Nowell Senior and his wife Rita at the newly  renamed Universal Boardwalk –  photo submitted

Prince George, B.C.-Thousands of hours,   hundreds of trips,  all to make  a dream a reality.

Nowell Senior was  the catalyst  to creating a boardwalk  at the Ancient Forest east of Prince George .  That boardwalk has made the Ancient Forest accessible to all.

The Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club has  recognized his hard work and determination, by renaming the Boardwalk in his honour.   It is now the “Nowell Senior Universal Boardwalk”.

“We can think of no better name for the Universal Boardwalk than to name it after Nowell,” said Tim Gardner, on behalf of the Ramblers. “The breathtaking realities that now are the Ancient Forest Trail and the Universal Boardwalk largely exist only due to his imagination, determination, and drive.”

Nowell Senior has been involved with the Ancient Forest Trail since the beginning in 2005.  He, along with Rambler Dave King and residents of Dome Creek, were part of the original group that envisioned a public recreational trail among the ancient cedars. A few months later, volunteers plotted a route and work began.

The Ancient Forest Trail officially opened on September 24, 2006.

Over the past nine years, Nowell has carried lumber, hauled stones, hammered nails, sawed wood, installed signs, and cleaned the facilities. And more. He’s also written grants for funding, ordered supplies, and organized volunteers.

During those nine years, he made more than 400 trips to the forest, and has contributed more than 5,000 hours of his time. It took four years, 193 volunteers, and over 6,000 hours to realize Nowell’s vision and the boardwalk that now bears his name.