Beaver Boardwalk Project Maintenance Activities

Construction continues at the Beaver Boardwalk as part of the Town of Hinton’s ongoing rehabilitation project, with significant progress made during the first winter season of work. The project is being carried out under the Town’s Water Act Approval from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEP) and is funded through a grant from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA).

If you've been following the project from the beginning, you'll remember that the rehabilitation was originally shared as a three-phase plan. As work has progressed, that phased breakdown is now reflected as current work underway (2024–2026) and future work planned (outside the scope of the current contract). The current contract spans two winter construction seasons and is scheduled to resume winter 2025 through to April 2026.

Winter 2024–25 Progress

Despite a delayed start to frozen conditions this past winter, the contractor made steady progress, and we are able to provide the following section status updates:

The original Phase One sections scheduled for rehabilitation during the winter of 2024/2025 included: BB, D, E, J, O, Q, P, U, V, W, and X.

Sections now reopened to the public include: C, G, H, K, L, M, N, O, and Q.

Framing is expected to be completed by April 16, 2025 for the following sections: D, E, J, P, T, W, X, AA, and BB.

Decking will begin shortly after, with sections D–E–J, P, T–W–X, and AA–BB scheduled to be fully decked and reopened for public use by May 11, 2025, just in time for summer visitors.

Piling has been completed in sections U and V, located on the southwest side of the boardwalk. These sections will remain closed until work resumes during the next frozen ground window in winter 2025/2026.

Frozen ground was required for work within the wetland footprint. These are areas where crews are physically working in or over the wetland itself. This includes locations where workers need to wear waders and use specialized matting to protect sensitive terrain. In these areas, piles were installed and lumber for spring decking was pre-positioned before the ground and lake thawed. Now that the ground is softening, and ice is melting the matting will be removed, and construction activities will shift outside the wetland footprint—meaning areas where crews can safely work from existing boardwalk structures without direct contact with the wetland. This shift marks the transition from construction to maintenance.

Sections U and V, which have posed the most challenging terrain, currently have their steel piles installed but intentionally left uncut. These areas will be revisited during the next winter freeze window to complete framing and decking.

This rehabilitation work is replacing aging wooden infrastructure along the boardwalk’s original footprint. The new steel piles are twice the length of the originals, designed to reduce shifting and increase long-term durability as the wetland environment naturally changes.

By May 11, 2025, the majority of the boardwalk – excluding sections U and V- will be fully walkable and open for public use. U and V will remain in their current piled state until the contractor returns during the next winter construction season to complete the remaining work.

The Beaver Boardwalk remains an active construction site. Residents and visitors are reminded to respect all signage and closures to ensure safety and allow crews to work efficiently.

The Town of Hinton and the Beaver Boardwalk Oversight Committee (BBOC) thank the community for their continued patience and support as this landmark project progresses.

Updated Map & Project Terminology

The Town will continue to provide updated trail maps showing the status of each boardwalk section. To help interpret these maps:

Piled: Long galvanized steel supports have been installed to create a strong foundation, indicated by red highlighted sections.
Framed: The structural base has been built on the piles and is ready for decking, indicated by the yellow highlighted sections.
Decked/Complete: The walkable surface has been installed and the section is open for use, indicated by green highlighted sections.
Future: Work not included in the current project scope, as the BBOC and Town of Hinton are seeking additional grant funding to complete these section indicated by blue highlights.