The Tatlayoko Lake community in British Columbia created the region's first wheelchair-accessible trail network. With funding from various sources, volunteers laid mining conveyor belting to create over 2 kilometers of wide, stable trails. This has allowed people of all abilities to enjoy outdoor recreation and community events at Tatlayoko Recreation Site. The project organizer aims to make more trails in the region accessible to support healthy living and tourism.

1. Cariboo - Tatlayoko Lake
Tatlayoko Lake Community on an Accessible Road to Healthy Living
January 2009
Tatlayoko Lake is a rural community south A $5,000 Active Communities grant from
of Highway 20, about 230 kilometres the BC Recreation and Parks Association
west of Williams Lake. With its campsites, (BCRPA), along with $15,000 from 2010
lodges and outdoor recreation opportuni- Legacies Now’s Measuring Up Fund and
ties on and off the water, it’s a popular a $3,000 Regional District contribution
stopping point for travellers between went towards the project. Local residents
Williams Lake and the Bella Coola ferry also contributed materials and labour.
to Vancouver Island. But until recently, it Gibraltar Mines donated the used con-
was challenging for seniors and people veyor belting and hauled the material to
with disabilities (both locals and tourists) the site in a double-trailer semi truck for
to get out and explore the area. no charge. The belting is made of rubber
with steel reinforcements and each roll
Kary Fell coordinated the Tatlayoko Ac- weighs about 38,000 pounds. The esti-
cessible Trail Demonstration project for mated value of the belting is $60,000 and
the Cariboo Regional District. She is also the hauling $30,000.
assessing the region’s trail system and
recommending other priority trails to be Bracewell and some of his family mem-
upgraded. bers took on the task of unrolling and lay-
ing the belting throughout the area over
the gravel using their own equipment. The
“They are really working towards acces-
When Alex Bracewell and a team of process took over a month. Additional
sibility and most of these projects are
volunteers rolled out some mining belt- volunteers from the community stepped
going through and they’re going to fix
ing to create the Tatlayoko Valley’s first up to build benches, ramps and other
them,” Fell said. “Before this, there was
wheelchair-accessible trail, they were amenities throughout the site.
no recreational place to go on a trail
laying the groundwork for his goal of see-
because of the lay of the land.”
ing British Columbia become the most “Everyone who was onboard was excited
accessible adventure tourism destination about being a part of the project,” Fell
in the world. With the completion of the multi-use trail said. “It’s a real gathering place so they
system last summer, people with disabili- wanted to make it so everyone could
Bracewell, an adventure tourism opera- ties can now experience the outdoors and come and enjoy it.”
tor and Cariboo Regional District Board participate in physical activity and com-
Director for Area J (West Chilcotin), munity events. The new trail network takes On the official opening day in August
spearheaded the two-kilometre acces- people through the Tatlayoko Recreation 2008, people in wheelchairs, seniors,
sible trail project backed by the Tatlayoko Site: a former sawmill property that the children on scooters, rollerbladers, and
Community Association, the Tatlayoko Community Association converted into parents with strollers were able to go
Measuring Up the North committee, and a recreational area. It’s a popular gather- along the trail. The belting is five feet, four
the Regional District, along with numerous ing site for the community and visitors, inches wide, which allows space for two
community members. He’s been commit- with its beach looking out onto Tatlayoko side-by-side wheelchairs.
ted to accessible trail development for Lake and the Coast Range mountains, a
more than a decade since he saw a man bandstand, a picnic area, concessions, “For the first time out here, the kids could
in a wheelchair at a trade show pass by a fir tree forest, and a baseball diamond. use their rollerblades,” Bracewell said.
all the adventure tourism companies and Plans are in the works for a heritage “Some other kids were jogging on it, and
resorts’ information booths because they building to become the site’s accessible they loved it because it had a little bit of
weren’t wheelchair accessible. community hall. sponge so their calves didn’t ache.”

2. Cariboo - Tatlayoko Lake Tatlayoko Lake
Highlights
Tatlayoko Community Association
The grand opening brought out nearly a Now they are able to go for safe walks
registered as an Active Community
hundred people, including a representa- without worrying about tripping on tree
through BCRPA in May 2008
tive from the B.C. Paraplegic Association, roots or uneven ground.
Received grants from BCRPA’s
Pat Harris. Fell and Harris tested the trail
Cariboo – Tatlayoko Lake
Active Communities ($5,000) and
width in their wheelchairs while cutting Through his position on the Regional
2010 Legacies Now’s Measuring Up
the ribbon at the opening ceremony. The District Board, Bracewell has been advo- ($15,000)
belting stood up to the test of rainy condi- cating for similar projects to be funded in
Developed a wheelchair-accessible
tions on the opening day – wheelchairs other areas in the region. The challenge:
trail network at the Tatlayoko
were able to get around the steepest sec- to develop 210 kilometres of accessible
Recreation Site using donated min-
tions without slipping. trail in the region by 2010. ing conveyor belting from Gibraltar
Mines
“It gives people another option of being “With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Local community members and
able to enjoy the wilderness and being Games coming on, I thought why not groups donated materials and
able to do something physical,” Fell have 210 kilometres of accessible wil- in-kind labour
said. “It opens up so many doors for so derness trails by 2010?” Bracewell said.
Cariboo Regional District com-
many people.”
missioned an assessment of the
He’s also trying to get the region’s tourism region’s trails’ accessibility to
People of all ages and abilities continued industry onboard to develop a network of identify priority areas for accessible 32
to get out on the trail into the fall. accessible resorts to attract visitors to the trail development
area along Highway 20. He would also like Active events held at Recreation
“I’ve been out there since then when I to see more accessible campgrounds. Site throughout the year
was doing the trails assessment, and
there was a Grandma and Grandpa “It’s a benefit to the folks who don’t
there with their grandson. They were have the access out there and it’s also Tatlayoko Lake Info
walking and he was on his scooter go- a benefit economically to the tourism
ing along,” Fell observed. “Everybody is business,” Bracewell pointed out. “The
Population: 808 (Cariboo Regional
using it. Even people that have babies in economics is so huge. If folks are at-
District Area J – West Chilcotin) with
strollers have been using it because it’s tracted to our province because they
approximately 35 families)
hard to push on gravel roads.” have an individual in their family in a
Part of the Cariboo Regional District
The Tatlayoko Community Association wheelchair, whether they’re elderly or
will handle maintenance of the trail net- they’re kids, they get the freedom to go Tatlayoko Valley located south of
work. With community events happening out and actually smell and see and do.” Highway 20 approximately 230
year-round at the gathering place, usage kilometres west of Williams Lake
is expected to continue to grow. Now By finding creative ways to build acces- Outdoor tourism destination for
everyone can easily get to points along sible trails and bring people together, the activities including windsurfing,
the trail, including a new accessible Tatlayoko Lake community is setting the hiking and kayaking
washroom (funded through the Active stage for communities small and large The word Tatlayoko is derived from
Communities grant). throughout B.C. to build trails that every- the Tsilhqot’in Nation language
one can access.
www.cariboord.bc.ca
“It’s an interconnected route so you can
www.landwithoutlimits.com
go a whole variety of different directions
on it,” Bracewell explained.
With the area’s aging population, the ac-
cessible trail is a place where seniors can
get active and socialize. Some of them
have started a walking group that meets
there once a week. Before the belting was
laid, many of the older adults in the area
were inactive. Some seniors used to drive
down to the rec site and sit in their cars.