Prairie Sky Trails Association

         

Prairie Sky Trails Association Inc. is a non-profit organization created to enhance and develop trails, public parks, and green spaces in close association with Rural Municipalities and developing organizations in Saskatchewan. Prairie Sky Trails Association focuses on providing unique, recreational, and educational opportunities for persons of all ages and abilities in the establishment of several miles of trails to date that accompany public green spaces and recreational parks.

Namely, the non-profit organization has developed several kilometers of recreational trails across the province of Saskatchewan. All trails offer recreational opportunity to a range of users with a variety of users including walking, running, bicycling, snowshoeing, skiing, and horseback riding.

The non-profit organization has also committed to enriching public green spaces through the planting and nurturing of trees, flowers, and shrubs. In addition to trails and green spaces, Prairie Sky trails Association has also contributed to the establishment of multiple playgrounds and play structures in public parks. The non-profit organization plans to stay true in their commitment of providing the public with refreshing trails, parks, and green spaces they can utilize while enjoying nature and the outdoors, while highlighting accessibility inclusion throughout their projects.

Prairie Sky Trails Association has also provided educational and recreational programming for children in multiple communities, in collaboration with several funding organizations, at both Water’s Edge Development at Lucien Lake and Sunset Beach Development at Lake Diefenbaker. Programming welcomed children from the community to engage in educational and recreational lessons and activities from the organization themselves, as well as program providers across the province.

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LOCATIONS

Canada

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Company History

Prairie Sky Trails Association was created in 2012 and operated at Water’s Edge Development at Lucien Lake for several years, developing recreational trails, playgrounds, trout ponds, and offered several differing educational and recreational programming. Since 2018, however, Prairie Sky Trails Association has operated at Sunset Beach at Lake Diefenbaker:

Prairie Sky Trails Association has organized and contributed to several key amenities and programs at Sunset Beach, which has allowed the public and community continued access to recreation opportunities.

In 2022, Prairie Sky Trails Association received funding from the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation June is Parks & Recreation Month Connection Grant in collaboration with the R.M. of Loreburn No. 254 and the Village of Loreburn. The program allowed the organization to contribute to the Sunset Beach Community Association’s first community event by purchasing and offering prizes, toys, and games for all children that attended and participated in the bike parade.

Also in 2022, Prairie Sky Trails Association was awarded partial funding to construct a new section of the Trans Canada Trail through the Trans Canada Trail’s Capital Improvement Plan Grant at Sunset Beach. The recreational trail runs north for a kilometer along Dog Leg Coulee and connects to the existing Elbow Trail section of the Trans Canada Trail. Signage, benches, and waste receptacles are situated along the trail at scenic lookout points, where residents of Sunset Beach have the opportunity to sponsor a bench, resulting in a lifetime engraved plaque.

In 2023, Prairie Sky Trails Association was successful in obtaining partial funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program Community, Culture, and Recreation Infrastructure Stream, in collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada to construct and expand the recreational trail system at Sunset Beach. The funding allowed the organization to compact the recreational trail bases with aggregate, add additional scenic viewing points along the trails, and expand the trail systems to 3.28 total kilometers at Sunset Beach. Through this program, an accessibility washroom was also constructed for public and resident use at the development, allowing individuals of all abilities access to a washroom facility when visiting Sunset Beach.

To expand the existing accessible amenities, Prairie Sky Trails Association purchased an all-terrain and beach wheelchair for public use in 2023, with funding received from the Enabling Accessibility Fund, Youth Innovation Component. The chair is available to use on the recreational trail systems, as well as the natural beach shorelines.

In 2023, Prairie Sky Trails Association hosted a volunteer clean up event, where residents were invited to volunteer with prepping the recreational trail system for the year at Sunset Beach. Funding was received through the Trans Canada Trail Spring Trail Care Grant to host this event. Similarly, in 2023, Prairie Sky Trails Association hosted a tree planting event, where 10,000 trees were planted in collaboration with the Sunset Beach resident volunteers around the trail system. Funding was received through the Tree Canada Treemendous Communities Program to purchase and plant these seedlings.

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Sunset Beach in August of 2023, Prairie Sky Trails Association worked collaboratively with multiple recreational and educational program providers to deliver programming to children within the community and surrounding region. This programming delivery received partial funding in collaboration with the R.M of Loreburn No.254, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Framework in Action Grant and the Community Initiatives Fund Summer Grant Program. Recreational and educational programming was delivered by Lacey Weekes of Nature Saskatchewan, Brandy Royale of Royale Beauty, Nancy Broten of Life Outside and Gear Exchange, and Kyla Bouvier of Back2Nature Adventures and Wellness. The celebration and activities of this programming also welcomed the Sweet Treats & Eats food truck onsite at Sunset Beach during the anniversary week.

Prairie Sky Trails Association is looking forward to continuing projects and programs that support the environment, inclusivity, and recreation and educational opportunities for the Sunset Beach community and surrounding region to enjoy in 2024.

Company Facts

Prairie Sky Trails Association has three board members:

1. Lorraine Forster

2. Zenon Forster

3. Ashley Demers

Over the last 12 years, this non-profit has contributed to developing the following:

• Water’s Edge Development Playground
• Lucien Lake Regional Park Playground
• Sunset Beach Legacy Park and Playground
• Over five kilometers of recreational trails
• Sunset Beach public accessible washroom facility
• Sunset Beach public all-terrain and beach wheelchair
• Sunset Beach accessibility shoreline trail in collaboration with Trans Canada Trail
• Planted over 100,000 tree seedlings across the province
• Constructed and maintained a trout pond at Water’s Edge Development
• Offered several differing recreational and educational programming to both children and adults in development communities

Prairie Sky Trails Association also commits to providing rural youth employment each season to tend to their development projects, such as trail and tree maintenance. In 2023, for example, four rural youth were hired for four summer months at Sunset Beach at Lake Diefenbaker.