Construction has started on the first portion of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail.
When completed, the trail will eventually span 50 kilometres, from Sicamous to Armstrong, and will link up with the Okanagan Rail Trail, which travels from Kelowna to Vernon.
The first portion of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail, called the Enderby-Splatsin section, will be two kilometres in length. Construction is expected to be completed by fall.
On Wednesday, the Splatsin First Nation (Splatsin te Secwépemc), the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Regional District of North Okanagan issued a joint statement on the collaborative effort, saying the vision of a remarkable recreational pathway is closer to reality.
“The development of the pilot section is a significant milestone as it will be the first fully developed section of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail, which has been a vision for the project owners for years,” said the statement.
“This section will allow residents and visitors alike to get a feel for the trail surface, road crossings, staging, and signage ahead of the development of the full corridor and while additional funding is secured.”
The federal government and province provided $459,061 in funding, while the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) partnered with the Ministry of Tourism to secure an additional $250,000.