Cycle 16 was stunned on Tuesday when they learned they would receive $9.8 million for their trail.
This is provided by the Ministry of Transportation, who also funded a trail from Burns Lake to Tchesinkut Lake.
President Allan Cormier said, “We keep applying for grants and hope that you get them, and we have received a lot of grant funding, but not everyone is accepted.”
He added the funding means phases two through four are fully funded.
While the money is there, construction on the next phases is a little way away.
“We have to complete an archeological assessment of the full trail and that takes time, and we’re still in the process of negotiating with land purchases,” said Cormier.
It’s also undecided if the trail will be completed in phases as planned or done all at once.
Phase one was launched a year ago, running from Smithers to Babine Lake Road.
Construction on the rest of the trail is expected to begin in spring of 2025.
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