Pass Creek Regional Park is one step closer to seeing a footbridge built over Norns/Pass Creek to connect the two sides of the park.
The project received an $80,000 grant from BC Hydro as part of their Hugh L. Keenleyside Community Benefit funding. The fund was set up to minimize any impacts that may result from the permanent closure of the dam deck over the Hugh L. Keenleyside Dam to traffic.
The project has also received an additional $20,000 from CBT and Columbia Power. The Pass Creek Regional Park management plan that was finalized last fall recommended the building of a foot bridge that would make crossing from one side of the park to the other easier and safer, allowing for people to park on either side of the park and then visit the other side without having to walk on Broadwater Rd. This would be especially helpful during large events such as the Pass Creek Fall Fair.
The hope is to link the bridge with an interpretive trail system and provide wildlife viewing opportunities, as well as kokanee spawning opportunities. A final price tag for the bridge is yet to be determined and will be largely affected by the site choice. "We are looking at the feasibility as to where we are going to put the bridge, which will definitely relate to the cost of the bridge," said RDCK Area J director Rick Smith. An early cost assessment done by RDCK staff came in at $217,00 for a log structure. "We are hoping to bring it in for a lot less than that," added Smith.
The goal is to get the project done within a year.