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RIVER TRAIL: KINGSTON COUNCILLORS ARE TAKING STEPS TOWARDS CREATING A NEW HIKING TRAIL ALONG THE CATARAQUI RIVER.
July 14, 2010
MEMBERS OF A MUNICIPAL COMMITTEE WANT TO EXPLORE THE OPTIONS OF A WATERFRONT TRAIL, STRETCHING FROM THE LASALLE CAUSEWAY TO KINGSTON MILLS ROAD. NEWSWATCH'S MAEGEN KULCHAR REPORTS. PKG
"THE WATER FRONT TRAIL HERE ALONG LAKE ONTARIO HAS ALREADY REVEALED ITSELF AS AN ATTRACTIVE ATTRIBUTE FOR KINGSTON RESIDENCE AND TOURISTS. WITH THAT SAID, THE ADDITION TO THE TRAIL ALONG THE WEST BANK OF THE CATARAQUI RIVER IS STILL UP FOR MUCH DISCUSSION." THE PROPOSAL IS TO BUILD AN 8-KILOMETRE MULTI-PURPOSE TRAIL STRETCHING FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO KINGSTON MILLS ROAD .... ALONG THE WESTERN BANK OF THE CATARAQUI RIVER. ALTHOUGH THIS MAY SEEM LIKE AN EASY JOB, THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES. MARY FARRAR IS AN AVID CYCLIST WHO HAS PITCHED THE IDEA TO POLITICIANS. MARY FARRAR "ONE OF OUR MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCKS IS AT THIS POINT IS THE 401 WHERE THE RAILWAY GOES UNDER THE 401 AND WE WOULD WANT TO BE ON THE WATER SIDE OF THE RAILWAY. SO YES WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE 401 WE NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND THE POWERS THAT BE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS ACCESS AND SPACE FOR OUR PATHWAY TO GO THROUGH". ANOTHER OBSTACLE IS PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. THE PROPOSED PATHWAY WOULD CUT THROUGH SOME PRIVATE WATERFRONT LAND. AND WHETHER THE OWNERS WOULD BE WILLING TO SELL IT IS A BIG QUESTION MARK. IT'S ONE REASON WHY THE CITY CAN'T PUT A PRICE TAG ON THE PATHWAY PROJECT. LANIE HURDLE (DIR OF REC AND LEISURE SERVICES) "WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT OWNERSHIP AND SEE IF THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPTIONS WE CAN LOOK AT- ONE OF THEM BEING ACQUISITION, THE OTHER TO LOOK AT PUBLIC EASEMENT TO GO ON THEIR PARTICULAR PROPERTY. THERE ALSO MAY BE SOME PROPERTIES THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY SIGNIFICANT". COUNCILLORS ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AGREED TO 'EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY' OF A WATERFRONT TRAIL. THEY HOPE TO PULL TOGETHER A STRATEGY BY NEXT YEAR -- WHICH WOULD IDENTIFY TRAIL LAND ACQUISITION, COST AND THE LOCATION. MAEGEN KULCHAR, CKWS NEWSWATCH KINGSTON.
