The new Pitt River greenway is just one of several under development.

Now that the flood watch on the Fraser River has been lifted, how about a foot stroll or wheel roll along its leafy banks in Pitt Meadows? Don't be surprised, if you look up through the green canopy, to glimpse splashes of red, blue, or hot pink on black slowly drifting earthward. Singly and in pairs, these are students from a skydiving centre at the Pitt Meadows Airport. The bold hues of their jump suits and chutes, combined with their sudden appearance, are bound to prove momentarily perplexing. Binoculars help solve this aerial puzzle as well as assist in telling seals apart from bobbing logs in the nearby Fraser's current.

It's easier than ever to explore the confluence of the Fraser and Pitt rivers, thanks to the opening in April of the first portion of the Pitt River greenway, the latest of three such projects under development by the GVRD. Its companion greenways are the Brunette-Fraser, which links Burnaby Mountain with the New Westminster Quay, and the Delta–South Surrey, between Annacis Island and Boundary Bay. A fourth, the Seymour River greenway, is still in the planning stages. In fact, all are decades away from completion.

Bonnie Blue, planning coordinator with the GVRD, has played a major role in the greenway projects. When contacted by phone, Blue told the Georgia Straight that the Pitt River greenway is being rolled out in three phases. The second is dependent on the completion of the new Pitt River Bridge. "When they build the new bridge, it will be higher than the existing one, making it possible for a connection underneath for pedestrians and cyclists." Blue estimated that this will occur by 2009, which will then permit the greenway to continue north along the Pitt River and inland along parts of the Alouette River dike system to Sturgeon Slough. "The final phase from there to Grant Narrows Regional Park may take 30 years to complete. We have to wait for a gravel quarry to be decommissioned. Until then, you'll just have to go around."

Fortunately, there are plenty of alternate trails at hand, including a 26-kilometre east-west stretch that links Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge with Coquitlam and Fort Langley via the Albion Ferry. (Ferry service will be ended when TransLink's new Golden Ears Bridge is completed in 2009. A connection with the Pitt River greenway for cyclists and pedestrians is a feature of this project.) Wendy DeDalt, the GVRD parks east-area manager, oversaw the first phase of the new Pitt River corridor. She told the Straight that the greenways concept is hardly a new one. "They are simply linear systems–green corridors–meant to extend the recreational benefits for active people who want to cover longer distances. These routes amplify the value of green-space networks already in place."

If you explore the dike network in Pitt Meadows, some of which is part of the Trans Canada Trail, you'll understand exactly what DeDalt meant. The low-lying fields of the largely rural community are ringed with dikes to hold back the waters of not only the Fraser but also the Pitt and Alouette rivers. For those who explore on foot or by wheel, the wide, raised berms offer great views of the surrounding countryside, including a fortress of peaks in Golden Ears Park. Since the dikes are already in place, the cost of establishing a greenway along–and, in places, beside–them is relatively modest. Blue confirmed that between 2003 and 2007, the GVRD purchased 43 hectares of environmentally sensitive land below the Pitt Meadows dikes for $2.8 million. DeDalt estimated that the cities of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge jointly spent about $200,000 to install washrooms and parking, as well as build a two-kilometre interpretive loop trail at Harris Landing, whose opening officially launched the Pitt River greenway. "The dikes are already there, so we don't have to invest in trail construction. The next phase at Ford Road will probably cost another $100,000," DeDalt said. "This incremental approach makes it easier than having to come up with all the funds at once."

DeDalt agreed that one of the best places to enjoy a walk beside the Fraser on the new greenway is in the riparian zone between the dike and the riverbank, beneath the rough-barked black cottonwood trees. That's just what you'll find at Harris Landing, the eastern terminus of the Pitt River greenway, which, when completed, will stretch for 31 kilometres. At the moment, the Pitt River greenway leads 9.5 kilometres west and north to Ferry Slip Road beside the Pitt River Bridge. That's more than enough for all but the most persistent cyclists, who should combine a cycle on the dike with a road ride through Pitt Meadows' charmingly historic town centre on Harris Road. Alternately, such ardent types will just have to wait for Phase 2 of the greenway to open in two years' time, when it will double in distance.

Right now, gather some company and head to Harris Landing, where you can catch up on each other's news while enjoying the river at close quarters as aerial hijinks happen above.

ACCESS: Pitt Meadows lies 50 kilometres east of Vancouver. To reach the Pitt River greenway, follow Highway 1 east to Exit 44 in Coquitlam. Take the United Boulevard off-ramp, which connects with the Mary Hill ByPass (Highway 7B) and leads across the Pitt River Bridge via the Lougheed Highway. (You can also take the Lougheed Highway east through Port Coquitlam as an alternate route.) Cross the bridge and turn right at the Harris Road intersection. Drive south along Pitt Meadows' main street to Harris Landing beside the Fraser River. For more information on GVRD regional greenways, visit www.gvrd.bc.ca/parks/greenways/