Hub Staff

A look at past achievements and future plans brought the Saugeen Rail Trail Association's (SRA) mandate and budget requirements into focus in Council Chambers as Jessica Carter delivered a delegation to Mayor and Council on behalf of the Association at the November 25 Committee of Whole.

The SRA is a not-for-profit organization that is now in its 30th year of operation. Through an annual grant from the Town of Saugeen Shores as well as multiple partnerships in the community, membership fees, and countless volunteer hours, the SRA has managed to maintain and improve the Rail Trail each year.

In 2019, the SRA completed many successful projects including paving two kilometres of trail from Concession 10 to Elgin Street in Port Elgin. This undertaking was made possible by a private donation of $75,000 as well as $11,000 from the SRA and 400 hours of labour from volunteers.

See: Official opening of the new accessible section of the Saugeen Rail Trail

Carter recalled the original mandate of the SRA which was to develop an eight to nine kilometre rail bed into an accessible biking and hiking route. “What has evolved,” described Carter, “in partnership with the municipality, Bruce County, various government grants, and many other partnerships and donation, is one of the finest multi-use, fully accessible trail systems in Ontario. We’re very proud,” she added. The current trail spans 25 to 30 kilometres throughout Saugeen Shores.

In addition to trail upgrades, Carter noted the ongoing maintenance of weeding, grooming and re-surfacing, and recognized Bob Hutton, Bob Hunter and Peter Stansfield who volunteered their time to complete these tasks. Thousands of volunteer hours go into keeping the trail clear of weather related debris, trimming overgrowth, as well as litter pickup and grass trimming from residents who live along the trail, said Carter, admitting, “It’s truly a community project."

Carter reported a doubling of their SRA memberships this year. "While this is fantastic progress for the organization, the income generated is not enough to sustain our budget or future projects,” said Carter.

The SRA has several forthcoming projects they are hoping to achieve. Trail extensions from Carlisle Street in Southampton down to Denny’s Dam, and in Port Elgin stretching to and throughout the new Lamont Sport Park were on the list of future endeavours, as were the reconstruction of the Hurricane Hazel site, repainting of the trail head signs in Southampton and Port Elgin, and the initiation of a fundraising drive to support the trail extensions.

Carter also communicated the association's attempts to deter the increased amount of vandalism that had occurred a number of times throughout the year at the Southampton Memorial Garden and the Pavilion at River Street with the installation of lighting and potential security cameras.

In closing, Carter requested an increase in their yearly grant from $15,000 to $20,000 to help cover operational cost increases, while they continue to strive to improve their efficiency.

Vice Deputy Mayor Mike Myatt expressed his appreciation for the dedicated work done by the SRA and his support for the grant increase.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Councillor Kristan Shrider. “This group doesn’t slow down, they get more passionate every year," said Shrider. “For the small increase of $5,000 we should be supporting them, encouraging them to keep going and to keep passionate."

Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau responded to Carter’s note on the reported vandalism and expressed his commitment to repairing the damage. “Folks can vandalize that infrastructure and we’re just going to go out every time and fix it," said Charbonneau.

“Working together between the Rail Trail and the Town I hope we can make sure that all those things that you’ve done, those projects you’ve completed, remain presentable and beautiful,” finished the Mayor.