The efforts of a long-time proponent of the Cranbrook Hill Greenway have been recognized by the B.C. Society of Landscape Architects.
Robin Draper was recently named a winner of the Society's 2014 community service award for not only launching the Greenway concept in the early 1990s but seeing it through to fruition.
The idea of establishing recreational trails along the west boundary of Prince George began in the 1970s, and while some were developed, the project died out in the 1980s due to a lack of funding.
In nominating him for the award, Prince George landscape architect Jay Lazarrin credited Draper with reviving the idea and keeping it alive.
Offering his expertise as a B.C. Parks recreation officer, Draper became president of the Cranbrook Hill Trail Task Group, which eventually became the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Society. in November 1992.
"One of the hardest thing was securing the land tenure from various groups and organizations," Lazarrin said.
By 1996, an agreement had been reached between BC Lands and the City of Prince George that gave the city a "license to occupy" a 100-metre wide and 23-kilometre long corridor from Highway 16 at the city's west edge to the Otway cross country ski trails in the north.
The city then handed over development and management to the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Society and, by 2002, the majority of the trail had been constructed, complete with boardwalks, bridges, information kiosks at access points and signage.
The result is a feature that provides "a valuable green space for wildlife habitat and recreational
opportunities," Lazarrin said, and noted the Society remains involved in maintaining and upgrading the trail.
"One constant throughout this entire period has been Robin's dedication and leadership," Lazarrin said.
Draper said the award came as a pleasant surprise.
"The way I look at it, it's acknowledgment more of the Greenway, rather than me individually," Draper said. "I just happened to be the person that's leading it but it's all the other people who got involved to make this project happen that deserve it as much as I do."
Draper, who was nominated for the Prince George Community Foundation Citizen of the Year in 2002, said it's just good to see people out using the trail.
"That's rewarding in itself," he said.
