THE SALT SPRING ISLAND GANDER

What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander.

Victoria has the Galloping Goose Trail for many paved kilometres of safe walking and wheeling. Salt Spring has crumbling roads with unpaved, narrow shoulders.

The main Salish Sea Regional Trail loop is nearly complete on Vancouver Island, just short stretches to go by Shawnigan Lake. Salt Spring is the last, unfinished stretch. It will connect up the seven provincial ridings and four federal ridings served by this world-class loop -- world class, except for the neglected "gem in the ring".

We need bikes lanes on the main roads through the island, i.e. 1.5 m paved shoulders connecting the three ferry terminals.

Salt Spring Gas Tax monies (60%), the B.C. Ministry of Transportation (30%), and Salt Spring taxpayers (10%) combine to provide $1.4-million for pedestrian and bicycle pathways in the Ganges Village area to be done by October 2012. Many cheers!

A safer, healthier, more prosperous community will result. When the full Salish Sea Regional Trail Network is complete, all of the communities along the route will benefit economically, socially, and environmentally.

The CRD (Capital Regional District) Regional Parks & Trails spearheaded this initiative, in 2005, working with SSI Parks & Recreation, Island Pathways, SSI Trail & Nature Club, and more.

We're working to make this vision a reality. The Cowichan Valley Regional District has completed their part of the trail, to the Kinsol Trestle (http://www.kinsoltrestle.ca/; opened late July 2011, yay!). The CRD has completed the Lochside trail and is extending the Galloping Goose up to the trestle. When Salt Spring has a bikeway through the island, we'll be the gem in the ring.