Trails are great. Borrowing to finance them is not. We have to develop them in partnership with organizations, corporations and specific user groups who want to use them. I remember the Otway Trail system where our Rotary club sponsored a section of the trail and paid for the development of it along with the labour to build bridges through swamps etc. What's wrong with paying as we go by those who are interested in supporting it? Chester

Trails, sure glad there is nothing important happening in PG..

Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.

I can't believe that the City is going to borrow money for trails. I'm not impressed with the level of common sense exhibited by the City adminstration and the elected representatives, but isn't this going a bit too far? There are many Clubs and groups in this area who would consider getting involved and sponsoring such projects.

If the City fels compelled to borrow money, how about borrowing money to shelter some of the homeless people who are living in the area? Or putting in a medical clinic for them? Or donating the money to the Salvation Army or St. Vincent's soup kitchens so there is less hunger in the City?

Oh, right, I forgot. These poor desperate people probably aren't registered voters.

IF we borrow that money I think it would be of much better use to get our roads fixed. Lots of commercial and residential property not getting their tax value!

Have you noticed the nimrods who did the paving didnt bother raising the manholes or water mains? So now we have to dodge them on new blacktop. Lots of ruts all over the city streets.

Shape up PG or when I am done my schooling I am taking my family and business development outta here since you don't seem to give 2 hoots about infrastructure. My business plan doesn't include a municipal free for all on my customer base thank you very much.

It seems that wen ever a supposedly "good idea" comes along that does not benefit hardly anyone up go the taxes. Council has got to start thinking maybe those of who have no interest in trails also have no interest in having our taxes raised. To those who say it will benefit the city maybe it is time that those who it benefits should be payng for it. Bottom line NO MORE TAXES

Oh, you mean when you borow money it has to be paid back? Wonder where those payments are going to come from?

Did anyone else notice how short all the trail systems seem to be? I wonder how other cities pay for trail systems i.e. Fredericton New Brunsick has a wicked trail system - something like 65km of trails in the city alone. It's just a fabulous city. But how did they pay for it? I'm guessing tax $$$.

"The City needs approval from the taxpayers before it could borrow that kind of cash and there are two ways borrowing that kind of money could be approved by taxpayers.

The City can either put the question to a referendum linked with the municipal ballot this November, or, it could initiate an alternate approval process, where those who don’t want to spend the money would have to sign a petition."

------------------------------------------------
This is a joke right?
Why would a referendum need to be linked to the elections?
Start right now using mail in ballots and the internet.
Simple question yes or no.
No need to add any BS to it to try and make it easier to approve.

Why does the "NO" side need to sign a petition?
Perhaps the "YES" side should sign a petition.

Funny how the city wants the "NO" side to do all the work to defeat their plan.

If the borrowing is approved who's name is going on the trail as "The great so and so's look what they did for our city" before they were turfed out on their butt's.

STOP WASTING MY TAX DOLLARS

To robichal. most city trails are built With sponsorships,donations for
advertisement and volunteers,user groups.

lostfaith, You are right on

"The City has been busy when it comes to trail development, and showing a commitment to trail systems." Excuse me?

The city of Prince George has accomplished a whopping 7% of the proposed trails that were outlined in their master plan since 1998. Much of that was from additional outside funding. It's an embarrassment.

Please read the report, City staff and anyone else who has an inclination to comment. The Trails Task Force committed 2.5 years of their volunteer time to produce a report that is based on feedback from the community at large. The report does not ask council to endorse committing 7.5million dollars of city money - there are 12 identified funding sources within the report alone that the Task Force has provided - all that is needed is proper planning and some effort to apply for this money as other communities do. One would hope City staff could have at least got their one report back to Council correct.

Trails are important. For recreation, for tourism, and for alternative forms of transportation such as bike commuting.

PG is so far behind other communities with their trail system, it's tiring to hear people talk about this City as having great trails and see so pathetic a response to improvements.

I would like to know how many on City council ever use our trail systems let alone have any idea how many others do. Or walked the trails in other peer communities. And I would like to know how many sitting around that table last night have read the report.

Iwundery
It sounds like you are you saying we must keep up with the Jone's?
Why must we keep up with anyone with anything? Rediulous.

"lostfaith, You are right on."

Precisely. Here we are stumbling along on busted sidewalks (if we are lucky enough to find one!) and millions of dollars for trails are a bigger priority?

"...borrowing $7.5 million dollars to complete the Centennial Trails Project over the next 7 years."

A very disturbing request, to say the least. Let's get real.

*Rediculous

I repeat, borrowing 7.5 million was not the intent, as there are many other sources to assist with the funding and many of those were identified in the report. And it's over 8 years.

The trails see more use by citizens than any other recreational venue in PG. Was 1 million dollars of our tax money worth it for a giant score board? I personally would say no, because I personally don't watch hockey. Does that make it a waste of money? For me, yes. For hockey fans, probably not.

As for how we compare to other communities, if you look at the money being spent on efforts to recruit new people to our community (workers, students etc.), they do compare what they get here with other places. They see our roads. They see our downtown. The certainly see our bad air. They see the quality of life - and trails systems are highly valued by those who live in cities, or who want to.

Noe of this should be an either or scenario. Please read the report.

Lostfaith (now smile please) RIDICULOUS
;) but whowevver you spell it, it means the same thing; waste of time and resources. Private industry should sponsor trail building (we have the choice then, to say yes or no) the work should be done by the residents of the Hilton on the Hill, and maintenance by the same illustrious inhabitants of publicly funded miscreant warehousing. After all, all we ask of them now is to be good little shites, let us get some labour out of them. Sure, we have to pay for the transportation, supervision, and supplies, but the actual labour would be next to free. The thing that scares me is that the way our city operates, they will be creating a whole new division to look after trails, which will need to have a budget, infrastructure, managers etc. etc. and even then, they won't be able to fix the potholes that develop on the trails and will have to bring in specialist contractors to do (some) of the work.
metalman.

Hooked on phonics worked for me. ;)

iwundery:"Please read the report. "

I definitely would like to read it, because it is claimed that City staff did not correctly inform the council and the mayor. That may mean there was a lot of fluff about nothing.

Where can I access/download it?

It's on the City's website (city.pg.bc.ca), down the list on the home page you'll find a link to the City's Centennial Trails project.

iwundery, are you part of the Trails Task Force? As far as the 1 million for the scoreboard, I'd surmise there are far more hockey fans in his town than trail users.

If I were moving here or anywhere, the community's trail system would be pretty far down on my list of priorities determining whether I move there or not.

I'm not against spending, but I am against borrowing this kind of money which will benefit a very small number of people.

Now I don't want to anger anyone, but I read this forum and everyone's input and it seems to me that most of you never want to see tax money spent - we are never going to have a decent city unless tax money is spent on things like - trail systems. This is an important part of any community and I would really wonder if there are really more hockey fans than trail users - I would imagine that a large # of hockey fans like to ride bikes, walk their dogs, jog etc, etc...there is very limited space in PG for these activities. I'm guessing the seawall in Vanvouver was not made by donations etc, but by tax payers. What exactly do you guys want your tax $$$ spent on? I know, potholes - me too, but surely we can have a nice trail system, and a decent downtown and NO potholes too. I don't really know where most of our tax goes to, but let me tell you, I would LOVE to know.

Spending money on trails is not the issue. Borrowing money in difficult times for such a project is the issue? Chester

Robichal, I know it must seem like nobody wants any tax dollars spent, but that isn't my view.

I want governments at all levels to stop looking at me like I'm an endless supply of money. I want responsibility and accountability. When times are tough, I want to see spending reigned in.

A 7.5 million dollar trail system is not a responsible way to spend my money, IMO.