Local leaders and organizations in Christina Lake are sounding the alarm over the decommissioning of a 67 km stretch of the Columbia and Western Rail Trail.
A joint letter from stakeholders, local elected officials, and allies – including the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s Area C Director, Grace McGregor – reveals that the trail is at risk of being downgraded to “wilderness status,” meaning it would no longer be eligible for funding, maintenance, or oversight.
The letter explains that the Province disestablished the 67 km stretch of the former recreation trail between Castlegar and Christina Lake in 2019.
At the time, the public was assured that recreational access would continue and that there would be no impact on the Great Trail designation.
The Province also stated that public use and access to the section in question would remain unchanged. However, the letter argues that these assurances are no longer being upheld.
Notice has been received that the section is being treated as non-status rail grade – with no funding, no maintenance, and no management plan.
Instead, hazard signage is set to be posted this summer, warning of unsafe trestles, active rockfall zones, and tunnel instability, with the trail now being managed under a wilderness status.
This, according to the letter, directly contradicts the commitments made in 2019.
“Once again, rural communities are expected to market themselves as tourism destinations while being denied the very infrastructure that draws visitors. We cannot attract visitors or investment when the Province is quietly stepping away from its role as steward. We cannot pretend this trail is an asset if we allow it to crumble into disuse,” the letter reads.
The letter compares the CWRT to the Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park near Hope, highlighting an “inconsistency in how trail infrastructure is treated.”
The Othello Tunnels sustained significant flood damage in 2021.
In that case, the site was closed due to safety concerns, but unlike the CWRT, the Province moved quickly to assess the damage, allocate restoration funding, and engage the public to keep the community informed.
While the letter acknowledges the CWRT’s complex usage – including activity by local forestry companies Interfor and Celgar, who have also helped maintain the trail’s infrastructure – it argues this complexity underscores the need for better planning and coordinated stewardship, not “abandonment or a lack of oversight”.
“Both the Othello Tunnels and the CWRT are historic rail corridors, central to B.C.’s heritage and outdoor recreation economy. But only one is receiving the care and coordination required to protect its future.”
A call for help
The group is calling on regional and provincial partners, tourism allies, and recreational users to join the advocacy efforts.
“We cannot lead this effort alone – nor should it fall solely on small, rural communities to defend infrastructure of provincial and national value. This letter is our communities’ way of reaching out: we need the support of larger organizations who recognize what’s at stake,” the letter adds.
The group acknowledges that Christina Lake does not have all the answers or resources to address the situation.
However, it noted a commitment to supporting better coordination, amplifying local concerns, and ensuring that communication between communities, advocates, and decision-makers is not lost.
The group launched a petition to protect the trail and ensure it remains open for all.
The petition can be found here.
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