The River Walk project took two years to complete. (Town of Golden photo)

The River Walk now open to the public

September 28, 2021 // by Claire Palmer

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Visitors to Golden, BC have a beautiful new way to take in the Kicking Horse River, right from downtown.

The Town of Golden recently unveiled The River Walk, part of the beautification component of the Kicking Horse River Dike Improvement Project.

The walk is designed to both protect Golden from river flooding and to improve the riverfront space between the downtown core and the Kicking Horse River.

“This project has transformed our riverfront into an amazing new public space where residents will come to work, play and connect, visitors can enjoy all that Golden has to offer, and presents our local businesses with new opportunities,” said Golden Mayor Ron Oszust.

“But more importantly, this has been our number one public safety project for Golden and has increased our level of flood protection for the future.”

The design for the downtown riverfront area was informed through public engagement in late 2019 and into 2020. The beautification component, valued at about $1.2 million, is funded through the Resort Municipality Initiative.

“Congratulations to the Town of Golden on this milestone and for using your ingenuity to address flooding while also creating a space for people to enjoy that will enhance the tourism experience along the Kicking Horse River,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

“We’re proud to provide funding for this project because we recognize the importance of supporting the local economy and strengthening tourism experiences into the future.”

Funded through The Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia as administered by the Union of BC Municipalities, the Kicking Horse River Dike Improvement Project represents the largest infrastructure grant the Town of Golden has ever received at $5.87 million. More than 65 per cent is allocated for this specific area with the rest of the funds used to heighten dikes elsewhere in the community over the last year.

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