Clearwater is spread out, but that could be a good thing, if there were trails to connect the different parts.
People could get from point A to point B and get healthier at the same time.
With this in mind, District of Clearwater set up a Trails Task Force last year to improve the opportunities for walking and other self-propelled forms of mobility.
On June 17 the task force held a pair of open houses at Dutch Lake Community Centre to get public input on a draft trails network master plan for Clearwater and area.
Two trail sections were given the highest priority: Number 1h, a 950 m trail next to Old North Thompson Highway by Dutch Lake that eventually would form part of a Dutch Lake perimeter trail; and Number 7a, a 1,900 m trail from the old hospital to the roundabout.
The cost of the first was estimated at $170,000, while the second was put at $328,000.
Priority three went to Number 1d, 300 m of the Dutch Lake perimeter trail next to Dutch Lake Road by the Dutch Lake Community Centre. Cost of that was estimated at $73,000.
Priority four would be Number 7b, 570 m of trail along Murtle Road and Murtle Crescent that would cost an estimated $100,000.
Altogether, 16 trail sections were rated as high priority. They totalled nearly 16 km in length and would have an estimated price tag of close to $2 million.
Close to 40 trail sections were given medium priority, while about another 30 got low priority.
After the public consultation, the next step will be to prepare a plan document.
After that, possibly next fall, the plan will be brought back for review and, if approved, adoption.