qathet Regional District has been asked to endorse a grant application to perform necessary maintenance to the Powell Forest Canoe Route.
At the October 15 committee of the whole meeting, Electoral Area C director Clay Brander moved that the regional district provide a letter of support for the Powell River Educational Services Society (PRESS) application to the Province of BC for funding from the community economic recovery and infrastructure program for the project.
According to correspondence from Hugh Prichard, director of Powell Lake Outdoor Learning Centre, PRESS has been working with recreational sites and Trails BC for more than 10 years in maintaining and improving the canoe route. Prichard said with nine lakes, 17 campsites and nine trails of more than 10.5 kilometres in length, this has been a challenging, yet rewarding endeavour.
“Our work has included annual maintenance and special projects, all the while working with students and young adults as they acquire valuable employability skills in the process,” Prichard stated in his correspondence. “The canoe route is aging, and due to its expansiveness, needs upgrades in order to continue being one of the drivers of tourism in the region. With the province unable to fund any ongoing maintenance any longer, accessing these project dollars at this time is critical as we formulate plans for this amenity in the future.”
Prichard stated that PRESS had been encouraged to apply for funds for the badly needed upgrades and repairs along the length of the route. He stated these upgrades and plans are in alignment with destination development strategies developed by Vancouver Coast and Mountains, as well as Sunshine Coast Tourism.
“We feel this to be of high priority,” stated Prichard.
