Neil Godbout’s editorial on how to “Spend the [$28 million Fortis] gas money wisely” (Citizen, April 7) had a notable omission; one that, coincidently, was discussed in a letter in the same issue about the state of the city’s cycling and walking infrastructure.
We are emerging from a two-year pandemic in which the only recreational infrastructures to remain fully open were our trails, parks and open spaces. It’s not an exaggeration to say that they were mental and physical life savers for many.
Prince George is generously endowed with trails and greenspaces, but many are still rustic, informal or poorly maintained. One example is the terrible state and continuing erosion of the Heritage River Trail along the Nechako River; and another is the lack of any safe walking and cycling path from the Hart to downtown.
For decades, the city has spent hundreds of millions of capital dollars on bricks and mortar recreational and other civic facilities, while a relatively tinier capital investment has been made in what appears to be the number one used recreational facility, our trails system. We can all agree on the need to maintain roads, sidewalks, water and sewer infrastructure as a first priority, but in a public process to consider the Fortis windfall, let’s find out where people see our trails infrastructure in the broader wish list; especially in light of its obvious importance and high usage in what we’ve just been through.
Mike Nash
Prince George
