By Peter Scholefield

0n 5 September, Chael McArthur, from the Sea to Sky Outdoor School, Graham Fraser from the Fircom Plateau subdivision and I met with Terra McKenzie, executive director of Camp Fircom Society, on the grounds of the camp. Chael and his group had previously flagged much of the proposed route and were keen to see a trail established through Camp Fircom property. We were pleased to learn from Terra that the United Church of Canada was willing to grant us permission to build a new trail on their property.  

On 12 September, 8 Ocean Bridge volunteers, who were staying at the camp that weekend, installed signposts at each end of the trail and we attached temporary trail signs. On the 29th and 30th of September, I supervised the work of Shanson Lunny and Estelle Honeywell, who cleared and posted trail markers along the flagged route of the trail and I followed up with some chain sawing on the last day. The Conservancy was able to hire them through a grant obtained from the BC Community Workforce Response Grant program.

The map below show the route of the new trail which starts in the parking lot of the Fircom Plateau subdivision and connects with established trails to Mt Artaban and through the Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park to the Brigade Bay subdivision. Hikers, disembarking from the public dock at Camp Fircom, and those from the nearby subdivisions, will appreciate this shorter and safer way to hike to the Marine Park and Mt Artaban, without going through the active area of the camp. Visitors to the camp will also benefit by now having a hiking trail loop through a private connecting trail on the camp's property.