Trails master plan update presented to council
BRUCE COUNTY - The public has had its say about the Bruce County trails master plan. Adam Stanley, director of transportation and environmental services, presented the results at the April 18 meeting of council.
The Bruce County Active Transporation and Recreational Trails Master Plan was prepared by R. J. Burnside and Associates in 2022 and received by council in September 2023. Part of the process involved posting the plan on the county website for public comment; seven submissions were received. The April 18 report included those comments.
The master plan establishes a vision and goals for active transportation and recreational trails in Bruce County. Included were the Bruce County Rail Trail, trails within county road right of ways and county forests.
There are other trails within the county including the Bruce Trail, municipal trail networks and trails managed by conservation authorities; while important, they were not included in the master plan.
The plan outlines seven goals to improve active transportation and trails in the county. They include expanding the Wilderness Trail network, creation of trail loops and connections, improving parking and amenities for trails in county forests and the rail trail, reviewing trail crossings and on-road safety, improving signage, providing trail leadership, and incorporating reconciliation measures to support Indigenous communities and culture.
Warden Chris Peabody (Brockton) suggested that instead of prioritizing the Wilderness Trail, perhaps the focus should be on maintenance of existing trails, for example, there are bridges in the Brant Tract system that are “getting a bit old.”
Peabody went on to say the maintenance at the Brant Tract is “quite exceptional – it’s a great trail system, although not as well known as … the Bruce Trail.” He added, “Maybe that’s a good thing.”
County Coun. Mark Goetz (South Bruce) said he’d spoken with some people he met in Mildmay. They were from outside the county, and were visiting the area because of Bruce County’s trails.
County Coun. Milt McIver (Northern Bruce Peninsula) commented that once word gets out, the trails will become more popular.
Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
