A Pemberton-area mountain bike trail has been renamed and redeveloped in honour of the Lil’wat Nation’s former land manager and longtime Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) staffer, Graham Haywood.
With funding from the SLRD, the former Gravitron Trail has been renamed Kacwepcwépa, given by the Lil’wat, an Ucwalmícwts phrase meaning “to come back to memory.”
Haywood, who died in 2020 after getting caught in an avalanche, was the SLRD’s senior project coordinator, and had also served as interim director of legislative and corporate services. Before joining the SLRD, he worked as a land manager for the Lil’wat Nation, known for his warmth, honesty, and appreciation for the land.
“Graham’s kind-hearted nature and compassion were greatly valued in Lil'wat, as we are sure they were everywhere he went,” said P’sit7 Casey Dick-Wyatt, director of lands and resources at the Lil’wat Nation, in a release. “Graham developed lasting bonds and left good feelings in the hearts of those who he worked closely with and those he met briefly along the way. To this day, his name is mentioned in admiration. His love of the land and good intentions allowed for deep trust and honest exchanges with those around him. We know he left doing what he loved, and his legacy in Lil'wat will not be forgotten. We all remember his silent, cheeky smile.”
An avid mountain biker, Haywood also served as a board member and volunteer for the Pemberton Valley Trails Association (PVTA), and in consultation with his family, the SLRD partnered with the Lil’wat Nation and the PVTA to commemorate him.
“Graham was a positive, energetic force with an infectious smile and a great sense of humour. He completed projects with passion and knowledge and was always 100-per-cent committed to anything he was involved with. He played a pivotal role in the development of the Pemberton Trails Master Plan and signage on the Pemberton trails,” said former PVTA president Bill Stiles in the release. “It was an honour to have Graham on the PVTA board. He dedicated many volunteer hours to the PVTA and his service to the community will always be remembered. The PVTA is honoured to be a part of the trail dedication to Graham.”
The SLRD’s Electoral Area Directors’ Committee committed up to $12,000 in funding for the project, which the PVTA will use to revitalize the double-black diamond trail, repairing drainage and trail surfaces “while retaining the exhilarating experience for riders,” the SLRD said in the release.
“The SLRD team is humbled by the commitment that Graham had to his work, to his family and to his community,” said SLRD board chair, Jen Ford, in the release. “Not only was Graham a much-loved and respected member of the SLRD team, he was also an ambassador for the region, and an outdoor adventure enthusiast who volunteered locally to help build some of the trails that continue to be enjoyed by many. It is our hope that this tribute will be one more way of ensuring that Graham’s memory lives on in the community that he so greatly loved.”
The public is invited to a renaming and trail dedication ceremony on Saturday, July 15, starting at 1 p.m., at the Kacwepcwépa trailhead, located approximately 9.5 kilometres up the Mackenzie Basin Forest Service Road, adjacent to the transmission tower. Maxine Bruce, Lil’wat councillor, the Nation’s territorial stewardship manager, and a longtime coworker of Haywood’s, will lead the ceremony. Representatives from the Lil’wat Nation, the PVTA and SLRD will also be in attendance.
