ELK POINT - Travel Lakeland’s executive director Marianne Janke and STEP Regional Economic Development’s Linda Sallstrom were first of two delegations on the Town of Elk Point’s July 14 council agenda, the duo seeking approval of their Regional Master Trail Plan report.
STEP managed the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) funding received to carry out the project, on behalf of the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay, while the Lakeland Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) oversaw the project, which concluded in July 2024, providing municipalities and stakeholders with a unified energy to expand, connect, enhance and diversity existing trail systems.
The project involved developing a physical inventory of trails across the region and meeting with residents, trail enthusiasts and land managers in order to fully understand trail-related perspectives.
What they heard was that trail tourism can bring positive benefits to the region and that good community support exists for trails and trail tourism, but with some reservations. They heard that with the Iron Horse Trail, local networks and river valley views, the region has a lot going for it, and that while not all trails fall in the category of ‘signature trail opportunities,’ some have potential.
More work needs to be done, substantial trail design and management is required, and while operational and management strengths exist, there are some challenges. However, several suggestions were received for ‘signature trail’ experiences.
Analysis of current strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and potentials were all part of the report, with Janke also giving council insight into other trail projects in both Canada and the USA, some of them more successful than others.
Asked for their thoughts on the report, Coun. Tim Smereka noted that “there’s a lot of thinking to be done.”
Deputy Mayor Jason Boorse said, “We need to have ways to show (area trails) off.” And Mayor Parris Tung noted, “We are well situated to achieve.”
Tung called for a motion to approve the report, which has also been presented to the Town and County of St. Paul and the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay. Elk Point’s motion of approval was the last in the series to be passed.
