Nearly a dozen trailblazers appeared before the March 15 committee of the whole meeting to promote the construction of a new walking path in Creston.
Spokesperson Mary Jayne Blackmore asked Creston town council for support in an application for Columbia Basin Trust funding. The proposed walkway would connect 16th Avenue North, just north of Scott Street, to Devon Street.
“We have walked the route with a (town) staff member,” Blackmore said, adding that more staff support would be needed to determine property boundaries.
A public consultation meeting with area residents would be included in the process, she said.
While CBT funding would be sought, the town would not be off the financial hook. The Trails for Creston Valley Society asks that the town provide gravel, and assume responsibility for post-construction maintenance.
The proposed 6.8-foot-wide path, estimated to be about 500 meters long, would not be entirely new to local walkers. An informal network of paths in the area is beaten down by pedestrians who find their own connections between 16th Avenue North and the west side of town.
The issue was referred to staff for a report.
Committee Briefs
•A letter of support was recommended for council consideration to remove a parcel of land from the Agricultural Land Reserve for the construction of a new discovery centre adjacent to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area.
•Town manager Lou Varela recommended that the town continue to not participate in the Regional District of Central Kootenay Sustainability Service No. 7. In November 2013, the Town of Creston gave notice of its intent to withdraw. Varela said the two-year withdrawal process came into effect on Dec. 31, 2015, and that there was still no evidence that Creston would benefit from the program.
“We can always opt back in at any time,” she said. “It’s much easier to opt in than it is to opt out.”
•Finance director Steffan Klassen walked council members through updates of the 2016 budget and outlined the timeline that must be followed in order to meet provincial requirements and get property tax bills out on schedule.
•A letter of support will be provided for the Creston Valley Thunder Cats proposal to host the 2017 Junior B provincial championships, in which four teams, including the host club, vie for the Cyclone Taylor Cup.
“This is a four-day event and it brings an estimated 500 people in to the host town,” said Creston Fire Rescue Chief Mike Moore, who is also president of the Thunder Cats.
When asked how realistic Creston’s chances are to be awarded the event, Moore said he thinks they are good.
“Creston has never hosted the championships — we think we have a good chance.”
•At the request of the Creston Valley Rotary Club, the Town of Creston will apply for a Creston-Kootenay Foundation grant toward construction of a 900-square-foot pavilion and a 664-square-foot washroom/changing room facility in Centennial Park.
The foundation requires that applicants have a charitable tax donation number, which the Creston Valley Rotary Club does not have.