First phase of MPE Link Pathway celebrated in Coaldale

Sunny South News Photo By Al Beeber. CELEBRATION: Coaldale mayor Jack Van Rijn, committee chair Henry Doeve and SMRID’s George Lohues, lead the charge to the ribbon Thursday to end ceremonies culminating the completion of the first phase of the MPE Link Pathway, which will be a 15-kilometre paved trail for bicycling, walking and running that will link Coaldale to Lethbridge.

By Al Beeber
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The first phase of the MPE Link Pathway between Coaldale and Lethbridge has been completed.

A group of bicyclists riding through a ribbon crossing the path near the trailhead in Coaldale completed a ceremony Thursday featuring speeches from numerous dignitaries representing different levels of government and the St. Mary River Irrigation District.

The pathway is part of the Trans Canada Trail Network which was started in 1992 and now has 29,000 kilometres of pathways.

When completed the pathway will provide the region “with a unique and new experience, allowing users to experience our beautiful region in its full glory,” says website www.linkpathway.org.

The pathway, with an expected completion date sometime in the fall of 2025 depending upon funding, is a $6.8 million project that will provide a link from the Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale to Henderson Lake in Lethbridge. Total length of the pathway will be 15 kilometres.

The second phase will be a tunnel at Highway 512, commonly known as the Jail Road.

Speakers at the event included committee chair Henry Doeve, vice chair and architect Alvin Fritz, Coadale mayor Jack Van Rijn, Lethbridge County Reeve Tory Campbell, Lethbridge East MLA Nathan Neudorf, Lethbridge city councillor John Middleton-Hope, Eric Dyson of MPE Engineering and George Lohues of SMRID, who told the gathering the district originally wasn’t interested.

But Lohues said the committee was determined to succeed and convinced SMRID to come onboard.

Groundbreaking on the first phase was June 13 of last year. That phase is a 3.4 kilometre long stretch from the Malloy Drainage basin at the west end of Coaldale to Highway 512.

The MPE Link Pathway generally follows SMRID right-of-ways and a gathering at the ceremony heard of a plan by SMRID to set up interpretive boards and signage to show how irrigation works and future generations where their food comes from.

Speakers talked about the collaborative nature of the pathway and the efforts that have been involved in getting it to its current stage.

Fritz recalled riding his bicycle at the age of 12 decades ago from Lethbridge to Coaldale to swim in the main ditch under a weir and how a similar pathway between Chestermere and Calgary gave a boost to efforts to build the pathway here.

He added body chemistry changes in the outdoor environment and the hope and goal is that the pathway will provide “rest for the soul” for those who use it.

Fritz called the pathway a dream since 2009.

His firm was engaged to provide an integrated development strategy for the project. It secured a grant to work with Coaldale and Lethbridge County and had to nurture unity and working together.

They recognized the southeast lateral creates “a really beautiful connection between Birds of Prey and Henderson Lake and we thought ‘wow, you’ve got an anchor at each end. What a beautiful opportunity for a pathway,’” Fritz recalled. SMRID was contacted, he said, noting how Lohues has been a huge supporter.

As the concept was delved into deeper, they learned Chestermere was doing the same thing following the western irrigation district “and that really helped boost the whole thing forward because we could point to the western irrigation district and ‘oh my goodness, there’s a path that follows the canal all the way back to Calgary from Chestermere’ and it just gave us a whole new sort of boosted vision,” Fritz said.

He noted being off the highway “is just a wonderful thing for a pathway because you’re not having to deal with all of the traffic.”

Van Rijn said “this remarkable addition to southern Alberta invites us all to cycle, run or walk along the picturesque canal system and through the beautiful fields” in the agricultural heartland of Alberta.

“This pathway is a testament to dedication and collaboration brought to life through extensive research, community engagement, environmental assessments and stakeholder co-operation,” Van Rijn said.

He said the pathway will provide a safe and efficient means of travel between Coaldale and Lethbridge.

“We look forward to seeing Lethbridge, Lethbridge County, Coaldale and SMRID to come together to create a unique greenway that southern Albertans can enjoy for decades to come,” he added, saying the pathway will provide users not only safe access to an idyllic landscape but also a chance “to learn about the region and local economy as they travel through some of the most productive agricultural lands in the country.”

Campbell said the project has been a challenge and he’s learned through his time on County council that if something is hard, it’s probably worth doing and the pathway is perfect example of that.

He said “this is a shining example of how we collaborate, how we can overcome those obstacles and find a way to get things done.”

Middleton-Hope noted the pathway “showcases vision, innovation, collaboration and leadership between the town, the County, the Government of Alberta and the City of Lethbridge.” He said Coaldale is working hard to put the town on the map with its downtown development, new cold storage facility, state-of-the-art rec centre, water treatment project and the pathway.

Neudorf said his wife has been on the pathway committee from the start and his family have been strong advocates for the pathway.

An avid runner who laces up in cities he visits, Neudorf said every city that is thriving has a pathway similar to the one being built here, noting they bring communities together.

The pathway “helps build community,” he added.

Doeve, an avid cyclist who acted as emcee and wore a shirt resembling a tuxedo for the occasion, said after the ceremony the project is about the journey.

“I’m just so excited,” said Doeve, expressing appreciation for all the community involvement in the project.

“The journey was what it is. . . it was something we needed to continue on with, persevere and push it through. We just had a lot of face-to-face meetings and people couldn’t resist something as good and the legacy that this leaves behind,” Doeve said of the work involved in getting different parties together to begin building the pathway.

The name was chosen because it links communities, he said.

And there are further possibilities once the pathway reaches Lethbridge where it can connect  to the city trail network.

“We’re hoping we can link more communities and just continue this process,” Doeve added.

“There’s no reason to stop now,” he said.

As a cyclist, he sees such pathways as an opportunity that brings people together, Doeve said.