Vancouver Island Spine Trail Association V( ISTA) Newsletter July 2014 Prepared by Andrew Pape-Salmon, VISTA President email: [email protected] Spine Trail Association– President’s Report This is the inaugural issue of the VISTAP resident’s Report, providing an update to members, volunteers, sponsors and partner organizations in the planning, construction and maintenance othf e 700km Vancouver Island Spine Trail from Victoria to Cape Scott. It includes a concise summary of VISTA Board of Director meeting minutes, VISTA project activities and the communications by the VITN with partner organizations, outdoor enthusiasts. Its erves as a table of contents of a member “newsletter” with links to the VISTA and VITN websites for more depth. Trails Update Winter is not a busy time for trail building, but is commonly used to conduct trails feasibility studies, consult stakeholders, select routes, raise funds and build momentum for the trail construction and maintenance season (April-November). The following activities pertaining to the VI Spine Trail in recent months are noteworthy:

In April 2014, a family of four with 7 and 9 year-old children hiked the Tuck Lake Trail (30km, west of ) and Runner’s Trail (20km, to Alberni Inlet as a spring break getaway. The former trail was constructed by VISTA in 2012/2013 and the latter by the Tseshaht First Nation in 2010.

The CVRD and CRD received funds from the Foundatio,n among other sources, to conduct studies for completion oft he “Malahat Connector” between the CRD’s Galloping Goose Trail and the CVRD’s trail and Kinsol Trestle; both part of the Trans Canada Trail and VI Spine Trail. The connector is scheduled to open in 2017. N ote that VISTA sponsored a trail running evental ong one possible routei n June 2010 in partnership Isis

www.vispine.ca Properties, CRD, CVRD and FortisBC Energy. Click on this link for more information on the 2010 event. Thanks for the volunteer efforts and fundraising of theA lberni Valley Outdoor Club, a bridge was constructed over China Creek to connect the Alberni “Inlet Trail” with the Historic CNPR Trail south of the Creek. This addresses a major gap in the trail system south of that will connect to VISTA’s Tuck Lake Trail. Inaugural Vancouver Island Trails Network Conferenc e VISTA hosted its first gathering of Vancouver Island non-motorized trails stakeholders in the Comox Valley on May 31, 2014, sponsored by BC Hydro. The conference, promoted under VISTA’s new banner the “Vancouver Island Trails Network”, included sessions on the following topics:

Keynote Speakers: Phillip Stone, Island Alpine Author; and Trish Kaplan, TC Trail Trails Success Stories Land Issues: Public Focus Community Capacity Building Land Issues: Private Focus Dirty Work – On the Ground Logistics Panel Discussion – Partnerships and Development The day after the conference, VISTA hosted a “Trails Day Out” series of events, including a mountain bike ride, trail run and hike on Cumberland’s fantastictrai ls. Here are two descriptions of the conference and trails day event: http://www.vispine.ca/vitrails_conf_2014_wrap

Membership If you haven’t already done so, please renew your membershipb y clicking here. Active members can vote for the Board of Directors and motions related to VISTA priorities at the upcoming Annual General Meeting in early fall 2014. An AGM notice with a call for nominations for Directors will be sent out shortly. Active members will receive this newsletter a month in advance ofi t being postedo n the VISTA website. Youth Program As part of our commitment to youth engagement, we have arranged with the YMCA to lead a group of youth on a trail-building weekend in August, and two groups of high school studentsfro m SMUS on trail- building weekends in September. For more information, please contact Charles Burnett. See the article on our website for highlights from the youth program in 2013 .

www.vispine.ca Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities VISTA President Andrew Pape-Salmon and volunteer Chris Causton attended the AVICC conference in Parksville/Qualicum on April 11/12, 2014. They spoke to over 50 local government politicians, public sector organizations, land-use interests and others. Andrew’s highlight was a discussion with Councillor Bob Day and others from the Town of Lake Cowichan to exploreth e construction of a new trail from the Town to the Nitinat River, where it would connect to the existing VI Spine Trail networkt o Port Alberni.

Strategic Planning In November 2013 VISTA held its secondStrateg ic Planning workshop in Victoria, building upon the organization’s 2011 Strategic Planwith activities in the following areas:

Strategic plan update VITN Conference Trails Day event Youth Program Data and digital assets (maps, website) Private landowner outreach and partnerships Public sector outreach and partnerships (AVICC conference, selected local governments, First Nation engagement) Feasibility studies for further VI Spine Trail sections (Strathcona Park to Upper Campbell Lake) Trail building (negotiatinga greements with land owners, local government and First Nation consultations, “ground-proving” the proposed trail route, clarifying trail construction standards, securing partners, funding, contractors and volunteers) Fundraising for the overall organization and individual projects We have contracted Route Two Projects to develop a detailed proposal for the direction of the VISTA organization with key components of a revised Strategic Plan byth e end of July 2014.

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