A nine-kilometre paved bike and walking trail around Victoria International Airport will be finished by mid-September, says airport president and CEO Geoff Dickson.
The three-metre-wide path borders the airport lands and connects with West Saanich Road and Ocean Avenue along the Patricia Bay Highway, as well as Beacon Avenue into downtown Sidney.
Commuters, aviation buffs and those just out for exercise will be able to see ocean and mountain views from the path, and watch anything from “a 737 to a military helicopter or small flight-school aircraft take off,” Dickson said. “We’re really looking forward to it being done.”
The $4.2-million Flight Path project, funded by the airport authority, began in 2009 with a bike path on Mills Road and saw the bulk of construction completed in phases during the last year and a half. Only a small strip along East Saanich Road and Canora Road remains to be done, said Dickson.
The path is “probably the number-one topic of conversation when I’m out in the community,” he said, adding the project is on budget and schedule. He hopes it will draw people to explore the Saanich Peninsula.
In addition to the airport, there are several businesses on the property, including Viking Air, the B.C. Aviation Museum, a flying club and the Thrifty Foods distribution centre.
“Quite a few employees are out there walking at lunch,” said Angie Murray, a marketing associate at Viking Air. The bulk of the company’s 575 employees work at the Sidney location. “A lot of staff live in the area and walk their dogs on the path.”
Dickson said there are similar paths at other airports, pointing to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and Manchester Airport as two examples. He called the Flight Path “our way of giving back to the community.”
“I see runners, families out walking and cyclists out there. It’s nice to see people using it,” he said. “I like the vistas on Hospital Hill, the wonderful view of Patricia Bay.”
An event to mark the opening of the Flight Path is planned for October.
