City of Quesnel receives Federal Dollars to upgrade their Riverfront Trail Network

Courtesy of the Government of Canada:

Shared public spaces are the heart of communities across Canada. They bring together people of all ages and abilities, supporting businesses and stimulating local economies. In Quesnel, like so many places across Canada, the community is ready to welcome back residents and visitors alike to vibrant parks, trails and public spaces. 

The Government of Canada recognizes that many well-loved spaces have laid dormant while Canadians have taken precautions to stay safe. Upgrading existing community infrastructure and building new public assets will help Canadian cities and towns provide better access to recreational programs and facilities while boosting their economic vitality. 

 Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced an investment of $118,325 through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) for the City of Quesnel. This funding will allow the City of Quesnel to upgrade wayfinding signage along the Riverfront Trail. The project includes refreshing existing information kiosks, designing and installing additional ones, and creating new signage. 

 The CCRF was launched in June 2021. It is providing $500 million over two years for Canada’s regional development agencies (RDAs) to invest in projects that build and improve community infrastructure. The Government of Canada is committed to rejuvenating public spaces to make them safer, greener, and more accessible. This will stimulate local economies, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for Canadians. 

The Hon. Harjit Sajjan (Federal Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada) stated: 

 “This initiative demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting economic development in communities in every corner of British Columbia. We have helped put small-and medium-sized businesses on the road to recovery. Now it’s time to invest in the shared public spaces that will safely bring people together and help communities grow and thrive well into the future.”

While Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson commented:

"The City of Quesnel is thrilled to implement this stage of our wayfinding strategy. The Riverfront Trail serves as the hub of our community trail network, and a well-marked system supports residents and visitors to navigate and explore the community while getting some fresh air and exercise.”

More changes coming to the Quesnel Riverfront Trail

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Editor's Note -- this week's Quesnel City Council column is written by Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson.  He can be reached via email here

Several people have noted that things seem to be changing along the Quesnel River portion of the Riverfront Trail; most notably, the City’s fire trucks are parked in the old public works facility, there’s been land clearing on the former Utilities site, and the “yellow dozer” has been removed. However, none of these changes should come as a surprise to the public, as they’ve been communicated numerous times and are part of our overall community renewal strategy.

Using the old Public Works Yard as a location for the City’s #1 Firehall is simply a temporary measure while that firehall gets a complete upgrade. This $4 million project is now underway and will be completed by 2023, at which time the old Public Works Yard will be vacated and we can start to plan for its remediation as per our Waterfront Plan.

The Waterfront Plan was developed with significant input from the public and the land clearing at the old Utilities Yard and the removal of the “yellow dozer” on the downstream side of the Johnston Bridge along the Quesnel River are an outcome of that plan. This entire area will now be converted into an on-river RV Park and Campground this spring and summer. Again, this is a project that’s funded by grants from the provincial and federal governments and Northern Development Trust.

This summer will also see more changes along the Riverfront Trail, all in alignment with our Waterfront Plan. In particular, the Fraser River portion of the Trail will see significant upgrades; including lighting, changes to the Front Street entrance to the Walking Bridge, new benches, and new signage. We’d hoped this particular project would have been more advanced by this time, but there have been some due diligence delays as we work on getting the appropriate approvals from other agencies, particularly First Nations approvals based on a robust archeological assessment. 

In fact, the entire Riverfront Trail will see all of its signage refreshed this year. The current interpretative signage is dated, both physically and socially (i.e. inappropriate and inaccurate) and will be replaced with upgraded signs. So, please don’t be surprised when the current signage is removed to make way for the new signs. 

Over the past few years, we’ve also been working collaboratively with the Lhtako Dene Nation to restore their history to the riverfronts in the City. The Lhtako Dene lived at the confluence of the Fraser and Quesnel Rivers and Baker Creek for millennia prior to “discovery” and yet their rich history is notably missing from what is unquestionably their traditional territory. Instead, only the old artifacts of settlement are represented along the Riverfront Trail, some of which are not even a part of the history of our community (like the Steam Shovel, which is part of Likely's history). 

Next month, we’re hoping to put the finishing touches on and secure the finances for a major First Nations cultural project along the Fraser portion of the Riverfront Trail. This project has been developed in full consultation with Lhtako Elders, Chief and Council and would see Lhtako and the City work together to restore some measure of the rich history of the Southern Dakelh to the riverfronts that they lived on for millennia and that is still their traditional territory to this day.

Stay tuned, more exciting changes are coming to the City’s riverfronts as we continue to implement our Waterfront Plan.