Nov. 16th – we currently have a brushing machine working on widening the sides of the Rail Trail north of Winlaw. It will probably get as far as Nixon Rd or Katelnikoff Rd by the end of Wednesday. Even though the Trail is CLOSED, the operator has had to completely shut down his machine because of people ignoring the signs. WARNING – there may be small pieces of brush on the treadpath where the vegetation removed was thickest. These can puncture a tire, so be cautious. The hope is that over the winter these will get packed down. We are looking for volunteers NOW who would be willing to take a leaf rake when they walk this section to help clear things off quickly. Thanks for your understanding.

TRAIL BRUSHING & TRAIL CLOSURE – Nov. 11 and 12 (THURSDAY AND FRIDAY). We will be brushing the Trail Thursday and Friday between Winlaw and Perry’s Siding. The Trail will be closed to all usage on those dates. Signage will be in place and will be removed when work is complete. Thanks for your understanding.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – Members of the Slocan Valley Heritage TrailSociety are invited to attend our annual AGM on Thursday Sept. 30th at 7 p.m. at the Slocan Park Hall. Covid protocols of social distancing and mask wearing will be followed. In recognition of the Provincial Health Order, attendees should present their BC vaccination card.

TREE THINNING PROJECT – Just letting folks know we’ll be beginning the project in the Winlaw area on Monday, Sept.13th. This could take two or three days. TRAIL CLOSED signs will be posted and offer directions on how to bypass the work. Please DO NOT attempt to ride through the work area. Thanks for your understanding.

FYI – the section of Trail north of the Winlaw Bridge Rd will be CLOSED Tuesday for a geo technical assessment of Trail sloughing.

The week of Sept. 13th is going to be a busy one on the Slocan Valley Rail Trail.
We will begin our Tree Thinning Project which will takeup to 7 working days mainly in Passmore, Winlaw and Crescent Valley. The Trail will be closed on the days the crew are in these areas, so be prepared to alter your route. Signs will be posted daily blocking the Trail where work is taking place.
A local contractor will be opening up the canopy where larger tree branches are blocking snow from reaching the Trail, limiting our winter grooming program. They will not be cutting down larger trees, but removing the limbs overhanging the Trail and leaving the tops (or crowns) intact. They will also be thinning smaller trees near the treadpath and cutting down dangerous and leaning trees. A Bucket Truck, chipper and three person crew will be undertaking this work. Funding from the Columbia Basin Trust Trail Enhancement Fund and the Community Initiative Program is making this project possible.
In other work news, a sloughing section of the Trail north of Winlaw will be closed on Tuesday, Sept. 14th where a geo-technical study will be undertaken.

As well, the Fibre Optic Project will be continuing. This CBBC funded project will find crews working primarily north of Winlaw to the Village of Slocan, installing conduit and fibre optic cable. People will be able to get through their work areas, but please use caution.

NOTICE OF WORK: August 23-27, 2021

There will be several crews working at various locations of the Rail Trail in the weeks ahead. This upcoming week will be primarily from Slocan Park to Nixon Rd.
Crews and equipment will be installing conduits, cable vaults and fibre. Others will be doing ‘spot work’, to finish up conduit interconnects and vaults.
The section from Lemon Creek to Gravel Pit Road will not begin to have the conduit laid until early September.
Just so everyone is aware, the various stages of this Fibre Optic Project could be going on into October.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. Enjoy the Trail!

NOTICE OF TRAIL CLOSURE – UPDATED – July 29th Just for clarification, the Slocan Valley Rail Trail remains closed on the section that is under evacuation alert from the Trozzo Creek Wildfire. This is from north of Katelnikoff Rd to Ringrose Creek. It was mistakenly stated that it had opened. The same status applies to all Rec Sites and Trails BC trails and sites under evacuation orders/alerts or area restrictions throughout the province. Sorry for any confusion.

NOTICE OF TRAIL CLOSURE – Because of the Evacuation Order now in place from the Trozzo Creek Wildfire, the Rail Trail is closed to everyone between Perry’s Siding and Lindsay Rd.

FIBRE OPTIC UPDATE – The crew will be resuming cable laying the week of July 19th. They will be beginning with some work in the Village of Slocan. Tentatively they will be on the Trail by Wednesday, July 21st to lay the line from the Village of Slocan to Perrys Siding. They only work Monday the Rail Trail Monday to Friday.
Please use caution on the Trail and obey all warning signs.

The fibre optic crew is parked at Perrys Siding for the weekend.
Crews and equipment will be installing conduit and cable vaults in the following location:
The Slocan Valley Rail Trail from just Perrys Siding Bridge Rd, north to Lemon Creek Trailhead (approximately 5 km.
Work will move south to north ~2km per day.
Trail users are encouraged to avoid travelling along this segment and obey all posted signage.
As well, a crew will be working at various locations along the Rail Trail doing
‘Spot work’ to finish and/or clean up conduit interconnects and installing vaults and lids. This work will not be trail use impacting

Construction of the Slocan Valley Fibre Optic Backbone project is taking place this summer on the rail trail from the Playmor Junction to the Village of Slocan. The work is being performed by a direction drill and vibratory plow that will bury conduit within the rail trail corridor. Every week, on Thursday or Friday, we will post the construction schedule for the coming week and advise which sections of the trail will be impacted.

This Connecting BC project is funded by local governments, the Province of BC and Columbia Basin Trust.