New wilderness trail opens up 'wonderland' on Vancouver Island

A wilderness trail more than 20 years in the making has been completed toclosethegap in The Great Trail on southern Vancouver Island.

The multi-useSooke Hills Wilderness trail cuts through 13 kilometres of hilly terrain to connect Greater Victoria with the Cowichan Valley.

Nine kilometres were also added to the existing Cowichan Valley Trail to make the connection.

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"It's just opened up a huge wonderland for cyclists and hikers," said Mike Hicks,a director with the Capital Regional District.

It wasn't just the challenging terrain that delayed making the connection. TheSooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park Reservehas been off limits for the past 15 years to protect Victoria's water supply.

"It takes a lot of planning because you generally don't want people in your watershed. But we are making an exception for this and we are going to try to manage it," Hicks said.

The new section of trail also required the cooperation of a number of communities and regions including the MalahatNation.

"It means a lot to have people come see our lands and what we see every day and the beauty that we have at our doorstep," said Malahatcouncillor Matthew Harry.

The Malahat Nationalso has plans to developtourism businesses to help serve people who come to enjoy the trail, Harry said.

Closing the gap

The Great Trail, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail, began in theearly 1990s to recognizeCanada's 125th anniversary of Confederation.

The aim is toconnect sections ofrecreational trails into aroute from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and north to the Arctic Ocean.

Critics have questioned safety along theGreat Trail. Much of the24,000-kilometre route requires walking or cycling on roads and highways.

Sections like theSookeHills Wilderness Trail areexactly what the founders of the trail had in mind, said ValeriePringle, a former broadcaster and co-chair of the Trans Canada Trail Foundation.

"The ultimate vision is to have green way coast to coast to coast," Pringlesaid.

"We would never say we are complete. We are connected. It will be decades to completion and if we had a trail like this all across Canada I would faint with happiness."