A committed group of local residents dedicated almost 3000 combined hours of volunteer work in 2017 to ensure that 亚洲天堂 Lake has one of the best mountain biking trails in Canada.

Every year the 亚洲天堂 Lake Mountain Biking Association (BLMBA) reports to the provincial government the amount of hours volunteers spent keeping the Boer Mountain and Kager Lake recreation sites as beautiful as they are.

The total number of hours reported in 2017 was 2946 - up from the 2569 hours reported in 2016.

According to BLMBA director Dawn Stronstad, the total number of hours reported is still missing the work of 鈥減hantom鈥� workers, who often help with trail maintenance and don鈥檛 report it to BLMBA.

鈥淲e are very thankful for the amount of volunteer time spent on the Boer Mountain and Kager Lake recreation sites,鈥� said Stronstad. 鈥淲ithout the generous support of these passionate individuals, 亚洲天堂 Lake would not be known as a world-class mountain biking destination, or host events such as B.C. Bike Ride, where riders come from all over the world to experience 亚洲天堂 Lake.鈥�

READ MORE: Mountain biking puts 亚洲天堂 Lake on the map

鈥淏LMBA is excited to see how the development of this trail system has contributed to both the social and economic well-being of our area,鈥� she added.

Last year UNBC released the results of a study which assessed the economic and social impact of mountain biking development in 亚洲天堂 Lake. According to the study, the volunteer hours put into building and maintaining the Boer Mountain trails have played a critical role in its success.

READ MORE: Economic impact of 亚洲天堂 Lake trails

Every Wednesday, a group or approximately 25 BLMBA volunteers participate in a work bee at the site.

鈥淭hey come because we ride afterwards too, and that鈥檚 everybody 鈥� whether you鈥檙e a beginner or advanced rider,鈥� BLMBA member Pat Dub茅 told 亚洲天堂 Lake council last October. 鈥淥ther communities have only one work bee a season; we have one a week, and that鈥檚 fantastic; people feel like they own these trails.鈥�

Since its inception, over 20,000 volunteer hours have been recorded by BLMBA members. Other organizations such as the 亚洲天堂 Lake Fire Attack crew have also donated a substantial amount of labour to the development of the trail network.

Types of work done by volunteers include weed whacking, trail clearing, painting, trail maintenance and work on events such as the Bike Camp, Babes in Balance, Big Pig and B.C. Bike Ride.

The 亚洲天堂 Lake Mountain Biking Association co-manages both the Boer Mountain and Kager Lake recreation sites with Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. and the Lakes Outdoor Recreation Society.

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