A trail (footpath) leads from Bestwick Drive near downtown Kamloops down a fairly steep slope to Royal Inland Hospital and the City centre. The trail is very well used (average 150+ trips per day) by school children, hospital and downtown employees and local residents. In recent years the trail has washed out frequently and been virtually impassable in wet and winter weather. The local Bestwick Block Watch Group came together and applied to the City of Kamloops for a Climate Action Grant to rebuild the Trail. The City agreed with the Project but was only able to provide partial funds to purchase sufficient gravel and rent a bobcat loader. We applied to the Neighbourhood Small Grant Program and were very pleased when our application was approved as it provided a sufficient budget for the work.
The scope was to be undertaken in 2 stages. First to regrade the trail by hand with volunteer neighbourhood residents and users. This occurred on April 13, 2024. Secondly to bring in loads of both coarse base gravel and finer surfacing gravel, and with the aid of a bobcat to transport the gravel up the slope and distribute it to allow volunteers with rakes and shovels to spread the gravels and compact them. This occurred on May 4, 2024.
One of the other objectives of the Project was to generate neighbourhood connections. By planning the project and then working together to accomplish the plan, a number of local residents got to connect with neighbours and get to know them better, and share in collectively improving a well used trail that was desperately in need of attention.
The City subsequently installed some cedar fencing along parts of the trail and seeded some areas needing rehabilitation to complete the Project.
We are very pleased with the results! The trail has performed well after several heavy rainfalls and we anticipate that it will prove to be a great improvement during late fall, winter and spring when mud and snow have historically made it very hazardous to navigate.
Many thanks to the NSG funding as well as the City’s Climate Action Grant to allow this project to proceed!
