The Pemberton Valley’s multi-use Friendship Trail is growing.
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler joined Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) Electoral Area C Director Russell Mack in Spud Valley on Thursday, July 28 to announce a $418,200 investment the federal government is making to extend the Friendship Trail.
The six-figure grant will help pay for the construction of a new, approximately-0.75-kilometre section of trail to connect the two existing segments of the Friendship Trail to Pemberton Farm Road East, fully linking downtown Pemberton with Mount Currie. The Village of Pemberton (VOP) is contributing $186,800 to the project, while the SLRD is throwing $92,000 into the pot.
The new Pemberton Farm Road East Connector will become an integral part of the 7.2-km non-motorized Friendship Trail, particularly considering the new route will run beside the sports fields and bike skills course at Den Duyf Park. Pemberton councillors previously directed VOP staff to apply for a provincial grant to fund a multi-use bike lane on Pemberton Farm Road East back in February 2020, one month before the COVID-19 pandemic officially began.
“This new connection will fill a vital gap in ensuring residents can travel safely between town and our growing recreation site,” Richman noted in the release. “This type of infrastructure helps us meet our objectives to expand opportunities for multimodal transportation and with the non-motorized use, supports our climate change goals. Thank you to the Government of Canada for helping to bring this important project to our community.”
The Friendship Trail is a collaboration between the Village of Pemberton, Lil’wat Nation and the SLRD that has been more than a decade in the making. It is expected to be fully completed by 2024.
The trail functions as “a safe and designated pathway” for residents of all ages—including Lil’wat Nation members living in Mount Currie—to easily travel to school, work or access other essential services on foot, by bike or even on horseback. “Additionally, the trail provides an opportunity for visitors to engage in outdoor activities, explore the valley, and discover local businesses, events, and tourism offerings along the route,” according to a media release issued by the three partners.
Mack described the trail as "a lasting legacy for the Pemberton Valley and surrounding communities."
The project has previously received significant grants from the federal government, the province, Innergex Renewable Energy and the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation dating back to 2008. Supplemented by community contributions, the sum totals close to $2 million. It’s part of the larger Sea to Sky Trail project, the 180-km trail that winds through the corridor to link the Pacific Ocean south of Squamish with D’Arcy, on the shores of Anderson Lake north of Pemberton.
The investment announced Thursday will flow from the Government of Canada’s $400-million Active Transportation Fund. The contribution supports the Liberal government’s National Active Transportation Strategy, which aims to expand pathways, bike lanes, pedestrian bridges and trail networks across the country.
In the release, Weiler said active transportation infrastructure like the Friendship Trail provides options for “healthier, more accessible and greener transportation” that in turn create better-connected communities. “The Village of Pemberton to Líl̓wat Nation Friendship Trail takes this a step further by breaking down barriers in between the communities of Pemberton and Mount Currie,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser, Weiler said the federal government is pleased to work with its municipal partners to bring this project to fruition. “Active transportation projects like this move us closer to our net-zero emissions goals, while providing safe and inviting options for the community to walk, bike, run, and skate for work and play,” Weiler explained.
