SLRD receives $71,343 BikeBC grant for Friendship Trail

Pemberton, BC - The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) has been awarded a $71,343 BikeBC grant to be put towards the construction of the Friendship Trail, a 7 km multi-use trail that will connect the communities of Mount Currie and Pemberton. The SLRD will contribute matching funds in the amount of $71,343. The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation kicked off fundraising efforts with a commitment of $300,000 to the Sea to Sky Trail project in 2006, $120,000 of which has been allocated to the Friendship Trail portion of the project. 

Once complete, the Friendship Trail will provide a safe, non-motorized route to physically, socially and economically connect the nearly 5,600 residents within Area C of the SLRD, the Village of Pemberton and the Lil’wat Nation.

The Friendship Trail will be a vital link in the SLRD’s Sea to Sky Trail, which, when complete, will be a 180 km multi-use trail linking the Pacific Ocean south of Squamish with the community of D’Arcy on the shore of Anderson Lake in the northern portion of Area C. The southern portion of the Sea to Sky Trail (Howe Sound to Whistler) has been designated as part of the Trans Canada Trail, one of the world’s longest networks of multi-use recreational trails. The SLRD hopes that once complete, the northern portion of the Sea to Sky Trail, including the Friendship Trail, will also be designated as part of the Trans Canada Trail.

BikeBC is the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s cost-sharing program that assists local governments to develop cycling infrastructure that supports commuter and recreational cyclists and pedestrians. This year’s investment will generate more than $7.38 million in cycling infrastructure across the province. Since its inception, BikeBC’s investments have resulted in over 100 projects that range in size and scope, reflecting the diversity of BC’s geography and communities. 

• Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure news release: BikeBC funding supports active, healthy communities
• For more information about BikeBC, visit: www.th.gov.bc.ca/BikeBC