For the past four years, a group of local residents have been working towards the completion of the Rails To Trails project in the Drumheller Valley.
Two years ago, the majority of the trail was completed, including the opening of Kohut Crossing, the former train bridge between Midland and Nacmine. The final pieces to the puzzle were the completion of the “stops” and “stations”, including the Main Station downtown, adjacent to the new 6th Avenue connector and behind Community Futures Big Country.
On Friday, August 14th, over the noon hour, the official ribbon cutting ceremony took place opening the Community Futures Big Country Main Station. Crystal Sereda of the Rails To Trails Fundraising Committee is so excited to have this project mostly completely. “It was a long road, but probably one of the most enjoyable roads to get here. We had a lot of fun as a group and we worked really hard. We really got the community behind this, as you can see with all the donors and sponsors. It is just wonderful to see people using the path system in a different way now and maybe thinking about using different types of mode of transportation to get around our community.”
With all of the hard work put in by everyone involved in the building of this trail system in the community, Vice Chair of the Rails To Trails Committee, Becky Kowalchuk, had no doubt that this project would come to fruition. “I believed all along that it would take time and effort and a good group of people to make it happen, but I knew the vision was strong and we, that were on the committee, knew how important this trail was. for residents and people visiting. It’s something you see in other communities that’s such a great thing, great amenity to have. I never doubted for a minute. Now we just need to get the rest paved.”
Without the support of businesses and individuals in our community, this project would never be where it is today, explains Sereda. “I think it just shows that the community sees value in what a path system can be for their own health and to get around our community. We always have such great support in this community for projects, honestly, when they know it’s going to benefit them and their kids and their grandkids.” Kowalchuk shares that the community stepped up when needed. “Even the fundraisers that we did, the community was very supportive of our event that we held. The community Christmas party was a great. When you talk about it in the community, no one ever thought or said, well, that’s kind of a dumb idea. It was always a very positive project to be part of.”
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