A new 14-kilometre section of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail (SNORT) just opened beside Mara Lake south of Sicamous.

But the future of the next major section is uncertain as a result of concerns by a small number of farmers.

First, the good news. A Splatsin First Nation crew has completed construction from kilometre 0.5 in Sicamous to kilometre 14.8 at the old Rosemond Lake rail bridge, 14 kilometres of the most beautiful lake vistas on the entire 50-kilometre trail from Sicamous to Armstrong

However, the B.C. Ministry of Highways and Transit is replacing the R.W. Bruhn Bridge over the Sicamous Narrows (scheduled for 2027 completion) making the first half a kilometre inaccessible.

So community leaders in Sicamous banded together to come up with a brilliant interim solution by creating the Sicamous Ferry Society.

Working with Twin Anchors and local volunteers, a pontoon boat shuttle began picking up hikers and cyclists at the Martin Street public boat launch and taking them a few hundred metres across the narrows to kilometre 0.5 on July 24 (also to/from nearby Beach Park). The Bike Sheriff and Constant Companion Carmen took the ferry and e-biked the trail on July 28 (due to rain on July 25).

Capt. Jim Thomas, who outlined Transport Canada regulations, was overjoyed at the public response.

"Yesterday (July 27), we had 252 riders. Today, we have literally not........

© Castanet