Annalise Klingbeil • Calgary Herald Publishing date: Jul 19, 2015
Just over four months ago, the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation announced a fundraising campaign with a mission to collect $100,000 in donations to begin construction of Bearspaw Trail, the first phase of the massive $7.5 million pathway network.
Over the weekend, the organization announced $194,732.48 in donations from more than 800 different donors have poured in, nearly double the initial campaign goal.
“It’s amazing,” said Tara McFadden of the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation (GRPF), in a press release.
“GRPF thought the $100,000 goal was attainable, but nearly doubling it is thrilling.”
Located between Calgary and Cochrane, Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park opened in 2011.
Following the foundation’s successful fundraising drive, (the) construction of Bearspaw Trail is scheduled to begin this fall.
The 2.2 km Bearspaw Trail pathway will eventually connect Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park with the City of Calgary’s Haskayne Park, which is scheduled to be developed in northwest Calgary in 2016.
“We are excited to see the Glenbow Ranch portion of the trail moving forward with the successful fundraising campaign,” said Doug Marter, City of Calgary’s Parks Planning and Development manager in a news release.
“Calgary Parks is looking forward to completing the final connection through to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park in 2017.”
The completed Calgary to Cochrane Trail, officially dubbed the ‘C to C Trail,’ is scheduled to be complete by 2020.
The pathway system will connect northwest Calgary to Cochrane through Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.
The pathway will be part of the Trans Canada Trail, which will eventually stretch nearly 24,000 km across the country.
Already, more than 17,000 km of the Trans Canada Trail has been developed.
