Rob Fawcett is a community builder on Pender Island who helped transform a dangerous, shoulderless road into a 2-km off-road, multi-use active transportation corridor.

In this episode, we sat down with Rob to hear how the Gulf Islands community raised $150,000 in pledges to unlock a BC Active Transportation grant and built something that kids can bike to school on and older residents can actually enjoy. Some are calling it Pender Island’s new linear park.

Rob breaks down what it takes to deliver trail infrastructure on an island with no municipal government, where roads belong to the Ministry of Transportation, and big capital projects almost never happen. We also zoom out to the bigger vision: a connected network of shared-use trails across the Gulf Islands that could transform how people get around by bike, on foot, or by e-bike. And with provincial active transportation funding now 'on pause,' Rob shares what comes next, and why this community isn't waiting around.

March 25, 2026: CRD announces official opening of Schooner Way Trail! Click HERE for details.

Read about the Trail in The Pender Post HERE

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The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca.

Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.