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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-06-22, Page 5Rails to trails THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1988. PAGE 5. Railways loss can be turned to tourism gain A cool tunnel of trees line the right of way of the old Butter and Eggs railway line north of Blyth. Although the line has been abandoned nearly 50 years, it shows the potential for railway lines to be turned into hiking or ski trails as has been done with many abandoned lines Wife in the United States. BY KEITH ROULSTON The fate of the Canadian National Railway line through Brussels may be decided at a National Transportation Agency hearing in Wingham July 26 and 27. Canadian Pacific Railway has also applied to abandon the much busier Guelph-to-Goderich line through Walton, Blyth and Auburn. The loss of the railway lines would hurt local communities both in economic terms and in morale terms but could also provide an opportunity for new tourist attractions. Abandoned railway right of ways in Ontario have been more of a problem than an asset. Farmers along the portion of the CN line from Wingham to Kincardine abandon­ ed about five years ago were upset with the potential of weeds from the abandoned land to spread to their fields. For the most part the rails and ties are gone but the right of way remains intact through the area. Kinloss township bought a section of land on the outskirts of Lucknow to provide a site for the annual Lucknow Tractor Pull and Lucknow bought property on the site of the old railway stations but for the most part nobody wants the land. As Frank Hawthorne, Reeve of Kinloss township says, much of the land isn’t good enough for farming, some never was even before the railway deposited large amounts of gravel and cinders or cut-away portions of hills. One farmer said the railway had tried to sell him the right of way through his farm for $350 but he told them he wasn’t interested in worthless land. In the United States, however, railway abandonment has been turned into an asset in many communities. Abandoned right of ways across the country have been turned intoparks, trailsthatareusedby hikers, bikers, skiers and horse enthusiasts. There are now 150 such trails in 27 states. The idea has spread to Great Britain and a similar park is reported to have been made out of an old logging line near Victoria, B.C. Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) is an organization in Washington that helps promote the conversion of railway lines to trails. Just over two years old it has already grown toa membership of 7000 from just 400 last year and, predicts Peggy Robinson, director of membership and development, “if our growth continues as it has, we’ll be 12,000 strong by Christmas.” A survey of its membership by RTC showed that 95 per cent of members used the trails for walking or hiking and 84 per cent use them for bicycling while 47 per cent use them for cross-country skiing, 45 for fitness training, 36 for birdwatching, or other nature activity, 34 for running, 28 for family outings, 16 for commuting to school or work, 13 for fishing and 13 for horseback riding. One of the most successful trail conver­ sions has been the Cape God Rail Trail, the longest converted rail corridor in New England. The 19.6 mile trail attracts 500,000 tourists a year, taking people through terrain they wouldn’t naturally see: cranberry bogs, red maple swamps, glacial moraines and salt marshes. Trail Manager Steve Nicholle reports that real estate advertisements in local newspapers frequently mention the facility as one of the area’s outstanding amenities. Two new bike rental outlets have opened along the trail that has both a paved bike path and a dirt horse trail and horse rentals are available. Motels, restaurants, bed and breakfast homes and gift shops are eager to advertise in the trail guide put out by the Cape Cod Planning and Economic Development Commission. North Huron already has one abandoned railway line that shows what the potential for trail development is. Although the old “Butter and Eggs Special” CN railway line from Clinton to Wingham through Londes- boro, Blyth and Belgrave has been abandoned for nearly 50 years, large sections of the corridor are still plainly visible. Betty Battye, a grade one teacher at Blyth Public School frequently visits the old railway line at the north end of Blyth near the famous “arch” that once carried the Butter and Eggs over the newer CPR line. The trail is an excellent place for bird watching, she says, with uncommon species like Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Balti­ more Orioles as well as all kinds of more common birds abounding in the trees. There are also a wide variety of wild flowers in spring. The potential for trail development is plain on that portion of the old Butter and Eggs right-of-way north of Blyth. For a half-mile or more the cinder track of the old rail line provides a pathway through land that has now grown up heavily wooded on the sides of the old embankment. Even on a hot summer day the path, which is sometimes a tunnel through overhanging trees, is cool. Gold­ finches flit across the path and other birds chatter in the trees. A break In the wall of trees lining the sides of the Old Butter and railway was famous for stopping wherever a farmer might flag It Eggs railway line shows farmers at work in their fields. The old down so he could get a ride to the city. A half mile north the smooth path is broken where a farmer has bulldozed a path through the high embankment to get to another field. A great-horned owl lumbers into the air, startled to see a visitor. The well-beaten path ends here as most hikers turn back to the village but it is possible to pick up the trail again through the bush. The trail is clogged with Virginia creeper and plants that look suspiciously like poison ivy. Farther north again the right of way has been used as a dumping spot for earth from a farm drain that runs down the side of the old track. A luxuriant growth of ferns line the way along one stretch. As the eighth line of Morris comes into sight the trail opens up again, the growth becomes thinner. Breaks in the walls of trees along the side show glimpses of nearby farming operations. Despite the fact the old Butter and Eggs line has been closed for nearly 50 years, it’s easy to see how it could still easily be rejuvenated as a nature trail. The biggest difficulty would likely be the large number of landowners who now own bits of the old right of way. Newly abandoned rail lines shouldn’t have the same problem. Obviously all rail lines can’t be turned into trails butthosethatgeta head start and establish themselves before others grab the idea may turn defeat into victory. Already one rail line in Cambridge is being considered as a possible trail. If Huron county municipalities looking to stimulate tourism wish to look at turning rail lines into trails they may need to jump on the opportunity quickly or see others take it first. In the coolness of the trail ferns wave in the breeze, part of the abundant variety of wild plants along the way.