it would cost the district $3.5 million to provide the final 2.5-km link 鈥� across the highway and about 13 creeks 鈥� to join the park鈥檚 trail with Tofino鈥檚 path. The park and district are working on the best and safest crossing.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to find the funding to do this,鈥� said Osborne. 鈥淲e have a lot of work to do.鈥�
There鈥檚 another 1.5-km gap between the south end of the park and the north end of the Ucluelet trail.
Ucluelet Mayor Dianne St.聽Jacques says she doesn鈥檛 have the price tag on the link yet, but explains the existing bike path reaches the Ucluelet-Tofino junction and is on same side of the highway as the new path in the park so the work needed should be minimal.
鈥淲e are very excited about this new trail. It is going to be awesome for our community and our visitors,鈥� said St. Jacques.
Wissink downplays what would happen to the park鈥檚 trail if Ucluelet and Tofino can鈥檛 provide the necessary links.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I鈥檇 call it stranded,鈥� said Wissink. 鈥淭hat would be unfortunate. Both the districts are working actively to join the trail, but the trail would still be a usable trail that would give visitors a brand-new experience in the park.鈥�
The north end of the park boundary and proposed trail is close to Radar Hill and its parking lot, which is being expanded. At the south end of the park boundary and proposed trail, while no parking lot is planned, one could be added.
鈥淭he vision, of course though, is to join it so you could cycle from Ucluelet to Tofino,鈥� Wissink said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the vision everyone is working toward.鈥�
Extensive assessments on the park trail have been conducted and more are ongoing, said Wissink.
鈥淎s we learn things, where the trail will go in the end will be modified to ensure we鈥檙e doing it in the most environmentally and culturally sensitive ways possible.鈥�
Parks sa国际传媒 said in a notice of engagement on Nov. 1 that the proposed trail route was defined after a detailed impact analysis to identify areas of the park reserve that are not suitable for a trail 鈥� including important wildlife corridors, critical habitat for species at risk, areas of high cultural sensitivity and areas that would present a risk to visitor safety.
A cultural-resource inventory is also being completed by the Tla-o-qui-aht (Tofino-based) and Yuu-thlu-ilth-aht (Ucluelet) First Nations along the proposed route.
Have your say
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is hosting a series of public information sessions to share information about the proposed trail.
Staff will be available for four sessions:
鈥� Nov. 30 鈥� Yuu-thlu-ilth-aht Government Building, 5-7 p.m.
鈥� Dec. 2 鈥� Ucluelet Community Centre, 5-7 p.m.
鈥� Dec. 8 鈥� Tofino council chambers, 5-7 p.m.
鈥� Dec. 12 鈥� Tin Wis Resort, Wickaninnish Centre, 5-7 p.m.庐
