The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District's (SLRD) Sea to Sky Trail is set for expansion work this summer with the help of some big-money backers.
Chip Wilson, of Lululemon fame, and his Wilson 5 Foundation, are contributing $1.37 million to the work, the SLRD said in a release on June 30.
"The Wilson 5 Foundation is excited to help make the Sea to Sky Trail a reality for today and for future generations," Wilson said in the release.
The private donation is in addition to nearly $700,000 in grant funding from the provincial government's Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation's Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program, announced in April.
That program's funding "supports economic development and infrastructure projects that help strengthen communities throughout B.C.," said minister Brenda Bailey in the release. "Upgrades to the Sea to Sky Trail will help boost tourism in the area while also improving recreational activities for local families."
The SLRD is "extremely grateful" to both parties for their contributions, said SLRD board chair Jen Ford.
"The Sea to Sky Trail is an iconic crown jewel of the SLRD," she said in the release.
"We are thrilled that these contributions will help to further develop this extensive, multi-use trail that provides breathtaking recreational access while connecting our communities in the region."
Work on the trail will begin this summer, with construction on a nine-kilometre section between Gord’s Garden and Nairn Falls expected to be completed by April 2024. Engineering and design work will also take place on a four-kilometre area along the Highway 99 between the Paradise Valley - Cheakamus Canyon section and Chance Creek - Pinecrest Estates section.
Beginning at the Squamish waterfront and running north for 180 kilometres through the Sea to Sky corridor to D’Arcy, the Sea to Sky Trail runs 126 kilometres and links the Pacific Ocean in the south to the Coast Mountains to the north. The new construction will add another nine kilometres to the trail.
Read more at slrd.bc.ca/seatoskytrail.
