A walkway connecting the lakefront area of Summerland with Trout Creek has the support of Mayor Janice Perrino — if such a project can be done without taxpayer dollars.
Perrino said the preliminary cost of getting a path in place along the lake would be around $800,000.
“It’s well worth pursuing at this point,” she said.
The proposed trail would run parallel to Highway 97.
On the lake side of the highway, there is a gravel bed which could accommodate such a trail, although work would be needed to bring it up to the condition required.
For this year, Perrino would like to see the mapping for this project completed.
While this cost is much less than other municipal projects in recent years, Perrino said she would like to see the work done with grant funding and donations.
“It’s just that our funds are so tight,” she said.
Recent municipal projects include the Rosedale Avenue and Prairie Valley Road upgrade at a cost of $5 million, the upcoming police detachment at a cost of $4.1 to 4.5 million, the water treatment plant at a cost of $19 million and the expansion of Thirsk Lake, with improvements to the dam, at a cost of $10 million.
While those projects have all received some funding from other levels of government, the municipality has had to pay a portion of the costs each time.