We have recently relocated to live in Sundre. We had our first opportunity to hike the Snake Hill Recreation Area — a natural landmark that is preserved for the continued enjoyment of residents and visitors.
Sundre is not alone in providing recreational opportunities by way of nature trails for its residents and visitors. Nature trails are popular with all age groups, including retirees or those seeking to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.
An example of the popularity of nature trails for recreational use in Central Alberta is the terrific design and quality of NOVA Chemicals Community Nature Trail at the Joffre site just northeast of Red Deer. It is a well designed and maintained trail system, offering a great walk through creeks and aspen woods of the prairie and parkland ecosystem of Central Alberta.
Another exceptional trail system provided for residents and visitors is that of the City of Red Deer, with more than 110 kilometres of trails. A portion of the trail system leads to Kerry Wood Nature Centre with its superb new visitor viewpoint of Gaetz Lakes.
A final example would be the highly used Stoney Creek Trail System in the City of Camrose, with its superbly maintained pathways and inviting number of maintained rest areas.
Snake Hill is in need of a new vision to help provide economic sustainability. It provides a great view of our town and maintains an intact aspen and spruce forest. An upgraded viewpoint such as the one at Kerry Wood or the well-maintained interpretive signs and trail posts at NOVA Nature Trail should be considered.
The foothills and Eastern Slopes, history of settlement and Indigenous peoples could be considered as educational or environmental awareness. The importance of Snake Hill should not go un-thought of. Trail maintenance, enhancement and a vision of expansion for economic and user benefit is well deserved.
Providing a well mapped, user-friendly link to the river trail is justifiable as a total nature trail recreation experience for Sundre residents and visitors.
My comment, though, is to say that recreational trails such as Snake Hill need to be maintained, continually enhanced and respected not only as an affordable form of leisure but to also supply some economic sustainability to a municipality. When deterioration of infrastructure is not repaired in a timely manner it is at risk of abuse and further deterioration.
William Davies,
Sundre
