Okanagan politicos to get first look at rail trail plans

CENTRAL OKANAGAN – Councillors and directors from various communities will get their first look soon at what’s planned for the Okanagan Rail Trail.

Project leader Andrew Gibbs says the inter-jurisidicational team armed with the latest plans for rail trail should start appearing before local councils next week.

“All the way from Kelowna to the North Okanagan Regional District,” Gibbs says of the the multi-jurisdictional project.

Gibbs says the team has drafted both a development plan and a fund-raising plan, which could result in the trail being developed in stages as money is raised.

Initial plans will focus on providing a basic trail, four metres wide, from Kelowna to Coldstream, with common signage and road crossings.

Previous estimates by the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative have suggested a price of $180 to $260 a metre or $10 million for the basic package.

The initiative has vowed to raise the $10 million needed for basic construction of the trail.

The 48-kilometre corridor is currently undergoing environmental remediation as part of the agreement for sale with CN Rail.

Find past stories on the Okanagan Rail Trail here.

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