A couple of Campbell River’s most popular walking trails have been damaged by flooding.
The Canyon View Trail is used daily by many Campbell River residents and it’s no wonder, it has to be one of the most spectacular walks anywhere. Rarely do you get a chance to circumnavigate a stretch of river but the Canyon View Trail allows for that thanks to the gas pipeline crossing the Campbell River canyon (on which was piggybacked a pedestrian bridge) and the logging bridge further down the river.
Unfortunately, the trail suffered some damage at Christmas when heavy rains caused a section of it to slump down to the river. The damage to a short section of trail hasn’t deterred walkers because people have ignored the potential danger and have already beat a path around the missing section. We don’t condone use of the trail but the fact that the missing section isn’t stopping anybody shows how popular the trail is. The point here is we hope BC Parks will not dilly dally in getting around to fixing that trail.
Given the state of provincial park funding these days though, we fear the search for a few extra dollars will take a long time.
Meanwhile, the Quinsam River Trail has been ravaged for months if not years as sections of the route have been washed away by the river. It appears less likely that this trail will be repaired which is a shame but this one is an ongoing battle with the river and not so easy to remedy.
In the end, this is the reality of living with natural forces. Elk Falls Park is almost a municipal park due to its proximity to the city and so it’s going to get heavy use.
That also means it shouldn’t be ignored for too long.