A special ceremony this morning (June 21) marked a pivotal point in the development of the formerly named Cranbrook-Wardner Trail.

Ktunaxa Nation Chair Kathryn Teneese, Trans Canada Trail National Champion Valerie Pringle, Trans Canada Trail and Trails BC board members, trail volunteers and a number of local government representatives participated in a sunrise ceremony at Rampart Prairie, while unveiling of the trail’s new designation: The Chief Isadore Trail, part of the Trans Canada Trail (TCT).

Drumming, prayer, song and speeches, including by Sophie Pierre (OC OBC), preceded the trail name unveiling.

“It’s pretty incredible when you think about it. We’re going to have this trail that – eventually when it’s all connected, all joined, because there are pieces all over the place that are already finished, it will be 24,000 kilometres of trail, from coast-to-coast-to-coast. And our own little piece here from Cranbrook to Wardner was opened this morning with the name of Chief Isadore Trail. And I am really, really happy about that,” said Sophie Pierre immediately after the ceremony during a Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon at the Heritage Inn.

She pointed out “the good timing” of the trail name unveiling, being on National Aboriginal Day and shortly after Sam Steele Days weekend, noting the history connected with it.

It is important to recognize history, she said, because it makes people think about and learn more the history of this region.

Col. Sam Steele and his soldiers arrived at Fort Steele under orders to quell a “possible uprising” by the Ktunaxa Nation, Pierre said.

“It was really with the cooperation of Chief Isadore that we were able to avoid a major conflict in what we now call home. So having the kind of recognition of history, of the full history, of our land, of where we live – our region – leads to understanding of what the history of Canada is,” she said.

The Trans Canada Trail began as a bold dream in 1992 with the idea of creating a trail that would be a gift from Canadians to Canadians.

Since then, TCT – a not-for-profit organization – has been working with donors, partners, governments and volunteers to create The Great Trail; an epic trail of trails offering a wide range of outdoor experiences on both land and water routes. Every Canadian province and territory is home to its own stretch of The Great Trail, which is owned and operated at the local level.

TCT’s goal is to have The Great Trail, of which Chief Isadore Trail is a part, be connected from coast-to-coast-to-coast in 2017, for Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation celebrations.

Photos courtesy David B Savage

– Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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