Friday, August 19, 2011: (SPUZZUM) Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MP Mark Strahl and Spuzzum First Nation Chief Mel Bobb unveiled a “Kilometre Zero” marker that heralded the start of work on the Tikwalus Trail above Alexandra Lodge. The trail restoration articulates some of the 10,000 years of Spuzzum First Nations’ history in the area. The trail was used by the Spuzzum First Nation to access areas where they collected food, building materials and other materials. It was also part of an ancient First Nations trade route that linked the Fraser Canyon with the Interior.

The Tikwalus Trail was used by the Hudson’s Bay Company’s fur brigades in 1847 and 1848, but was abandoned in favour of a route between present-day Hope and Princeton. The current trail is a 12.7-kilometre-long loop on the eastern side of Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park. The $98,000 trail upgrade was part of the NPTGS Heritage Trails Program, which is funded by the provincial government. NPTGS has also received funds for trails from three major federal sources: the Western Economic Diversification Fund, Canadian Heritage and the National Trails Coalition.

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