You canB次元官网网址檛 go through it, and you canB次元官网网址檛 go under it, but Sooke residents will soon have a new way to go over it, as the district breaks ground on its new Little River Pedestrian Crossing.  

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e celebrating more than a construction milestone. WeB次元官网网址檙e celebrating what a project like this means. Connection, progress and a great future,B次元官网网址� said Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, as she addressed the crowd who gathered on a frigid morning to watch the project begin.  

B次元官网网址淚magine the possibility and the impact B次元官网网址� rather than being stuck in traffic on Highway 14, you can be walking beneath a canopy of evergreens breathing in crisp fresh air and listening to the gentle rustle of leaves.B次元官网网址�  

The Little River Pedestrian Crossing and Multi-use trail project was first conceived nearly 10 years ago by the Parks and Trails Advisory Committe. Now, after years of planning, research and consultation construction is set to begin and Tait says she feels excited.  

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檒l feel even happier when itB次元官网网址檚 finished because weB次元官网网址檙e starting it, weB次元官网网址檙e not cutting the ribbon. But, itB次元官网网址檚 really nice to see something actually come together that you plan and dream about for a long time,B次元官网网址� she said.  

The project will see a 600-metre pedestrian-friendly trail connecting Sooke's Sunriver Neighborhood, Poirier Elementary and Journey Middle School by a collection of trails and a 30-metre bridge.

It's intended to connect the communities via a scenic trail and to provide a safe route for families and children to get their kids to school. It will allow school traffic to divert from the previous four-kilometre route along the busy and oft-congested Highway 14 making for an 85 per cent shorter commute.

The project will also allow for the extension of SookeB次元官网网址檚 Walking School Bus program, which Tait described as a "critical link." She said the program was already seeing success along the existing pathways opposite Little River. For her, seeing kids use the trail will be a mark of success.  

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檒l be just seeing that movement of kids moving safely together scooting or biking or whatever, and parents saying, B次元官网网址極kay I finally donB次元官网网址檛 have my kids on the highway anymore.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�  

The $2.7 million project was funded with $1.3 million from the Government of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Active Transporation Fund and an additional $500,000 from the province of B.C., with Sooke fronting the rest of the cost through development cost charges and the casino reserve fund.  

The project was possible thanks to partnerships between the district and SD62, the TB次元官网网址橲ou-ke Nation, Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society, the former Parks and Trails Advisory Committee and those involved in the construction B次元官网网址� ISL Engineering, Regeher Contracting and Ramada.  

To Tait, the project is about more than infrastructure. Along with enhancing safety, active transportation and climate action, the district will use interpretive signage to highlight cultural and environmental aspects of the region and collaborate with TB次元官网网址橲ou-ke Nation to honour the region's Indigenous heritage.  

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about the relationships that honour the land, respect the land, the task and build a better future for all of us.B次元官网网址�  

The Little River Pedestrian crossing is scheduled to be completed in fall 2025.