The Green Space Advisory Committee wants to increase Jasper’s trail connectivity, allowing people to travel from one end of town to the other without using streets.
Trail connectivity is one of four goals the committee’s chair, Gerry Lettner, presented to the mayor and council Oct. 14.
“People should be able to bike or walk through a connected trail network to get from one end of town to another,” states the committee’s latest vision plan, prepared in September.
Trail connectivity has been one of the committee’s goals since 2003, and has included the creation of the 8.3 kilometre Jasper Discovery Trail, which encircles much of the town.
The focus is now to connect the rest of the community to the trail network. That would include trails through Cabin Creek, as well as a bridge spanning the creek.
“This is not without cost,” noted Lettner. “There is a substantial cost, depending on ... how this might move forward, whether it’s a gravel surface, whether it’s a hard surface or a combination of surfaces on the trail.”
The committee’s other priorities include collaborating with Parks Canada on its list of approved native species, establishing guidelines for tree protection and possibly initiating a new memorial plaque program, where the plaques are attached to trees, rather than benches.
Following Lettner’s presentation, Mayor Richard Ireland indicated that he sees no issues with the committee’s priorities, but suggested that there might be other areas where council would like assistance, including with the town’s medians and boulevards, as well as its sports fields.
“Council sees a need for some continued monitoring [of the town’s medians and boulevards] and that might be something that is or is not within the mandate of the Green Space Advisory Committee, but I would appreciate, and I think council would appreciate, if you take a look into that.”
Council’s concern is with the operational requirements of the medians and boulevards, especially in terms of pest management and herbicide use.
The medians and boulevards were redeveloped a few years ago in what was a four-year project, removing the existing turf and replacing it with more naturalized landscapes.
The project was one of the top five priorities of the 2003 Green Space Vision Plan and was meant to reduce maintenance, by decreasing the need for watering and mowing by the town staff. But, since the project’s completion, council has raised numerous concerns about the number of staff hours necessary to keep the medians and boulevards presentable.
“We thought we knew what we wanted, which was more natural and less watering, mostly, but that doesn’t mean that it’s without its maintenance challenges. So is there a different way conceptually that we could be treating it?” asked Ireland, requesting that Lettner bring the issue back to the green space committee for further discussion and possibly a recommendation as to how to move forward.
The Green Space Advisory Committee was created in 2002 with the intention of providing council with input on policies and budgets related to green space designation, development, management and preservation, as well as promoting public awareness of the role of green spaces within the community.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
