This is an archival consolidated post from the previous incarnation of our website.
JANUARY
To kick the new year off, on January 7, Trail Ops chair Rob Brockley’s volunteer crew braved the drenching rain to complete a new trail into 707 Community Park from McCollum Road near Fawn Place.
The Elder Cedar (S’ul-hween X’pey) Nature Reserve is owned by the Islands Trust Fund (ITF). In January ITF contracted a carpenter to build a boardwalk up to and around the big old hollow-trunked cedar, whose roots were being trampled and damaged by too much love and attention from generations of Gabriolans. The beautiful new boardwalk was designed by Cameron Murray and Laura-Jean Kelly of Topographics, and built using a grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Endowment Fund.
FEBRUARY
As the co-holder of its conservation covenant, GaLTT periodically accepts contracts from the Islands Trust Fund to undertake needed maintenance in Elder Cedar (S’ul-hween X’pey) Nature Reserve. They contracted us to construct a wooden boardwalk over a wet and hazardous section of trail near the foot bridge across the creek on the southern portion of the walking loop, so on February 4, our crew carted wooden frames and concrete supports through the trails to build this boardwalk.
MARCH
Early in March, GaLTT’s trail maintenance crew reinstalled signage on the trail running from Garland Avenue (behind the community Hall) through the forest including the Peirce family’s Garry oak grove, to Lois Lane (off Stokes Road). This trail runs through two pieces of private land generously licensed with GaLTT for public access. Thank you!
JUNE
Brockley’s trail-work crews started the hard work of widening, clipping, and levelling the narrow, bumpy, and twisting Tin Can Alley Trail. Their goal was to make this well-travelled connecting trail more friendly for cyclists travelling between the northwest and southeast ends of Gabriola. Next step is to wheelbarrow in and spread a thick layer of bark mulch over the roots to protect them and give comfort to cyclists. Another group of volunteers including local Boy Scouts and their parents helped to spread mulch over the area around the new boardwalk protecting the big Elder Cedar.
JULY & AUGUST
Volunteer trail stewards kept us aware of what needed attention and our work crews kept all our trails neatly trimmed.
In early August our wonderful volunteers began the tough work of breaking a new trail in Cox Park on the north side of McConvey Road, to link the existing trail network east of Taylor Bay Rd with the adjacent Descanso Bay Regional Park, creating an expanded walking loop for walkers and cyclists. They finished it up very early in September.
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
Trail upgrading work: After two months of waiting, we finally obtained the bark mulch/gravel surface material we needed to complete the Tin Can Alley trail improvement project.
Our work parties on September 30 and October 14 were labour intensive— two big cohorts of volunteers used lots of wheelbarrows to bring the surface material in from Tansy Drive so it could be spread over the tree roots to level the path for walkers and cyclists. It’s all about accessibility!
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER
A new north-end neighbourhood connector: during October and November we hacked out a new 0.5km trail on the right-of-way between Keith Drive North and South. The locals are delighted to have a decent walking trail loop in their neighbourhod at last.
DECEMBER
On top of “normal” trail maintenance, as reports came in from the team of trail stewards after the big storm, our trail work crews (especially Rob & Sue Brockley) spent huge amounts of time and energy dealing with trees that had fallen across our trails. Great work, all!
