 Donna Shire, IMBA's Saskatchewan Rep, shows us the new trail in Buena Vista. |
|---|
IMBA Rep Helps Build New Trail in Saskatchewan
For Immediate Release
07-25-05
Contact: Lora Woolner
canada@imba.com
705-441-6901
Donna Shire, IMBA Canada's Field Rep for Southern Saskatchewan, has been busy this spring, transforming a small village park into a place for kids to ride. Donna tells the story:
Small Lakeside Community Sets Big Example in Trail Building
By Donna Shire
On Saturday, May 14, 2005 the Village of Buena Vista, Saskatchewan, through the work of eager volunteers, transformed a neglected piece of Dobson park into a prime mountain biking trail.
The project began last year when the Buena Vista Parks and Recreation Committee decided to make better use of an ignored hillside section of the local park. Since many young kids in town enjoy mountain biking, the possibility of making a mountain bike trail was a first consideration. At that point, Hank Heerspink, the Buena Vista coordinator for this project, contacted me as the IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) representative for southern Saskatchewan. Last fall Zlatan Fazlagic (another IMBA trained volunteer trailbuilder) and I met with Hank. We walked through the property to determine the feasibility of a mountain bike trail. Though the area was not huge, we saw good potential for building some accessible trails. The terrain was tricky in spots but no more challenging than other areas in southern Saskatchewan where some of our best trails have been cut - certainly nothing that a good group of volunteers couldn't handle!
Next, Hank relayed the message back to the Buena Vista committee that a) yes, it would be possible to build bike trails in Dobson park; and that b) the "expert" IMBA volunteer trailbuilders in Regina would help as much as possible. Buena Vista readily approved the park for the new trails.
One cold and windy day at the end of April, (were there any other kind? Sorry, I'm whining.) Zlatan and I once again met Hank in Dobson Park. This time we were joined by Mike Bazinnet, experienced trailbuilder and president of the South Saskatchewan Mountain Bike Club. The four of us walked through the section of the park, marking and flagging exactly where the new trail would run. With the marking done ahead of time it is much easier to direct the workers on trail building day.
Fortunately, trailbuilding day (May 14) dawned glorious and sunny, but not too hot - just right for hard labour! The work started bright and early at 8:30 a.m. Several of the young local mountain bikers were the first volunteers to arrive on the scene. When I explained to them where the trail was going and what they needed to do, they seemed sceptical! But as the morning progressed and the trail began to materialize out of the brushy hillside, the excitement and enthusiasm grew in direct proportion to the amount of trees we cut and the amount (tons and tons) of dirt we moved! Not only were the kids great workers, they were also great learners. They quickly understood the basic concepts of building trails that discourage erosion, working with the natural flow of the land and ensuring that trails can be used by more than one type of user. The more people using trails means more people who have an interest in keeping them well maintained.
The multi-user aspect of this trail was proven even before it was finished. A family ball tournament had been taking place on top of the hill above where we were building. As soon as the trail was visible, young ball players used it as a more interesting and slightly shorter way to get from the ball diamond to their homes below the park.
At the time of this writing there was still some finishing work left to do, but essentially the trail is in use and being enjoyed by all. Buena Vista also plans to create a trail connecting Dobson Park to an existing trail that runs several kilometres along the lake and then joins with other mountain biking trails in the neighbouring community of Regina Beach.
The Buena Vista Parks and Recreation Committee is to be commended for the initiative that they have shown with this project. They are providing the space and facility that encourages their youth to be physically active as well as involving them in constructive activities. At the same time they are turning their local park into a place that is appealing and accessible to everyone. Hopefully other lakeside communities in Saskatchewan will follow Buena Vista's example. By examining so-called 'empty' or 'unusable' space, there are many places where bike trails would be appropriate. Bike trails not only give our kids something positive to do, but they also make it easier and more pleasurable for the rest of us to get out and enjoy nature as well.
If you any questions about this of other trail projects in Saskatchewan, please contact Donna Shire, Saskatchewan IMBA Rep at: dshire@sasktel.net or (306) 586-9090.
Read other stories about IMBA's work in Saskatchewan.
