About
Memberships: 1126
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Our Mission
Our Vision
A paved path, separate from the highway, linking Telkwa, Smithers and rural areas, for the benefit and enjoyment of locals and tourists.
Building A Legacy!
Safety First
The trail will separate motorized traffic from trail users, creating a safer experience for both recreation and commuter traffic.
Health & Environment
The trail will provide residents and visitors to the region with the opportunity to safely enjoy the great outdoors, connect with their families and friends and travel to work while leaving their vehicles behind.
Smart Investment
A paved trail is a smart investment as it will stimulate local business and tourism. It will be a public recreation asset without high annual maintenance costs or user fees.
Accessibility
With a generous width of approximately 3 metres, the trail will accommodate a wide variety of users from families with strollers, cyclists, runners, athletes, roller-ski & roller-blade enthusiasts and wheelchair users.
Membership
The Board of Cycle 16 has achieved the following critical components:
- A chosen route in the Highway 16 right-of-way
- A phased approach:
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- Phase 1 – Bulkley Bridge to Laidlaw Rd. paved fall 2022; completion of details in Spring 2023; Grand Opening 2023
- Phase 2 – Laidlaw Rd. to pullout just past Raymond Rd.
- Phase 3 – Pullout to Midway Gas Station
- Phase 4 – to be constructed through to Eddy Park by the Village of Telkwa
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- Community support (over 1,100 memberships)
- Stakeholder support
- A project management team: Allan Kindrat (Lead), WSP
- Secured right-of-ways on private land (Phase 1): Yuen Par 3, Tersago
- Phase 2 Topographical Surveys completed and Detailed Design started
- A Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako
- Financial maintenance commitments by local businesses
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I get for my membership?
You add your voice to the project and receive a regular newsletter of project updates and special events. At times, there may be discounts to events for members.
This is going to be a very expensive venture. Who will potentially use this trail?
Commuters will ride back & forth to work. People may use all of the trail or sections of the trail. Recreational cyclists, roller bladers, elderly folks with walkers, people in wheelchairs, people in electric carts, people on electric bikes etc. Runners will run on it. Walkers will walk on it. Friends will visit on it. Parents will push their strollers on it. Cross-country skiers will roller ski on it. Teachers will take their classes on it. Tourists will see it, stop and ride on it. Toddlers, tots, tweens, teens, adults, elderly, ANYONE and EVERYONE!
How will construction costs be acquired?
The Regional District of Bulkley Nechako, who are the anticipated owners of the trail, have applied for and recently received government grant money in the amount of $1.47 million dollars to cover the construction costs of Phase 1 of the trail.
Do you accept donations?
Yes, we gratefully accept donations.
Donations can be made by:
- the Cycle 16 Paypal link
- E-transfer with a note to info@cycle16.ca
- Cheque or cash via a Board Director
How long do you think that it will take to actually get the trail built?
Construction of Phase 1 is expected to be completed next year, in 2022. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the entire trail, from the Smithers bridge to Telkwa’s Tyhee Market, is expected to be completed construction by 2024.
How wide will the trail be?
Three meters.
How far off the highway will the trail be located?
9 meters off of the fog-line (the white line along the edge of the road).
What will the surface of the trail be?
Pavement with a yellow center line.
Who will maintain the trail?
Details about the maintenance plan are still being worked out by the various stakeholders. The Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN) will be the owners of the trail and so, the maintenance will operate under their direction. Cycle 16 will have an ongoing support role.
Will my taxes go up in order to cover ongoing operational costs of the trail?
At this point, taxes are not expected to go up as local businesses have offered to donate funds to cover the costs for the first five years of operation.
The trail crosses the highway in Phase 2. What type of crossing will be built
The two options of an overpass or an underpass were investigated . The stakeholders RDBN (Regional District of Bulkley Nechako) and MoTI (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure) opted for the underpass option. Cost and winter maintenance were the main factors.
Board of Directors
Allan Cormier
President
About Allan
Peddling his red Eaton’s Glider bicycle around the block for the first time is one of Allan’s fondest childhood memories. To this day cycling is his favorite mode of transportation. Shopping, visiting friends or just to tour around is freedom! Having family in Holland, he has experienced the value of great cycling infrastructure with envy.
The Cycle 16 trail will open up great value to our community, improving mental and physical health. Allan has been a Smithers resident since 1971, completing high school and working as a barber here for 40 plus years. In 2001, he lived for a year in Holland, building connections with family and friends. Cycling to school in Amsterdam with his granddaughter was memorable, rush hour on a bicycle!
Contributing to community has given Allan the pleasure of working with the Smithers Art Gallery, Central Park Building, and Wetzink’wa Community Forest. He served as coordinator for the Down Town Entrance Project, improving accessibility to the Central Park Building. Cycle 16 is a community project that he is thrilled to be part of.
Retired, Allan is eager to put his energy to this great project. Getting on a bike and going safely to Telkwa and back would almost be as thrilling as that first cycle around the block.
Jeremy Shriber
Vice President
About Jeremy
Jeremy approached Tony Harris in 2015 and helped reinvigorate the idea of a bike path between Smithers and Telkwa. He has lived in the Bulkley (Wetzin’kwa) Valley community since 2010 and enjoys being involved in community events such as Bike to Work Week and Midsummer Music Festival. Jeremy loves riding bicycles and loves to inspire and encourage others to ride. A civil engineer and project manager by profession, Jeremy brings valuable experience and enthusiasm to the Cycle 16 Board.
Mary Brise
Secretary
About Mary
Mary moved to Smithers in 1979 to begin her teaching career. Although her time in Smithers was meant to be a short stint before moving on, she loved the small-town community life and all the recreational opportunities that the Bulkley Valley had to offer. It didn’t take long for her to put down roots and raise a family here.
Being on a bike is one of Mary’s happy places. She has been riding bikes for transportation and recreation for most of her life. As a child, daily three mile commutes home from school and further commutes to visit friends or participate in activities later lead into recreational riding on a number of trails and routes in BC. She hopes to ride on many more trails and looks forward to the Cycle 16 trail being one of them.
Don Morgan
Director at Large
About Don
Don lives at the yet to be connected end of the trail in Telkwa. He is a life long cyclist and can be seen pedalling around Telkwa and Smithers with a guitar sticking out of his panier.
Don recently joined the Cycle 16 Trail Society Board and is keen to see multi-use trails across the Bulkley Valley. Travelling by trail is pure joy and an incredible community asset. He brings technical and governance experience to Cycle 16 having had a central role n a number of non-government organizations in the Valley.
Dan Boissevain
Director at Large
About Dan
Dan retired from a career in management with a civil construction, road building and paving contracting firm in 2018 and joined the Board of Directors of Cycle 16 Trail Society at that time. Since retiring from full-time work Dan has renewed his love of all things outdoors, woodworking and volunteering for local community-based organizations. A long-time resident of the Bulkley Valley, Dan’s family moved here in 1968. Except for a couple of periods of time living in Alberta and on Quadra Island, he has called the valley home since then.
Teresa Monkman
Director at Large
About Teresa
Teresa Monkman (née Hidber) was born in the Bulkley Valley and returned to pursue her teaching career and raise a family. She embraced raising her children here as she appreciates the beauty of this community and all that it has to offer with regards to recreation and quality living. Having recently retired from her position at Smithers Secondary School, Teresa wanted to commit time and energy to the Cycle 16 project. A trail that safely connects Telkwa and Smithers and furthers adds to the quality of life that individuals appreciate in this northern community. Teresa looks forward to riding the trail on a regular basis.
Sue Harrison
Director at Large
About Sue
Alison Watson
Director at Large
About Alison
Alison lives in Smithers with her husband and three young children. Alison has long dreamed of a multi-use trail linking Smithers and Telkwa and when the opportunity came to join the Board, she jumped on it. Alison’s main focus on the board is supporting the planning work needed to move the trail from idea to reality.
Alison holds a Masters of Planning from Dalhousie University and currently works as an independent consultant. Through this work, she is keenly aware of the lack of safe, accessible infrastructure necessary to support Northern residents in choosing active travel more often. Alison looks forward to the day when she can ride the Cycle 16 trail with her family.
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