The dream of a complete waterfront trail around Mitchell’s Bay grew a step closer to reality Saturday with the opening of the North Lakeshore trail.
The one kilometre trail just north of the hamlet joins the South Lakeshore and Memorial trails completed, leaving only a section through the marine park to complete what will be about a five kilometre walk through wetlands.
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Jeff Bray, manager of Chatham-Kent’s parks, cemeteries and horticulture department, said he expects that link to be finished next year.
Bray lauded the Allen and Cadotte families for their generosity in allowing the trails to be constructed on their land.
“It takes partnerships such as this to make things work,” he said. “The commitment by landowners, the Chatham-Kent Trail Committee and others makes all the difference.”
Lindsay Buchanan of Ontario Native Scape said the property was reclaimed from the invasive species phragmites through a process that involved a prescribed burn, application of chemical and re-planting with prairie tall grass. Some of the phragmites was more than 15 feet high.
The granular trail is slightly less than eight feet wide and has virtually no slope so it is easily navigated. It starts at the corner of Winter Line Road and W. Lewis Line.
A complete list of trails can be found here.
