Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-05-10, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018. Infrastructure projects help continue G2G trail Continued from page 17 to the other. This work ramped up last year in preparation for the International Plowing Match, which was held last September in Walton, one of the communities the trail runs through. Chris Lee, one of the members of G2G Inc., said he hoped the G2G would provide IPM -goers with an active alternative way of travelling to and attending the match. With the trail fully accessible for anyone wishing to use it, the Walton match was the first in history to utilize this kind of option. Much of the work that was done aimed to bridge inaccessible portions of the trail, which included the installation of three new bridges. The first bridge was installed over the Blyth Brook last summer. It was co -funded by Huron County, G2G Inc. and Regional Tourism Organization 4 (RTO4). The Walton -area bridge, Lee said, is crucial to the development of the trail, as it will clear the way for a route directly to Walton. Other significant ongoing infrastructure projects along the trail include the installation of gates to help control unauthorized access to the trail. Lee said these gates will ensure that ATV users are not on the trail. It is provincially -mandated that motorized vehicles, such as ATVs, are not permitted on the G2G trail, or any other provincial trail for that matter. The installation of the gates and continued monitoring of trail use, Lee said, will ensure that the trail remains in a suitable condition for those using the trail. Bridgekeepers, which is the stewardship group for one section of the trail, alongside Trees 4 Woolwich and adjacent landowner Calvin McCandless have all been working together to expand a parking lot along the trail and they also planted 150 trees along that portion of the trail in honour of Canada's 150th anniversary. Work on the trail began several years ago when several local trail enthusiasts began exploring the concept of turning a former railbed into a trail that would stretch from Goderich to Guelph, over 125 kilometres. Once complete, the trail would be one of the longest in the province. Lee also says that with the extensive work grading and packing the trail, it will be one of the few unpaved trails that's suitable for most cyclists, not just for those with mountain biking equipment. Lee says that plenty of work had been done along the trail to clear a wide path for those using the trail, clearing brush and ensuring a uniform width in the trail from end to end. That extensive clearing, coupled with frequent get-togethers centred around the installation of posts and Catch up on farming news on The Rural Voice's website at ruralvoice.ca gates, has brought the trail a long way from where it was when the project first began. Doug and Lynda Wilson were among the first to walk the trail from end to end. The couple's exploits have since been recorded in Lynda's book, Walking Home, which was released just before the trail was officially opened to the public. This summer, the trail will be hosting its biggest and most ambitious event year, according to the trail's Executive Co-ordinator Grace Vanden Heuvel. The Canada Day weekend event will spread across several days and include multiple events in various communities along the way. The event, dubbed Canada Rides The G2G, runs from Friday, June 29 to Monday, July 2 and includes a variety of distances and activities along the way. The event begins on Friday, June 29 in Elmira (although there is an option to begin in Guelph or the Kitchener/Waterloo area). The first day ends in West Montrose, where riders will camp for the night. Day two will see cyclists travel back to Elmira briefly for breakfast at the Elmira Legion and then includes stops at Millbank and Linwood before ending in Blyth. There, participants have the option of taking in a production of The New Canadian Curling Club at the Blyth Festival. On July 1, cyclists have the option of riding to Goderich for a reception on the beach before returning to Blyth for dinner and fireworks that night. On July 2, cyclists will leave Blyth for Elmira and the official finish of the event, with a stop in Milverton along the way. Tickets for the entire event cost $375, which include ride support, luggage and camping gear transportation and road assistance, as well as eight meals, stops along the way and parking. Blyth Festival tickets are not included. For more information on the trail or on any of its events, visit its website at g2grailtrail.com. Beautiful vistas The Goderich-to-Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail offers some breathtaking views for pedestrians and cyclists. (File photo) Family Owned Since 1936 McGavin COMPACT EQUIPMENT ROIExperience SuspensionTM NEW! I S® 3200Z Extreme Power and Performance • Choose Kawasaki° FX1000V DFI or Vanguard" BIG BLOCK" engine options • ICD" Cutting System with stripe k9 • 72' or 61° cutting widths • Hercules II"cast-non mower spindles • Patented suspension system: Rear adjustable coil -over -shocks and front independent adjustable shocks • Dual commercial Hydro -Gear° ZT-5400 Powertrain°transaxles with 9" cooling fans IS' 700Z Outstanding Value and Productivity • Choose from Briggs & Stratton Commercial Turf Series", Vanguard" 810cc, or Kawasaki° FS engine options • Patented suspension system: Rear coil -over -shocks and pivoting front axle • iCD" Cutting System with stripe kit • 61" or 52' cutting widths • Dual commercial Hydro-Gear°ZT--3400° transaxles with T mounted cooling fans IOEECND Simplicity BRIGGS&STRATTON Your Certified Briggs & Stratton Dealer KKITIil Pt(h (cAieeiP ©/(Xe�CiG� SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER will you be ready to impress the neighborhood? McGavin Farm Equipment Ltd. 519-887-6365 Walton 1-877-887-6365 Email: office@mcgavinfe.ca • www.mcgavinequip.com • Fax: 519-887-6381 f