TRAIL PLAN AND LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The recreation department in the town has recently approved its master plan for our favourite municipal park, Mateway Park. If you have a chance to look at this document it is available online, see my previous entry for the address.

Below is the text of a letter to the local paper, the Mercury, which summarizes my reaction to the plan and the reality of the way the park is currently being mistreated by motorized vehicles.

The recent release of the development plan for Mateway Park by the town's Recreation Department was a reassuring and welcome document for those of use who routinely use the park on foot. It was further reassuring to see that, after the major facility, the trails are the most used and valued parts of the park. As the leader of Renfrew's recreational walking group, The Kick and Push Pedestrian Society and as a regular dog walker at Mateway, I am pleased at this. I think the Department shows real foresight in looking at ways to further improve the area, especially the ideas of an outdoor cross-fit area and improved accessibility for wheelchair users and less mobile others. This really acknowledges both ends of the ability spectrum, as it does of the importance of recreational walking for a healthy community.

For these plans to work, the Department is going to have to address what I see as a major obstacle for us foot-powered users. This is the night-time use of the trails by various motorized vehicles. In recent months the few yahoos who are unaware of the purpose of these trails have chewed up and damaged trails, making them unsafe for pedestrians. With the most recent snowfall, another group of 4-wheeling truckers have utterly destroyed the trails for walkers, skiers or snow-shoers. I am disappointed that this inappropriate use by a few makes it unusable by so many. Its not as if there aren't kilometres of proper seasonal roads which are open to motorized vehicles.

The signage in and around the park is either absent, illegible or, in places, where the signs are so old, seems to approve motorized vehicles. There are very few obstacles to motorized vehicle travel on the trails. A few open barriers which would not affect pedestrians would go a long way to discouraging vehicles. Hopefully, there is something which would get the message across to motorized vehicles without having to rely on any enforcement or fines. There is not much use to imagining a great park if the property's managers allow uncontrolled misuse that discourages intended users from enjoying the trails.

Yours , on the journey,

Ray

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet

Thich Nhat Hahn