Valley trails groups get $340,000 from province

BY NANCY KELLY

nkelly@berwickregister.ca

NovaNewsNow.com



Barry Barnet, Minister of Health Promotion and Protection, returned to his “old stompin’ grounds” in Kingston July 30 to announce $340,000 in funding for Valley-area trail development groups.

The funding, from the province's B-FIT program, will further development of new multi-use trails along former rail lines and help to create a link between trails in the Valley and South Shore.

The South Shore Annapolis Valley Recreational Trail Association will receive $185,000 over three years for a multi-use trail on the former CNR rail line. The Kings County Trail Society (KCTS) will receive $155,000 over the same timeframe to continue developments on a shared-use trail on the abandoned DAR railbed corridor from Sharpe Brook in Cambridge to the Kings-Annapolis County line.

The B-FIT program, which assists not-for-profit community groups and municipalities develop facilities to increase public participation in sport and physical recreation, was introduced in 2007 and will invest $50 million over 10 years to construct sport and recreation infrastructure.



Committed to developing 500 kilometres of trail

“The government is committed to developing 500 kilometres of multi-use trail per year,” Barnet said. “It is through the tireless work of each trail association that we have been able to meet and exceed that goal.”

After making the announcement, Barnet took a brief stroll on a portion of the trail that runs through the heart of Kingston. The village commission and the KCTS recently agreed to share in the establishment and maintenance of the linear trail on the abandoned DAR railbed within the village limits.

Since that agreement was reached, the KTCS has upgraded the surface by applying Class A gravel and is planning to install fencing at a couple of locations to limit access and improve safety. The village has assisted by adding some paved areas to prevent gravel from spraying onto roads and public areas.



Impressed by the work so far

Village chairman Steve Nickerson says the commission has been impressed by the work done by the trail society so far.

“They are an outstanding group, open to negotiation and working cooperatively with the village.” He said the trail is already getting more use from walkers and motorized vehicle users. “I think by sprucing up the trail, people are encouraged to use it more and treat it with more respect.”

Local riding MLA Leo Glavine said the trail through Kingston has come a long way in seven years, when there was first talk about developing it for multi-use.

“We were faced with two choices back then: just let (the trail) go or try and do something with it,” Glavine said. He added the public is now just starting to see the benefits of off-road vehicle regulations and the fees that ATV users pay coming back to the communities.

“These managed trails draw attention away from private lands and give people more recreation choices,” he said.

Rick Jacques, executive director of the Valley Trails Coalition, agrees that “working models” like the Kingston trail are important to further expansion and use. “People can now see the value of these managed trails.”

Barnet, who spent time as a teenager in the Kings West area and “knows where these trails are going,” says the Valley has some “natural advantages” when it comes to the development of a network of trails.

“A former rail line system and interested people committed to trail improvements have been, and will continue to be, an important factor in making these projects a success,” he said.

Bob Wright, KCTS president, acknowledged the advice and support of the provincial government over the past four years.

“There has been plenty of public opposition for motorized trails, but the partnerships we have established are really starting to turn things around,” he said.