Plans are moving ahead for the first phase of development of the CN Rail Corridor, now owned by the municipalities of Lake Country, Kelowna and the North Okanagan Regional District.
Municipal councils in each jurisdiction are being asked to approve the formation of an Inter-jurisdictional Development Team with representatives from each area to plan and develop the initial improvements required to provide a basic, continuous recreation trail within and between the three jurisdictions.
On June 1, 2015 Lake Country, Kelowna and NORD combined to purchase 47 kilometres of discontinued CN Rail corridor running through their jurisdictions, with the final piece of the puzzle being the successful referendum in Lake Country that allowed the district to borrow its share of the purchase price.
Lake Country's share was $2.6 million, plus a further $2.6 million loaned to the district by the City of Kelowna. The total purchase price was $22 million.
A report to Lake Country council from the Inter-jurisdictional acquisition team, led by Kelowna, states that at this point there is no plans to develop multi-modal regional transportation infrastructure within the corridor, but instead the plan is to move ahead and try to get a continuous trail in operation.
"There is considerable interest among the owner and stakeholder jurisdictions and the public for the timely development and operation of a continuous recreational trail within the corridor," the report states. "In order to achieve this cooperatively the owner jurisdictions of the corridor wish to establish an inter-jurisdictional development team to plan and develop the initial improvements required to provide a basic, continuous recreational trail within and between the participating jurisdictions."
Lake Country council will have the report in front of it at its regular meeting this Tuesday while Kelowna and NORD will receive the same report