Improvements are coming to one of the city’s most beloved outdoor recreation spots. Construction begins this morning on an improved access to Shane Lake via an enhanced and more accessible UNBC Greenway Connector trail between the lake and the main parking lot at Forests For the World.
The 570-metre trail runs adjacent to nearby creeks in the area and regularly experiences muddy conditions, typically in the late fall and early spring that can make traveling the trail difficult particularly for those who use mobility devices or strollers.
Thus the recent upgrades at Shane Lake include:
- Elevating and creating drainage off the trail with improved gravel materials - similar to the trail work conducted at Cottonwood Island Nature Park in 2019.
- Widening the trail span to four metres to allow more foot traffic and to increase access for service vehicles to perform maintenance at the park.
- Replacing two outhouses with new facilities to provide more accessible, wheel-chair friendly options at Forests for the World. One facility is located near the picnic shelter en route to Shane Lake while the other is located off the main parking lot.
The city says the project is expected to be completed before the end of summer to allow residents and visitors to have time to enjoy the new section of the trail and park features.
Earlier this year, crews improved accessibility by grading the fire pit area and replacing the old picnic tables with three new accessible tables: two in the shelter area and one at the fire pit. Crews also installed railings for the new stairs and lifted the edges on the docks in order to meet accessibility regulations. These most recent improvements at Shane Lake also follow the installation of a new dock at the site last fall.
Shane Lake is situated in Forests for the World, a 106-hectare demonstration forest, and is popular with first-time fishers, kayakers, and nature enthusiasts. The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC releases roughly 3,000 rainbow trout into the Lake each year.
Some disruption of foot traffic is expected while construction is underway and funding for this project came, in part, from Infrastructure Canada’s Community Works fund.
