Planking, cribbing, bracing and steps - the never ending story

There is still much work to be done on McGillivray Miner’s Path.

The Kinnear family has a three generational history with the McGillivray Miner’s Path.  The very first wooden steps that lead from the second bridge on Nez Perce Creek to the old McGillivray mine site entry were built by my grandfather, John Kinnear Sr., who was a mine carpenter from Scotland. Many years later his son, my father, rebuilt the badly worn sections of the very same steps. For the last 15 years or so John Kinnear Sr’s grandson, Bill Kinnear, has worked religiously at maintaining and repairing the section of the lower reaches of the Miners Path,  from the second bridge northwards up to the falls.  

At one time no pathway existed from the second bridge up so it was the Coleman Lions that did a huge amount of backbreaking rock work to create platforms for some parts of the path. Later on in the path’s history the Crowsnest Stewarship Society, as part of its Ed Gregor Days program, also did a lot of work to help create this now much beloved trail.  

In past years there has been some interesting support utilized in these maintenance efforts, including a year when several of Terry Aris’s mules were harnessed to haul limestone crush up the path. That was a sight to behold. 

Several years ago Bill secured the help of a First Nation’s Fire crew in his work, that eventually led to the building of stairways down to the falls and a stone wall on the east side of the falls to prevent further erosion.  This year, with several sections needing some rebuilding, Bill got yet another donation from the Lions and some rock drill equipment backup support from Joe Trotz and Clint Vanderaa.  Most cribbing support pins up the path…