By Don McCormick
If you happened to be at Avery Beach on the afternoon of Thursday September 10 you would have seen a flurry of activity around the Rotary Pavilion with members of the Rotary Club of Huntsville sweeping, scraping, sanding, and painting the pavilion. This is a first phase of a project by the club to do some renovations and upgrading of Hunters Bay Trail.
Similarly, if you were at Orchard Park or the section of the Hunters Bay Trail that runs parallel to Hwy 11 on September 22 you would have seen many of these same Huntsville Rotarians laying mulch and planting materials. This is phase two of the project.
Adrian Musters is a new member of the club and an honorary member of the Environment Committee. He put the idea of the project forward to the club and they approved it. It was the Rotary Club of Huntsville that built the pavilion 20 years ago as part of the Trans Canada/Hunters Bay Trail project.
“The pavilion is still in great shape,” says Musters, “but it needs a little love in the form of a little paint, some minor repairs, and a cleaning up.”
The rejuvenation of the pavilion is just part of a larger project.
“We have a jewel of a trail here in the form of the Hunters Bay Trail that is really well used by locals and tourists alike and it has taken a beating over the past 20 years,” says Musters. “I talked to the people who were part of the original Hunters Bay project and to several trail users as well and they came up with a whole list of things they’d like to see. More benches, more viewing areas, an upgrading of the walking surface, removal of some of the old rotting structures along the trail, improved signage to and on the trail, and some plantings were among the ideas.”
“The pavilion reno is the launching phase of the project and we hope to complete the project by next year,” explains Musters. “The next phase…will be to add some eye-popping plantings at Orchard Park and at Avery Beach to give the trail some eye-catching colour. Over the winter we are going to solicit some materials, apply for some grants and do some fundraising to build benches and picnic tables and, if we’re successful, we hope to install them sometime in April.”
The Rotary Club pf Huntsville frequently gets excellent support from local businesses in the form of goods, services, and money. In the case of the pavilion reno, for example, Wilson’s The Paint Store and Refined Kitchen and Bath donated all the paint and painting materials.
You could also be a contributor. For example, a bench could be funded with a donation to Rotary. The Rotarians would build the bench over the winter and it would be installed next spring complete with a plaque with the donor’s name on the seat back. To sponsor a trail bench just send your name, address, or email and phone number to [email protected] or call 705-788-2844. You will be contacted with an application form and payment information.
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A huge thank you to our local Rotarians for doing this remedial upgrade to the Hunters Bay trail and Rotary pavilion! This trail is a jewel enjoyed by locals and tourists alike! Thanks again!
We lived next to the trail in Thornbury it runs from Medford to Collingwood. Anyway the surface they used was very easy to walk and bike on ,perhaps ask them what it was.
Congratulations for commencing a highly necessary job. I must aver, however, that to get the “biggest bang for your buck”; before you even picked up a paintbrush, you should have consulted the AAC (Accessibility Advisory Committee).
Although I’m unfamiliar with the Rotary Pavilion, I assume that several of our citizens with disabilities will be unable to enjoy it. Even more importantly, the “eye-popping plantings” are useless unless one can negotiate the atrocious surface. Wheelchair-users, and persons with canes, or having low vision are unable to use the trail as it exists.
I just feel that persons with disabilities (some 15% of our population) should have been prioritized to some extent on a venture of this nature.
Thank you. We enjoy walking on the Hunters Bay Trail. What alovely job you have done. We were there on September 27th and noticed the improvements. We were pleased to see the one remaining plaque for the Snapping Turtles and thought that it would be great if others could be replaced.
Incidentally I think the same for the signs on the Fairy Vista trail. Maybe that could be your next project.
Well done, you are to be commended
Thank you Rotary! The Hunter’s Bay trail is well enjoyed, and these improvements are much appreciated.