Longtime Wabush volunteer scales back on trail grooming, town looks to fill void
If you're ever out walking the Jean Lake trail in Wabush, you'll probably catch a glimpse of Don O'Leary.
He's been volunteering his time to groom and maintain the trail for the past 10 or so years, but he's now hoping a new generation can step in to keep up the trail he cares so much about.
"It's a good pastime," O'Leary said. "People should come out and do it more."
The Jean Lake trail is a six-kilometre trail, well used and well liked, especially by dog owners — and their dogs, of course. It's considered by many to be the centrepiece of outdoor recreation in the small town.
"It's a beautiful thing and our plans are to not just have this during the daytime, but we plan to have lights on this eventually so you can walk this day or night," said Wabush Mayor Ron Barron.
Town manager Charlie Perry now volunteers his time to groom the trail using a groomer that belongs to O'Leary.
'Grooming' the next generation
In the summer, O'Leary takes a hammer and boards to fix up the boardwalk as he walks along the trail, often more than once a day.
"I'm not getting no younger so every day it gets harder," he said.
He'd like to see the town put more work in to the trail.
"We need to get rid of some of those rotten boardwalks and some more fill," he said.
The town recently recognized him for the work he puts in on the trail, but he said he doesn't do it for any reward.
"I just didn't want nothing. I just enjoy doing it," O'Leary said.
A reluctant recipient of the acclaim, Barron said he had to trick O'Leary into showing up for a ceremony, where he was awarded with a jacket for his volunteer work on the trail.
Striking a committee
"God love him for all the dedication he put in to it. We've got to make sure this stays a viable area for recreation and wellness in the area," Barron said.
"The town is going to be committed to keeping up and making sure that residents can have the use of this year-round."
There are already a couple of people interested in volunteering, but the mayor would like to see more people step up.
"Hopefully we can have a good committee that can come up with a lot of good ideas," Barron said.
"More people should step in and make it better," O'Leary said.
If anything, he added, people should do it for the exercise and the fresh air.
