Wondering what's been happening on the Vedder trail?
Some bush clearing and tree planting work east of Peach Road is being undertaken by Canada Lands Company.
It's part of improvements to the riverside trail which will eventually become Chilliwack parkland, said Ken Dueck, director of real estate development for CLC.
The work is Phase 2 on the new pathway between the Rotary Trail and the new River's Edge community to the north.
They originally expected to complete the trail work in March, but an earlier than usual spring arrival meant earlier nesting season, so they had to hold off.
"Our environmental consultant just gave us word that there are no birds nesting there right now," Dueck said.
First they'll be removing invasive species like blackberries, and then taking down some dangerous trees that have been marked in blue.
"We're doing everything we can to preserve the trees and create a lovely forested walking trail," he added.
Every tree on the alternate trail, meaning the new one that runs parallel to the Vedder trail, has been identified and given a health report by an arborist.
They will be thinning out some of the older Cottonwoods to make it safer along the new trail, and replanting with native species like cedar, fir and spruce trees.
Other planned amenities for River's Edge are the addition of "green streets," he noted. There are also plans for a north-south trail for pedestrians and cyclists to access the Vedder Trail without having to use Peach Road.
The Vedder River Rotary trail is easily the most popular and most heavily used trail in Chilliwack with a total of 216,000 users last year, according to City of Chilliwack numbers. Infra-red counters are placed around the city's major trails to count the number of users.