The development of the Spruston Road horse trailer parking area has been a tremendous success, made possible through countless volunteer hours, community fundraisers, and financial support from Horse Council BC.
Following approval from the Provincial South Coast Recreation District of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, the Central Vancouver Island Chapter began developing a horse trailer parking area on an old landing site that had become heavily overgrown with broom.
Development of the site began in early 2013. Some of the broom was initially removed using a commercial brush-cutting machine, generously donated by Dwayne Carson and Todd Davidson of Davidson Contracting. Although this allowed the site to be used, a significant amount of broom remained, making the area unsuitable for larger events.
In early 2014, the Chapter applied for and received a funding grant from Horse Council BC to complete the clearing of the site. Island Aggregate donated employee time and equipment, along with additional support from Dwayne Carson of D&J Holdings. Together, they cleared, machine-groomed, and levelled the area, creating a safe and functional space for large equestrian events.
In late August, three equestrian organizations—the Back Country Horsemen of BC, the BC Competitive Trail Riders Association, and the Endurance Riders Association of BC—worked together to host a long-distance riding event. It included a sanctioned 50-mile endurance ride, a 25-mile limited-distance ride, and a shorter BC Competitive Trail event.
Guests described the event as a “colossal effort” and were thrilled to have access to a public site capable of hosting an event of this scale. It remains the only facility of its kind on Vancouver Island. The site now accommodates day-use parking nearly every weekend, as well as throughout the week.
Central Vancouver Island Chapter members contributed more than 300 volunteer hours to the project. Their work included collecting and hauling garbage, maintaining nearby trails, hand-grooming the parking area, and seeding the site with grass.
The equestrian community continues to enjoy this highly valued recreational resource, which provides direct riding access to Crown land and the Great Trail, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail.
In addition to improving the parking area, volunteers addressed a particularly horse-unfriendly section of the original Great Trail route at the top of Spruston Road. An old mountain bike trail running parallel to the original route was reopened, providing equestrians with a safer alternative through the area.
With convenient access to a large parking area and an improved trail network, the section of the Great Trail between Spruston Road and Haslam Creek has seen a significant increase in equestrian activity on both weekdays and weekends.
Equestrians now have a safe place to park their large trailers and a welcoming trail system to explore and enjoy.
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