Aebli added that over the course of the summer, Community Futures and volunteers also managed to work on a total of 8.7 kilometres of trails in the proposed 140 kilometre trail system, completing roughly 5.9 kilometres.
“This summer we’ve made some significant progress,” he said.
“We’re really starting to show some results on the ground.”
According to Aebli, the work completed this summer was thanks in large part to six summer students who were hired by Community Futures to work on the project, and who worked on the trails by hand day after day for months.
He said volunteers from the United Riders of Crowsnest (UROC) have also been working to complete a section of trail.
“We’re hoping that we can keep this project going into the future,” said Aebli.
“It’s quite an ambitious project, with 100 kilometres of trail planned – that takes a significant amount of time and resources.”
Aebli said the projected cost of finishing the trail system is estimated at roughly $1.5 to $2 million.
Community Futures has received significant funding from the Rural Diversification Initiative grant program, which has offset the costs of construction to date.
Upon completion, Aebli said Community Futures hopes to have an extensive trail system spanning areas of
Allison Chinook, Saskatoon Mountain, Wedge Mountain, Frank Slide, and the Pass PowderKeg Ski Hill.
For more information on the project, including trail maps and the Master Plan, visit ridecrowsnest.com.