Funding from the ministry of environment and Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) will be used to upgrade two wheelchair-accessible cabins on the Inland Lake trail.
Money from the government’s Community Legacy Program totalling $19,000, and matching funds from ICET, will go toward replacing the cabins’ roofs, foundations and other components. The cabins, located at the nine-kilometre mark and near Anthony Island, were built between 1982 and 1985 and have not received any major renovations since.
Powell River Model Community Project for Persons with Disabilities (MCP) is the recipient of the funding and responsible for the upgrades. MCP executive director David Morris said that the work will begin sometime after the Labour Day weekend, to avoid the summer crowd, and should take around two months.
After completion of the work the cabins will once again be suitable for overnight camping, something which has been advised against for some time now. Many visitors have expressed interest in camping overnight in the cabins and Morris is pleased to soon be able to offer the opportunity again.
“There’s a lot of people with mobility issues who use the trail. It’s quite popular,” said Morris. “We look at it that if you have any wheeled device that has to get people around, whether it be little kids or people in wheelchairs, it’s a great trail for that.”
Both cabins are 3.5 kilometres from the main campsite in either direction on the trail. The trail itself is flat and wide, making it easy going for all. The cabin at the nine-kilometre mark also has an eating shelter and a fishing dock extending into the lake.
A total of about $450,000 is being given to communities throughout BC to mark BC Parks’ 100th anniversary. Groups receiving the money must be able to contribute to their projects through either funding or in-kind contributions.
BC Parks does not have a reservation system for the cabins and they are claimed on a first-come, first-served basis. MCP asks users to pay special consideration to those with mobility issues wishing to use the cabins.
