Huntsville celebrates Hunters Bay Trail extension and floating boardwalk with ribbon-cutting ceremony

Main photo: Among those celebrating the grand opening of the Hunters Bay Trail extension were trail advocates Steve Alcock (in front, third from left) and Don McCormick (in front, second from right), Mayor Scott Aitchison (in front, third from right), The Great Trail’s VP of Resources Simone Hicken (right), and members of Huntsville Council

It’s one of the most unique parts of Canada’s The Great Trail, formerly the TransCanada Trail, a network of 24,000 kilometres of trails that spans the country, and it’s right here in Huntsville.

An extension to Hunters Bay Trail closed a gap in the national trail network and added another 840 metres of trail for local residents and visitors to explore. It includes a floating boardwalk that passes beneath Highway 11 to connect East Airport Road to Lakeshore Road, and offers hikers a new perspective of Hunters Bay.

The section of trail was completed in the fall and opened for just a few weeks before it had to be closed again to allow for Highway 11 snow plow operations under an annual agreement with the MTO. It is open again and was celebrated by the Town of Huntsville with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 25.

The Great Trail’s Vice President of Resources, Simone Hicken, told Doppler that the new section of trail “has been a gap (in The Great Trail) for probably 20 years. The TransCanada Trail is 25 years old. Even before that I think folks in Huntsville were trying to connect recreational trails all the way back to the ’50s. This was really important for them and important for us.” The section of trail also contributes to Huntsville’s active transportation efforts, providing residents who live on the west side of Highway 11 a safe means to walk or bike to the centre of town.

Hicken added that the most difficult sections of the trail to complete were ones like the one in Huntsville, where it wasn’t just a matter of funding but of seeking the appropriate approvals and permissions. “We had about 150 gaps to close in the last four years and this was one of them and it’s one of the only floating sections of trail in Canada.” A $75-million campaign ensured that all of the gaps in the trail were closed last year for Canada’s sesquicentennial.

The Great Trail has been one of the largest volunteer initiatives in Canada over the last 20 years, said Hicken.

Locally, advocates for the new section of trail worked for more than a decade to gain permissions and funding for the project. Thanks to a boost in funding provided by a legacy initiative following the 2015 Pan Am Games, and some political manoeuvring that brought the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) on board to allow the trail to pass through the Highway 11 corridor, they finally realized their dream in the fall of 2017.

At their helm were Steve Alcock and Don McCormick.

“There wouldn’t be a trail anywhere in Huntsville if it wasn’t for these two,” said Mayor Scott Aitchison. “These two gentlemen here never, ever, ever give up.”

McCormick thanked both the current and previous councils. “We’ve been at this for almost 20 years and we’ve always had terrific support. This latest council showed tremendous perseverance and ingenuity and commitment to make this a reality. I’ve been involved in a lot of community projects and none have given me the satisfaction of this one.”

Alcock added thanks for others involved including the Ontario Government and the TransCanada Trail for their part in funding the trail; the Ontario Trails Council for advocating for the trail; and members of the Huntsville Parks and Trails committee, and the Rotary Club of Huntsville for their support.

Mayor Scott Aitchison thanks those involved in the trail extension project

“We’ve been trying to get this section of Hunters Bay Trail done for a long time,” said Aitchison. “For the longest time, the MTO just said no to us, it was just too dangerous. Finally, there was a change at the regional director level and a guy named Eric Doidge was somebody who kind of got it…for the first time ever we heard the MTO say, ‘I think we can find a way to work together.’ It wasn’t an easy slog but here we are opening this trail.”

Aitchison thanked those who worked on the trail itself: Gus Van Baarsel of Hilltop Signs for the signs, Dave Hiscox who fabricated and installed the timber kiosk at the start of the new section of trail, Pride Docking Systems who built the floating boardwalk, general contractor Fowler Construction, Ted Maurer and Chris Stilwell from Tulloch Engineering, and the Town’s Manager of Parks and Cemeteries, Colleen MacDonald and her team.

He also thanked the District of Muskoka and Chair John Klinck for their support. “We were also the very first municipality to pry some money out of the active transportation fund.”

Klinck said that everyone involved in the project should be “exceptionally proud.”

An aerial view of the Hunters Bay Trail floating boardwalk in the fall of 2017. It was built and installed by Pride Docking Systems from Gravenhurst. Construction took more than four months to complete. (Photo supplied by Pride Docking Systems.)

Related stories:

Early advocate happy to see Hunters Bay Trail extension nearing completion

Hunters Bay Trail expansion will cost an estimated $757,000

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