Meewasin Valley Authority celebrates completion of new sections of trail in Saskatoon

Meewasin Valley Authority Andrea Lafond speaking in Saskatoon on June 3, 2022. (Pat McKay/CTV News)

The Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA) is celebrating the completion of the River Heights-Meewasin Park and southwest sections of Meewasin Trail — work that was years in the making according to CEO Andrea Lafond.

“There's an incredible amount of work that goes on,” she said.

“Once we're done that area and that space, we get just such wonderful feedback from our community, and then we continue to see that number and that usage rise.”

Work is currently being done on the Kinsmen Riverfront area of the trail, and Lafond says contingent on funding, upgrades will begin in phases between the Broadway Bridge and Bessborough next year.

“Widening the trail and significant areas where we have pinch points, enhanced vegetation and enhanced seeding,” she said.

“We'll also start to see boardwalk opportunities and some of those more prominent lookouts like you would see in River Landing, we'll have some prominent lookouts that overhang the river.”

Lafond says the MVA has funding requests out to the federal and provincial governments for those projects.

The Meewasin Trail sees more than two million visits a year, and spans more than 105 kilometres of established trail.