On the back of Monday’s council meeting, which saw the District move to grant Hope’s Coquihalla River Community Park project an additional $80,000, after a presentation given by project coordinator Stephanie Hooker; Nestle Waters Canada, publicly announced on Tuesday, May 26th, a donation of $40,000 to the ambitious project, and an additional $10,000 was donated by Valley Helicopters.
The exceptional work of everyone involved has helped the project to overachieve itself into a functional completion date of June 20th, with the hard work and dedication of bike park contractor Jay Hoots and his entire crew, which includes a host of down-to-earth and kid approachable professional riders, along with the outpouring of volunteer elbow grease.
“The guys are all pros, and they always made a point of making time for the kids,” said Hooker, on the spirit of teamwork happening down at the Park.
Nestle Waters’ generous contribution will help in the construction of the phenomenal mountain bike skills park. The colossal bike park will be one of the largest ever constructed in the Lower Mainland and is home to a fierce attraction, Logzilla, which is currently the longest log ride in southern B.C.
“We are a very proud member of the Hope business community,” said Kevin Thorburn, plant manager for Hope, Nestle Waters Canada, in a press release statement. “Coquihalla River Community Park is a significant local recreation feature that offers a range of recreational activities for all ages.”
Kids from Hope are already riding at an intermediate-advanced level according to Hooker, and the extraordinary bike park, which sits in the middle of a lush green forest setting, angles it to be one of the most beautiful of its kind — rivalling, and surpassing its metropolitan counterparts in size, scale and ambience.
“The stakeholder group and the District of Hope are extremely grateful for the support demonstrated by Nestle Waters Canada,” said Wilfried Vicktor, mayor for the District of Hope. “Over the years, Nestle Waters has been an excellent corporate citizen and this is just one more example of the company’s outstanding track record of giving back to the community, where it operates its business.”
A walking tour overseen by Ms. Hooker, accompanied by Nestle Waters and the District of Hope, illustrated the level of professionalism and care that was involved from the conception of this project and is ongoing in the construction of a landmark icon that promises to be a majestic addition for the community of Hope.
“This project will leave a legacy in our community that will continue for years to come,” said John Fortoloczky, CAO, for the District of Hope. “According to early development indicators, our young people are more than twice as vulnerable as other children across the province in areas of social and physical health. Early recreational experiences like what is being provided at this park, will help them to develop important life skills.”