Movement to save the KVR Trail near Coquihalla picking up speed

A stretch of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail is set to be decommissioned, but a group of locals are trying to save it.

The 67 kilometre stretch of the trail from Princeton to the Coquihalla Highway was damaged by heavy rain and flooding in November 2021 and it would cost $60 million to repair, but Princeton’s mayor Spencer Coyne said there have been good discussions with the provincial government about saving it.

“The pace of conversations has picked up in recent days, and we are feeling optimistic that we are moving toward the outcome the community would like to see,” Coyne said in a written statement on March 15. “Any path forward must ultimately reflect the province’s priorities regarding liability management, public safety, financial constraints, and the parameters of available federal funding.”

This stretch of the KVR trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail, and while it would take $60 million to fix, the province estimates it would cost $20 million and up to three years to decommission it, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Environment on Feb. 6.

Conservative MP for Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay Helena Konanz said she has met with officials from Princeton and Tulameen to work on a plan to save the trail.

“To lose this part of the KVR would be a huge loss to these communities and a massive blow to tourism for the area. The BC Government needs to come back to the table with a plan to save these beautiful trails instead of erasing them,” she wrote in a post on social media.

An online petition to save the trail has 11,792 signatures in an effort to try to convince the provincial government to pause the decommissioning and look for solutions.

“The KVR is an important recreational, historical and economic asset. It supports tourism, local businesses, outdoor recreation and public access to natural spaces, while preserving a key piece of British Columbia’s transportation and settlement history,” the petition reads.

An engineering report found that there are 61 sites on the trail between Princeton and the Coquihalla Highway that were damaged including bridges, culverts and various other hazards.

Coyne said that some people have been pushing to protest, but he thinks it would be counterproductive.

“We are actively working with the province, and organizing a protest of that nature would be counterproductive to the collaborative work that has been underway and continues today,” he said.

Since it’s so early in the negotiating process, Coyne said it’s too early to start fundraising, but there are reasons to be hopeful.

“Once there is greater certainty about the path forward, we will be in a better position to determine whether, and to what extent, financial support may be needed,” he said. “Both sides are approaching the discussions in good faith, with the shared goal of identifying a viable solution.”