(Submitted photo/Mike Ulriksen)

By Angie Rolheiser

Walking path

Burton Lake trail in Humboldt open to the public

Oct 13, 2021 | 4:00 PM

A trail project that has been years in the making in the City of Humboldt is seeing progress.

A grand opening and donor sign was unveiled last week for the Burton Lake trail on the north end of the city.

Director of Community and Leisure Services Mike Ulriksen told northeastNOW the trail is open to the public but work still needs to be done.

“It is rough and uneven still so we will go in next year and lay some gravel in and around where the path is and get it built up better,” Ulriksen said.

The goal is to make the path fully accessible to everyone, whether it be strollers or bikes.

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“We held the grand opening as our way of thanking Tree Canada for some trees that we were able to put along the trail and really start to establish it as a trail and not just a path through a farmers field,” Ulriksen said.

Trees planted along Humboldt’s Burton Lake Trail. (Submitted photo/Mike Ulriksen)

The kick-off served as an introduction to the community to let them know that the trail is there, Uriksen said.

A bigger grand opening celebration will take place down the road once everything is more established.

“The trail extends about six miles and is a great spot to walk out and back into the community, and get out in the country,” Ulriksen said.

The city purchased the old rail bed nearly 10 years ago with the intention to become a trail. The trail committee made it a priority about five years ago and have been making steady progress on it.

“We got the old rail bed leveled and had to fill in some areas where the old rail bed had been wiped out,” Ulriksen said.

Originally, 2020 was set to be the year to finish off the trail project but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed it back on the list of priorities.

A trail that runs south out of town is actively in use and the hope is that north trail will see the same use as the south trail.

“Next year, being able to finish it off and make it a true trail for everyone and really start to encourage use of it,” Ulriksen said.

Community trails saw an increase in use when city facilities closed because of public health restrictions, Ulriksen said. Along with trails being popular, the community crockicurl and outdoor rinks were also busy with residents looking to get out and active.

“We expect it to be a trend moving forward, not just a one-time thing,” Ulriksen said. “We have a whole network that we are looking at refining and getting more trails and outdoor recreation opportunities built for all seasons.”

Ulriksen thanked the volunteer trails committee for their dedication in bringing the project towards completion.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser