Construction is set to begin in October on a multi-use trail at Shawnigan Lake on the E&N Railway corridor.
The 1.4-kilometre trail will connect four community parks on or near the waterfront between Shawnigan Wharf Park and Old Mill Park. The trail connects to previously completed trails from 2018 and 2020 stretching north to Renfrew Road, providing residents and visitors a separated pathway to walk, cycle and use mobility devices between parks in the Shawnigan Village area.
The trail project has been years in the making, and was first included in the community’s parks and trails master plan in 2010.
The next section of trail achieves a “longstanding goal” to connect Shawnigan Village with waterfront parks along the lake from Masons Beach near Renfrew Road to Old Mill Park, said Brian Farquhar, senior manager of the parks and trails division for the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
The trail provides an option to get around the rural community without driving, Farquhar said, noting that many of the local roads lack sidewalks and extended shoulders.
“So this is really providing a truly separated pathway that’ll benefit [people] eight to 80, all ages. Kids going to school, people wanting to go to the village to go shopping, people just out for a walk or a stroll with family or friends,” he said.
The new trail on the east side of Shawnigan Lake mirrors the Trans Canada Trail on the west side of the lake, Farquhar said.
A majority of the funding for the project came from the federal gas tax fund, which supports infrastructure projects across the country.
“This trail is not just a pathway beside the lake; it’s a pathway to stronger community connections, to better health and well-being of residents, and economic opportunities for local businesses,” said Sierra Acton, Area B director, in a statement.
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