Sparwood’s trails are about to become a little easier to find. The District of Sparwood will be forming a trail naming committee to develop a trail naming strategy that reflects locally known and identifiable trail names.
Council originally adopted a naming system in November of 2010 using plant and animal names indigenous to Sparwood to identify local trails. The intent was that trail users would come across these species along the trail, helping to distinguish one trail from another. However, while a few trails were marked with signs according to the proposed trail naming system, the names were never adopted by trail users or District departments. Now, with the addition of the Elk River Trail which runs through Jewell Park and follows the Elk River, staff felt it was time to revisit the naming system. They recommended at a regular meeting on March 17 that council repeal the current naming system and form a Community Trail Naming Committee which would act under the following mandate:
Identify which trails within the district require identification; determine if there are existing names for those trails known in the community; devise a new trail naming system that more readily identifies trails to local users; recommend names for local trails that do not have existing locally known names; and propose new trail signage that reflects the new trail naming system and District branding and communication policies.
“Part of the process would be to identify the trails that actually need identification,” explained Duane Lawrence, director of community and facility services. “You don’t want to identify every single five metre long piece of pathway, you want to identify the ones that are in such a length that need identification so that you can direct people - whether it’s locals or people visiting the community - over to a trail.”
He added, “You want to make sure it’s identifiable within the community with something that will catch on.”
Mayor and Council voted unanimously to move forward with a new trail naming strategy by forming a Community Trail Naming Committee. The District will advertise for interested committee members from the community. It is recommended that committee members be users of the local trails and parks and have knowledge of the local history.