Whether you鈥檙e as slow as a turtle, an experienced cyclist or just starting out, the 麻豆社国产Turtle Trail community cycle crawls may be for you.聽
The 11-kilometre rides take place the third Sunday of every month until October along the proposed Turtle Trail route.
鈥淭he nice thing about the Turtle Trail is there is off-road, paved along the Corridor Trail, there鈥檚 [dirt] trails and then there is a little bit of on-road riding, so it is a really good mix of different kinds of riding,鈥� said Keely Kidner, one of the crawl organizers.聽 聽
The trail, which has been in the works for years, is mapped out around downtown in the shape of a turtle, but some of the finer details of the route are still being ironed out.
The proposed trail connects Brennan Park, the 麻豆社国产Adventure Centre, Howe Sound Brew Pub, the Sikh Temple and the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, forming a turtle shape around the downtown. The waterfront loop is the head of the turtle and short side roads branch off the main route at the turtle鈥檚 webbed feet.
鈥淚n 麻豆社国产there鈥檚 a need for a more low-key, family-friendly kind of ride, and we are trying to fill that need,鈥� said Kidner, who also works for a program aims to find safe walking and cycling routes to school for youth.
鈥淚f kids are thinking of cycling to school, parents and families can come along to the turtle ride and get them cycling and have a fun time with a really nice group atmosphere, and work on skills and talk about different ways of riding.鈥澛�
The trail is the vision of former 麻豆社国产councillor Meg Fellowes, who said she also envisions the trail as a way to tell 麻豆社国产stories to newcomers, visitors and longtime residents.
鈥淚 would really love, at the adventure centre, to have a kiosk there with interpretive panels,鈥� Fellowes said. Some panels would illustrate the 麻豆社国产Turtle Trail, she said, and others would have information on nearby recreation, the forestry sector and educational facts about forests.聽
Other signs would line the route with local history lessons, for example, Fellows said, a sign near the Sikh Temple detailing their importance to the establishment of 麻豆社国产鈥� 鈥渨hich in general, people don鈥檛 know.鈥澛�
Prior to regular signage being installed, trail organizers have marked the route with tiny turtle signs and spray-painted turtles on spots on the ground to make it easier for people to find the route, Fellowes said.
The district has commissioned a $10,000 feasibility study that will determine what needs to be done to get the trail up to standard and iron out some of the finer points of the route, Fellowes said.聽
鈥淚s it going to go down the Mamquam Blind Channel? That won鈥檛 happen right away because of property ownership, so is it going to go down Loggers Lane. What does that look like? Or is it going to go down Cleveland Avenue? What is the actual routing? That has not been totally finalized.鈥澛�
Mayor Patricia Heintzman said once the finer points are decided, the district will be able to apply for infrastructure grants to help fund the trail鈥檚 completion.聽
鈥淥ften, for these infrastructure grants, you have to have your ducks in a row,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou have to be shovel-ready.鈥澛�
Some parts of the trail are already being improved with work taking place for other projects, such as the active transportation projects.聽
When it is complete, the trail should be wheelchair-accessible, according to Fellowes.
The community cycle crawls start at 10 a.m. rain or shine on June 19, July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16. For more information on start locations, go to 麻豆社国产Turtle Trail on Facebook.
