Newly elected MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast Randene Neill, who was also appointed minister of water, land and resource stewardship in November 2024, shared in a recent message on social media that, "construction has kicked-off this week for the bridge project at Inland Lake Provincial Park."
Neill added that expectations are for substantial completion by the end of December.
"This issue was outlined to me as a priority during the election campaign period and was one of the first queries we sent out to the province to follow up on," stated Neill. "The new design will not only be more accessible but also stronger and more resilient for whatever nature throws our way in the future."
The pedestrian bridge at Inland Lake was damaged during flooding in 2023, but it has been almost unusable for much longer than that. For years now, repair delays by provincial and federal governments have sparked anger from those who use the bridge.
The Peak reported at a qRD board meeting in January that Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne expressed irritation at delays in response to a letter from then provincial minister of environment and climate change strategy George Heyman.
“We’ve seen the disrepair at Inland Lake,” said Gisborne. “Now, the province is saying there is going to be more delay because they are getting delays from the federal government."
Neill said that in April, 2024, her staff joined BC Parks along with volunteers from Tourism Powell River and qPAWS (qathet Parks and Wilderness Society) to observe hazards on the trail. Priorities were established for attention, including the bridge, she added.
"A few months ago, Thimbleberry Contracting was awarded the project after the request for proposal closed," stated Neill. "Once everything’s inspected and equipment is cleared, the facility will be open again in the new year."
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