The historic Granby dam site is getting a major upgrade, thanks to the efforts of the Grand Forks Community Trails Society (GFCTS).
READ MORE: Grand Forks city council to consider trail society’s request in on-going budget process
READ MORE: Boundary photo contest focuses on area trails
Working with the provincial Recreation Sites and Trails B.C., the society has installed black chain link fencing to improve safety on the bluff. The fence is just over a metre high (four feet), leaving plenty of space for photographers and for enjoying the view from the bench already in place.
“It’s considered a temporary fence from the province’s point of view. A permanent fence requires an engineer, which the province didn’t have the budget for,” GFCTS president John Grandy said. The province paid for the materials, and the society paid for the labour using Grand Forks-based Fine Fences as the contractor. Early feedback has been positive from parents and dog-owners, and the black is attractive and non-intrusive, he notes. A small gap was left open on the far right to permit animals coming down the cliffs to still access the river following the animal trail.
Additionally, the society obtained a B.C. Trails Day grant of $400 from the Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia, which is being used to erect a kiosk at the site. That will feature historical signage about the dam site, which was used to create power and provide water for the Granby smelter. Society member Jesse Holtorf conducted the research for the signage and photos. Along with Grandy, members Wayne Hind, Larry Hudema, John Marchal and Ed Matthews installed the kiosk; members Shelley Grandy and Michelle Mallette did the painting. The sign, produced by Cactus Creek Signs, will be officially unveiled on Sunday, July 4, at 10 a.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend the ceremony, with a reminder to maintain a two-metre distance.
If you haven’t been to the dam site before, take North Fork Road and look for the Horse Association sign, located about 250 metres past the 3-kilometre marker.
Turn right at the sign, onto the gravel road. The parking lot is about 100 metres ahead. Walk past the gate to the trailhead on the left. The walk to the dam site is about two kilometres, level all the way. Allow 30 to 45 minutes one-way. Cyclists and motorized vehicles are permitted on the trail.