Nearly 2.8 kilometres of trail are expected to be upgraded by the end of the year. (Submitted photo/Matt Preston)

By Derek Cornet

upgrades

Improvements underway in La Ronge trail system

Sep 14, 2021 | 12:58 PM

Trail maintenance and enhancement is currently underway in La Ronge by the Boreal Outdoor Recreation Association (BORA).

It’s part of an approximately $240,000 project paid for by the Town of La Ronge, as well as the federal and provincial governments. The first part of the system to receive upgrades is the Ahasiw Trail, which BORA member Matt Preston said would include building a smooth surface from end to end with a boardwalk in the middle.

“It’s probably one of our most popular trails,” he said. “It’s 2.8 kilometres and it goes all the way from Eagle Point to Quarry Park. In the winter, it is a very popular trail, but the problem is the muskeg in the middle and it’s a little bit rocky and rooty in some spots.”

Preston’s company, Preston Trail Consulting, won the tender issued by town council earlier this year. He explained the process wasn’t as quick as he expected, leaving him with minimal time in 2021 before the ground freezes. Preston would like to have the Ahasiw Trail upgrades completed by then, noting the current section under construction near Eagle Point is closed to the public.

The entire project is expected to span seven kilometres of trail, but Preston mentioned he’s not sure if the funds will complete that length. He said it depends on the price of fill, the amount of boardwalk needed and if he can hire enough workers to make it happen.

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“This year we’re going to go with a lower number of staff and just put our focus on the heavier work, but next year we will be looking for a few more people to help out,” he said.

Upgrades are expected to be completed by August 2022. (Submitted photo/Matt Preston)

Preston also added the price of fill can be high as it would be difficult to transport a large amount of it into the trail system. He wants to avoid doing that as much as possible and he will try to rely more on the dirt already in the system.

The entire project is expected to be completed by August 2022.

“It’s a great opportunity to change the number of recreational options for people in La Ronge,” Preston said. “It is a beautiful area and one of the times you can truly appreciate the beauty of it is when you’re outside in nature and trails are a way for us to do that.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno