Paradise’s trail funding bid hits roadblock

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Paradise’s request for funding for additional trail work has been denied.
Staff back in December applied to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Green Municipal Fund’s Safe and Active Schol Routes program for money to build trails to help students get to and from school.
Councillor Jennifer Hiscock broke the news last week that the application was unsuccessful.
“It’s never easy when funding that we were kind of counting on doesn’t go our way,” said Hiscock. “These applications take time, they take effort, and it is a project we really wanted to be successful. So, it’s understandable to feel a little disappointed when things like this happen. But the scope of the project hasn’t changed. It was created with our residents in mind, and it’s potential to strengthen and support the community is still very real.”
Hiscock added that staff and council still would like to explore the opportunity in the future, and so staff are going to be looking for additional ways to qualify for it.
Successful applicants were eligible for upwards of $125,000 in funding.
Staff have estimated the cost of the trail work at $336,320.