Some landowners in Huron County seem dead set against the proposed Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (G2G) along former railway lands.
In Wellington County, the matter is pretty much moot as former rail lines in Wellington and Waterloo Region have long been established at the Kissing Bridge Trailway which stretches from Guelph to Millbank.
An email sent to the Wellington Advertiser by a group of Huron landowners indicated that numerous adjacent agricultural landowners opposed the development of the proposed G2G Rail Trail.
The trail would extend along the former rail line and create a corridor trail stretching from Goderich to Guelph.
Opponents felt those proposing the G2G trail had not included adjacent agricultural landowners as part of the process.
Additionally, the email stated landowner concerns had also not been addressed by Huron County.
According to Huron County’s communications and grants coordinator, the group is scheduled as a delegation at Huron County council in July.
Opponents contended there are sections already leased along the trail by municipalities and individuals, not G2G. Therefore the full trail cannot be opened.
Opponents also contend the trail will negatively impact farming operations along the route including livestock and field crops.
They asked, “Will the tourism dollars potentially made from this trail even come close to the agricultural income that will be lost because of it?”
Wellington County
In Wellington County, the G2G trail would encompass the already developed Kissing Bridge Trailway which runs for 42km along the former rail line from Millbank to Guelph.
In an interview with the Advertiser, Wellington County planner Sarah Wilhelm noted the province owns the abandoned Canadian Pacific (CP)right-of-way, which in turn is leased jointly by Wellington County and Waterloo Region for use as a recreation trail.
According to the Kissing Bridge Trailway website the right-of-way was abandoned by CP rail in 1988 and the trail was established a decade later.
While traversing rural farmland there are clear rules for those using the trail including reminders not to leave the trail or to go onto farm properties.
In addition users are reminded to give space to farm vehicles on the trails and on adjacent roadways.
The trail is currently on the listing of Wellington County trails.
G2G Response
In response to concerns raised Doug Cota, G2G Inc. chair, stated, “The G2G Rail Trail Huron/Perth project has been ongoing for almost five years now, we have had and continue to have regular monthly meetings with county representatives, Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and any landowners interested in attending – to this point there has been little or no attendance on behalf of the landowners.”
Cota added that Perth and Huron counties have had two information meetings each,to engage the landowners and discuss potential concerns. A list of concerns was presented by the OFA on behalf of the landowners, all of which were addressed to the province’s county’s and OFA’s satisfaction.
Cota stated, “When this section of rail line was decommissioned by the CPR in the 1980s it was purchased by the province and set aside as green space and a rail trail – a portion of the right of way was developed in the 90s as a multi-use trail in partnership with Wellington County and the Region of Waterloo, becoming the Kissing Bridge Trail which runs from Guelph to Millbank.”
Cota added, “At the other end the County of Huron and the Maitland Valley Trail Association developed the Goderich to Auburn Rail Trail that runs from Goderich to the Maitland River at Auburn. Both of these trails have run with little or no complaints or problems for 20 years.”
He explained the G2G trail came out of the idea and need of connecting these two trails and making one trail that would be the “401” of trails in the area.
The trail will be managed very much like the Elora Cataract Trail and The Kissing Bridge Trailway – it will be opened in stages, as deemed safe to do so, he said.
Cota added the G2G Rail Advisory Committee has not been able to do much in the way of trial improvements to date other than installing a bridge east of Millbank which was under lease and part of the Kissing Bridge Trailway.
He anticipated the G2G trail will enter a leasing arrangement with the province in July to manage further development and opening of the unleased sections of trail in Perth and Huron counties.
“As I am sure you are aware, a trail of this size, connecting the communities along its length, brings with it a significant economic impact – it will add to local infrastructure and active transportation, making the communities more desirable to live, work and play in,” Cota said.
Huron County response
In May 2015, letters were sent from the County of Huron, planning and development department to property owners along the former CPR corridor and those attending a public meeting from the previous year.
In October, 2014, Huron County council directed staff to assemble a G2G Trail Working Committee to work through the identified issues, develop a stewardship model, develop cost and phasing model, convene a public open house, and report back to council.
The Huron Perth G2G Trail Working Committee has been assembled including representatives from landowners adjacent to the rail corridor, Huron and Perth Federations of Agriculture; Huron and Perth County planning and development departments and G2G.
The committee has been working through the list of identified issues raised from public input.
The stewardship model from Region of Waterloo and Kissing Bridge Trailway, which is at the easterly end of the former rail bed between Goderich and Guelph, is being reviewed.
Costs and phasing are also part of the discussions. It is anticipated that the committee will convene a public open house in late fall.
In April G2G Inc., an organization who is initiating the development of the extension of the trail, announced that it has been in discussion with the province’s land management company, Del Mgt. Solutions, (DMS) to enter into an interim lease arrangement.
DMS advised that it recently received permission from the province to prepare a lease arrangement with G2G Inc. for the vacant or un-leased portions of the former rail corridor; the lease has not been signed to date.
G2G Inc. has indicated that the lease will be an interim measure, in order to move forward on some trail improvements and to access some available funding for trail work such as bridges, culverts, etc.
The end goal of both the province and the G2G Inc. is to see the counties of Huron and Perth ultimately lease the rail bed.
Therefore, the westerly 82km (Huron and Perth) would be leased in a fashion similar to the easterly 45km where the Region of Waterloo, including Wellington County, has held the lease with the province since 1997.
The Huron Perth G2G Trail Working Committee plans to continue meeting and working through the list of priorities and policy development to address operational processes and timelines. The County of Huron is still considering leasing the former CP Rail lands from the province to allow its use as a public recreation trail.
The Huron County portion of the former rail corridor extends from the Town of Goderich at the Menesetung Bridge (westerly limit) to the county boundary east of Walton (easterly limit). Portions of the corridor are already in use as trails by the public:
– The Menesetung Bridge – over the Maitland River at Goderich – since Aug. 1, 1995;
– GART (Goderich to Auburn Rail Trail) – 13.6km recreational trail from near Goderich to near Auburn – since Oct. 1, 1995; and
– The Blyth Greenway Trail – 1.37km recreational trail – since April 1, 1995.
