$1M Trail Decision Rolling Back to Council

The Canyon Creek subdivision as seen on June 5, 2025. (Photo Alex McCuaig)

A decision on whether to build a more than $1 million multi-use trail to an outlying city neighbourhood is being kicked back to council again following a committee meeting Thursday.

The un-budgeted trail would link the Canyon Creek/Heron Crossing subdivision of 22 homes to Cypress County’s Hamlet of Desert Blume and connect with the Rotary Centennial Trail along South Boundary Road.

The issue has been rattling around the Development & Infrastructure Committee over the past year with city staff recommending against building out the trail. They’ve highlighted the Canyon Creek/Heron Crossing is a leapfrog community which was built out of line with municipal growth principles.

Administration also noted a trail connection is currently part the Cimarron Area Structure Plan which would see a pathway link built at the developer’s expense once the gap subdivision is developed.

The matter was once again brought up at Thursday’s Development & Infrastructure Committee meeting after council had previously appeared to have resolved the issue.

Committee chair Coun. Shila Sharps pushed aside issues regarding the city’s prioritization formula which would see higher racked active transportation projects built prior to extending the path to Canyon Creek/Heron Crossing, calling it an issue of safety.

That prioritization formula consists of five considerations; safety, connectivity and barrier removal, accessibility and serving children and seniors, providing services to high-use corridors and financial efficiency.

“We have other priority areas,” said Stan Nowakowski, director of municipal works told the committee. “We said we could reconsider if the county was interested, if grant funding was available. So, we were asked to follow up with (Cypress) County.”

The existing Rotary Centennial Trail at the Hamlet of Desert Blume. Council will be debating whether to extend the trail further to connect the Cypress County community to the Canyon Creek/Heron Crossing subdivision. (Photo Alex McCuaig)

On Feb. 6, the D&I committee was told the project would not be submitted for consideration of a federal active transportation grant because of its low priority ranking.

Sidewalk gaps throughout city, Dunmore Road, Parkview Drive. 13th Avenue SE, Altawana Drive, Allowance Avenue, Rotary Centennial Drive connection to Co-op Place, Woodman Avenue and Industrial Avenue were mentioned as higher ranked issues.

“Those are some of the higher priority gap areas we have identified,” Nowakowski told the committee.

He also confirmed the county has no plans to participate in a trail expansion on South Boundary Road at this time.

Sharps was informed statements at the April 22 council meeting indicating there was interest from Cypress County to jointly develop the pathway wasn’t necessarily the case.

Or at least, there was a process for such a request.

Specifically, the county council could look at the matter again if city council passes a resolution asking its municipal neighbour to do so, the committee heard.

Sharps said Thursday that at a July 2, 2024 meeting, “council went around the table and said we want this addressed,” adding that it’s a council decision to make. “It just needs to get back in front of council. They can make the decision.”

Sharps said city administrators will be able to reiterate their recommendations and the reasons for them when the issue comes before them again. She also indicated she’ll be discussing the issue with her councillor colleagues.

“I’ll remind them of July 2 and we can move forward,” she said, stressing it’s a safety issue.

“We made a decision to allow leapfrog development but in allowing that, to me, we have to understand what that does to that development and what concessions are coming in,” said Sharps.

She added, “we left the developer off the hook with a playground that has three monkey bars and nothing else. He didn’t have to build a connection. I don’t understand why he doesn’t have to build a connection or why we didn’t keep the bond.”

City manager Ann Mitchell said she has some concerns about how the issue has developed.

“I’m concerned that the conversations are happening between politicians,” she said, adding that county administrators haven’t been connecting with their city administrative counterparts.

Mitchell said there might be a disconnect if Sharps is communicating directly with county administration regarding the trail issue.

Sharps, in response to a clarification requested by committee member Coun. Alison Van Dyke, reiterated a decision was made at the July 2 meeting last year regarding whether to move forward with the project.

“Administration is coming back asking us to re-think that decision so, they need to understand why,” said Sharps.

Van Dyke responded, “what decision did council make July 2?”

Sharps said there was a proposition made for the project and that there was funding available to be secured.

Van Dyke stated there was no motion made, “and so there was no action that came out of that other than there was going to be follow up but no direction from council.”

Sharps shot back, “there was direction, go watch the July 2 meeting.”

The matter is expected to go back to council at the next regular meeting.