Once again Cascade has the privilege of sponsoring the 2010 Crankworx event at Whistler Mountain. Once again we had the opportunity to work with course designer John Cowan to put together the mapping products that are used for planning sponsorship, presenting early design concepts to the riders, and presenting in the media.
Whistler Crankworx 2010
Cascade is working with the Trans Canada Trail Foundation to master plan the route of the Trans Canada Trail from coast to coast to coast. The Master Plan is a comprehensive document that sets out an overall, long-term approach for completing and improving the 22,000km of trail. It lists and prioritises the sections of trail that must be developed or improved to meet the inspirational goal of a linked trail from coast to coast to coast by 2017, together with complementary routes to achieve the vision of the world’s longest and grandest trail. It provides guidance and standards to meet the trail’s desired future condition, including achieving an outstanding user experience, while ensuring its long term sustainability. The Master Plan also serves to build local capacity, and maintain or develop key partnerships.
http://www.cascade-environmental.ca/projects/TransCanTrail.html
With the help of a number of Enviro-Fest 2009 participants, volunteers, and members of the Whistler community, Cascade Environmental Resource Group has completed construction of a new wetland opposite the North end of the Village Day Lot parking. Thanks to the CERG staff and all of the men, women, and children participants who turned out to partake in the Enviro-Fest event, Whistler’s newest wetland has been successfully planted and is ready to grow. Given some time and nourishment from Mother Nature the wetland will soon take on a life of its own, becoming home to many different plants, animals, and organisms. The children who were involved are sure to enjoy returning to this site in the future to see the results of their hard work. Thanks again to all those involved for helping out and doing you part!
This past week Cascade Environmental Resource Group (CERG) along with Brent Harley & Associates (BHA), Zogs, and Whistler Village Sports hosted another very successful Tour de Trash Toonie Race. With legs running up the Cheakamus FSR and back along the Sea to Sky trail, around the Trash loop, and then up Riverside and returning on Farside, the Tour de Trash makes for one of the longest (16.7km) and most enjoyable courses on the circuit. 260 participants showed up for this year’s event and were treated to an excellent apres after the race.
Refer to the WORCA webpage for more information about the Toonie races or to view upcoming race schedules.
The Fitzsimmons Creek run of river independent power project in Whistler was recognized as an editorial feature in the May edition of Achieving Business Excellence magazine. Cascade is a significant contributor to the project, carrying out wildlife surveys and conducting the monitoring during construction.
Link to PDF: Achieving_Business_Excellence_May_2009
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Cascade Environmental
Resource Group Ltd.
Cascade Environmental Resource Group Ltd. has developed an excellent relationship with independent power producers like Innergex. Cascade’s solution based approach to environmental and compliance monitoring of construction projects helps ensure environmental delays are avoided. In anticipation of the Whistler projects being operational for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, they are now working with Innergex on the Ashlu project.
Cascade is working with John Cowan and the organizers of Crankworx to produce mapping, modeling and animations of the 2009 slopestyle course and GS race course. Check back for updates with the maps as they become available.
Epic trails, skills parks and over 430km of mountain bike trails await
mountain bike enthusiasts in the Central Okanagan
Date: February 20, 2009
The Central Okanagan is setting its sights on becoming the next big destination for mountain biking in North America.
The City of Kelowna, in cooperation with the Central Okanagan Regional District has adopted a mountain bike strategy that was a year in preparing. Within that document a trail inventory found “over 430km of mountain bike trails with a big cross section of riding to choose from – smooth single track, insane freeride and everything in between” according to the strategy’s lead author, Dan McDonald of Cascade Environmental Resource Group.
The great riding is in no small part due to dedicated volunteers who have worked tirelessly to build and maintain the trails. Existing trails documented through the inventory are innovative and diverse with an abundance of both flowing cross country single track and technical downhill features including wall rides, jumps and berms.
The Central Okanagan is also home to an already popular destination cycling amenity in the form of the Kettle Valley Railway. This historic rail route winds through the mountains, ravines and ridges above Okanagan Lake, with beautifully restored trestles and tunnels for the enjoyment of cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians. This historic trail links several communities of the Okanagan as well as providing direct access to the cross country riding trails of Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park and the freeride trails of Gillard.
Kelowna City is kicking off work from the strategy with the construction of Kelowna’s first mountain bike skills park. This project is generating interest and support from the local riders who want to contribute to this much anticipated addition to the Kelowna riding scene.
“The new mountain bike skills park will provide riders of all ages and abilities with hours of fun and excitement” says Barb Davidson, Park and Landscape Planner with the City of Kelowna. “We have been working closely with the mountain biking community over the past year and this type of facility was definitely a priority”.
The park will be designed by a mountain bike park expert in collaboration with local riders. The CA$243,000 project includes construction of the skills park and amenity improvements. Construction is anticipated to be completed in the fall.
MTBco Park Director Rob Cochrane says “this park will be amazing, we will be building jumps and stunts that flow, are safe, easy on the eye and built to a very high standard”.
Other priorities from the strategy include exploring opportunities to build additional mountain bike skills parks; build new trails at Knox Mountain Park; work with the development community to try and protect existing trails; and gain Epic Trail status from the International Mountain Bike Association for trails in the Okanagan Mountain Park and Gillard areas.
Notes to Editors
1. Kelowna is located in the Okanagan Valley approximately 4 hours driving east of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.
2. The strategy has inventoried over 430km of mountain bike trails in the Kelowna area. The full strategy can be found at: http://www.city.kelowna.bc.ca/CM/Page1269.aspx
3. Three potential epic trails were identified as part of the strategy at Wildhorse Canyon, Okanagan Mountain Park, Gillard, and Glenmore Highlands. And three other skill sparks are planned for the Rose Valley Regional Park, the Knox Mountain Natural Area Park, and the Rutland Recreation Park
4. As part of a multi-use trail system, mountain biking assists in the protection of environmental corridors, fosters awareness of protecting public access to natural areas, and, when coordinated with an urban cycling strategy, contributes to a reduction in motor vehicle use and therefore, greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, continuous improvements to trail infrastructure will also add to the attractiveness of mountain bike tourism, a significant economic generator.
5. The Kelowna and Area Mountain Bike Strategy was a partnership between the City of Kelowna and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan. Future projects identified in the Strategy will be contingent on funding approval by partners.
Contacts
Cascade Environmental Resource Group Ltd
www.cascade-environmental.ca
Chris Hauserman / Dan McDonald
+1 (604) 938-1949
Kelowna City Council
Barb Davidson, Parks Planner
bdavidson@kelowna.ca
+1 (250) 469-8837
ENDS
