Residents could soon be strolling through an area of town that contributed to the infamous oil boom more than a century ago in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday.
The Town of Turner Valley recently applied for federal assistance to build about two kilometres of walking trail through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program. The path is proposed to run along the Sheep River where some of the Town’s first oil wells were built, and connect to existing trails.
The federal program will invest $150 million over two years to support projects Canada wide that rehabilitate existing facilities and ensure a lasting legacy.
“We do have some small trails in parts of subdivisions that have already happened, but we don’t have a major trail system developed yet,” said Barry Williamson, the Town’s chief administrative officer. “If we can get the money out of this 150 grant this would be a worthwhile continuation going south.”
Williamson said the Town put together a proposal for what it’s calling Discovery Trail, estimated to cost $547,000, yet none of the details are finalized. If the trail is approved the grant would cover half the cost and the Town’s portion would have to be approved in the 2016 budget, he said.
“These aren’t cheap,” Williamson said of building trails. “If you see grants like this one come up and you can apply them to a trail system it’s an opportunity to chase money to help you get started.”
Williamson said the proposal includes a pathway along the reservoir, close to the river and up to the subdivision on Ocalta Road to connect to a pathway system that ends at the residential development at the top of the hill.
The Town had budgeted $70,000 from reserve funding this year to construct a 1.5 kilometre pathway along the east side of Decalta Road this summer. Williamson said the Discovery Trail would connect to the new pathway at the south end of Decalta Road.
“We are looking at some other locations in town that we are negotiating some land related to this,” he said.
Williamson said the pathway has a historic element, with the proposed route taking walkers, joggers and cyclers along the banks of the Sheep River where the discovery of oil was made more than a century ago.
“If you look at the history going back to the explorations that were done when they were initially looking for oil it’s in and around this area because even though we’re upstream from the historic gas plant the area that we’re in is probably part of that area that was explored,” he said.
Williamson said when it comes to the Town’s history of oil and gas, it usually comes with additional costs and work.
“We consulted with our engineering company and they provided a detailed list of associated costs to proceed with the project,” he said. “There is remedial work to be done in the area given the oil and gas development.”
The topic of pathway expansion is not new to council. It was discussed a couple terms ago, Williamson said.
“A master plan got accepted for information by council, but it’s never been fully implemented,” he said. “It’s been sitting on our books for a while. The other element of it is that we really wanted a parks and rec committee set up so they could revisit the whole concept of the trail system.”
Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck said she looks forward to the possibility of an extended pathway for residents to enjoy beyond the current Friendship Trail that connects Black Diamond and Turner Valley.
The proposed pathway has the potential to create a loop with a proposed trail system in Black Diamond as its council applied for the same grant with hopes of creating a pathway in its community.
“It’s being able to connect them so it’s continuous,” Tuck said. “We know as a community that people walk quite a bit. It just comes down to public safety, ensuring they have a place to walk.”
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