Initially published in the Alliston Herald on October 24, 2008
The Trans Canada Trail is a system of trails that wind its way through every province and territory of Canada. At present, the trail is approximately 70 per cent complete.
When it is finished it will consist of more than 21,500 kilometres (earning it the title as the world's longest recreational trail) and will link hundreds of Canadian communities from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans.
New Tecumseth presently represents a "gap" in the trail system. In an effort to remedy this situation there is presently a local effort underway to ensure that New Tecumseth is part of the Trans Canada Trail, with links to the existing system to the north and south.
The project is supported by a diverse group of interests including cyclists, hikers, all terrain vehicle (ATV) users, snowmobile organizations and horseback riders.
Although details as to the exact path of a trail through New Tecumseth are scant, there is a belief that the most logical route is along the existing town owned rail lines.
Earlier this week I attended a public information session sponsored by the town. At this session Mayor Mike MacEachern expressed a desire to both connect to the Trans Canada Trail system and link together existing trails presently scattered in a haphazard pattern throughout our community.
Although the public meeting was not particularly well attended (there were approximately 65 people present), I was surprised by the absence of any significant vocal opposition.
The issue certainly does have the potential to become bitter. Some remarks by trail supporters at the session ("anyone who has a problem needs to get educated" and "we're in the dark ages here") hint at what lingers just beneath the surface and might conceivably become a nasty debate.
Similar efforts to develop the trail system were undertaken in 2000. On that occasion, however, the plans were shelved in response to a rather heated debate and vocal NIMBY ("not in my back yard") opposition by landowners with property adjacent to the proposed trail system.
Some of the objections at that time included suggestions that users might vandalize adjacent properties and/or harm crops.
Although I have yet to hear this position articulated in response to the recent effort, such arguments ignore the reality that the most significant users of the proposed trail system are represented by groups, that have proven to be responsible users of public land. The trails are not going to attract roving gangs of bandits and lunatics who terrorize our children and destroy our farms!
The trail system already consists of more than 14,000 kilometres of developed trail throughout Canada. Notwithstanding this fact, reports of problems or vandalism to property adjacent to the system are few and far between.
While the various groups that support the trail system are presently on the same page, there is certainly the potential for these groups to point their rifles inward as the plan comes closer to fruition. After all, it seems clear that hikers and snowmobile users or ATV users and horseback riders do not mix particularly well in shared space.
The development of the trail system is fully supported by Mayor MacEachern. In fact, MacEachern appears to possess the same zeal and passion for this project as he did with the acquisition of the Banting Homestead.
At this juncture the plan also appears to have the support of a majority of council. There are, however, one or two members of council who have acquired a reputation of imitating a turtle and hiding in their shell (or, alternatively, sticking their head in the sand in the same manner as an ostrich) in the face of vocal opposition. It remains to be seen whether such councillors will "turtle" when the inevitable opposition occurs.
