SUNDRE – A full gallery of approximately 15 people including delegates who attended the Dec. 16 council meeting heard that Sundre’s interpretative nature boardwalk is a onnly three-season amenity.
“Social media was very loud on our staff not clearing this,” said Coun. Jaime Marr.
The municipality’s master trails planning document previously adopted by council defines different trail systems and connectors, and the boardwalk that was officially opened this past summer is not considered a four-season all-access path, elaborated Marr.
“It’s three-season at this point,” she said, explaining that council has not approved additional levels of servicing for the boardwalk such as snow clearing.
“Our equipment would hurt it and we don’t want to hurt it,” she said.
The discussion came up in light of an administrative report presented to council as a result of questions that had been raised about the project including its cost that was offset by funding from the Federal Gas Tax and what other initiatives that grant has been allocated to.
Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, outlined the boardwalk’s history dating back to 2017 when it was initiated by the Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce’s president at the time.
“Although the chamber of the day fully supported the project, they felt they did not have the resources to complete the project,” said Nelson.
So a $10,000 grant the town had approved for the chamber to start construction was subsequently returned. However, recognizing the value of the project, the municipality started to work with the volunteer group to develop a plan to build the boardwalk, she said.
The first phase of construction was underway by 2020 with the project taking several years to complete as it was built entirely by volunteers who put in thousands of hours, she said.
In 2023, the town was able to get grant funding through the Federal Gas Tax in the amount of $80,000 to help pay for materials, she said, adding volunteers were also able to secure donations as well as in-kind contributions from several local businesses.
Out of the $10,000 invested by the town, the bulk went to lumber in the amount of $7,500 with approximately $1,060 for mulching and clearing trails and about the same amount for screws with the rest going towards fuel for a generator and equipment rentals, she said.
A little more than $43,200 of the Federal Gas Tax paid for lumber, while $3,027 went toward concrete mix for blocks, almost $2,800 for screws, plus another $1,111 for equipment rentals as well as $15,064 to design and build the interpretive signs. Once the dust settled, roughly $66,000 out of the $80,000 was spent, leaving almost $14,000 available in 2025, she said.
In addition, there were donations and discounts in the amount of $59,505 from Sundre Home Hardware and West Fraser-Sundre Forest Products.
“Further construction of the boardwalk will continue as time and funding allows, which will likely occur over several years depending on funding and time commitment volunteers may be willing to provide,” said Nelson.
According to the administrative report included in council’s agenda, among the other projects that received funding through the Federal Gas Tax fund were: playground equipment installed throughout the community throughout 2015-2020; a lagoon lift station refurbishment that cost a total of $267,000 of which the gas tax covered $125,000; an expansion of Sundre Skatepark’s concrete pad; the pathway lighting along Lions Park and Prairie Creek; as well as the permanent outdoor rink.
Coun. Paul Isaac moved to accept the report for information and called the boardwalk an amazing project that was made possible at “no real cost to the residents.”
Isaac said he’d heard both from residents and visitors who’ve had a chance to see and appreciate it.
“It’s great for our town,” he said.
Coun. Owen Petersen confessed once harbouring doubts but that he’d since had a change of heart.
“I must admit that I wasn’t sold on this project in the very beginning,” said Petersen. “But now that it is mostly done and in place, I am in love with it.”
The councillor asked what plans might be in place for the remaining $14,000.
“Is that more signage; what needs to be completed?”
By design, Nelson said there exists the potential to expand sections of the boardwalk in the future.
“There will be a series of branches coming off the main boardwalk to a number of predesigned areas,” she said, adding those plans technically are not yet defined.
Mayor Richard Warnock said he could only imagine how long it would take to install thousands of screws after building a deck in his own yard that had only required perhaps a couple hundred.
“It is an absolute asset,” said Warnock, adding he’s met with people who were driving through town including a group from Manitoba that was travelling to Rocky Mountain House who’ve made a note of stopping to walk along the path when they saw it.
The mayor agreed with Marr that he did not want to see the boardwalk damaged by snow-clearing equipment and that it needs to be carefully looked after.
