By Steve Hubrecht
Work has begun in Athalmer on new paved multi-use trails and on a new sidewalk.
The efforts are part of the Athalmer Neighbourhood Plan. Some will be completed soon, others are being started but won’t be fully finished for some time, and one — the planned dike trail — is on hold and under review following a petition against it from local residents.
The new sidewalk is along 4th Avenue and will be finished later this season, Invermere Mayor Al Miller told the Pioneer. “Work is happening on it as we speak,” said Miller late last week, adding that paving could theoretically even start by the time this issue of the Pioneer hits newsstands (on Thursday, July 27). He hastened to add, however, that “given the recent history of paving work on other streets, though, I don’t want to promise anything.”
This was in reference to the paving of 13th Avenue, which was initially supposed to be done last fall, but through various delays was postponed.
The dike trail was not scheduled to see any work this summer, but leapt to public attention a month ago when Athlamer residents raised an alarm over the potential environmental impact of putting a paved trail on the dike, which cuts through wetlands habitat areas. That prompted Invermere council to hit pause and review the entire idea.
But another trail — a new waterfront trail — is now essentially complete, having just been paved, and a second – running along 4th Avenue is also underway.
The 4th Avenue multi-use trail saw gravel prep work on Wednesday, July 19 and will soon be prepped for paving.
“It (the new 4th Avenue trail) is, along with a sidewalk, just trying to make 4th Avenue a safer road. It is very narrow and up until now pedestrians have had no choice but to just walk along it. The sidewalk and trail will change that,” said Miller.
The just-paved waterfront trail runs roughly from James Chabot Provincial Park, behind the old Lakeside Pub, and then along the shore of the mouth of the Columbia River at the northern end of Lake Windermere, finishing at the gravel parking lot by the Athalmer boat launch.
Will the new waterfront trail eventually go farther? Miller couldn’t say for certain.
“That’s where it will end for now, until we review the (Lake Windermere Resort) lands and start actually putting the (Athalmer Neighbourhood) plan into place. If we were to extend it now, we may end up ripping it out later, and we don’t want to do that,” he explained.
When will the Athalmer Neighbourhood Plan be fully implemented?
“That will happen over time. It certainly won’t all happen right away,” said Miller, adding there will be further opportunities for ideas to come forward.
“The plan we have now is a starting point, there’s much still to be done,” he said. “It all takes time and money to implement. We’ve drawn up the plan, so there’s a sketch of where we want to go, but we want to be good stewards of taxpayer money, spend carefully, and make sure the plan is implemented as efficiently as possible.”
Miller encouraged local residents and visitors alike to walk, jog, run, bike, or otherwise self-propel on the new paved waterfront trail.
“Active transportation is important for health, and important for getting people outdoors. That’s what trails are supposed to do, and that’s what this trail is supposed to do. This is a special place, along the shore, and we want people to use the trail to enjoy this place,” he said.
