New Tecumseth moving forward with Trans Canada Trail
By Brad Pritchard Alliston Herald
NEW TECUMSETH – New Tecumseth’s trail troubles are far from over, but the town has committed to moving forward with the Trans Canada Trail.
After much debate Monday, council voted in favour of starting the second phase of the project along the abandoned rail corridor that spans across New Tecumseth.
The decision follows most of the recommendations outlined by the consultant handling the project.
Work on the trail will move ahead as planned between the 9th and 10th Lines, but work between the 10th Sideroad and 20th Sideroad will be deferred until a potential realignment agreement is reached with the owner of a bison farm located along the 13th Line.
Council also agreed to set aside up to $10,000 in this year’s budget to pay for the mitigation costs that may be required to satisfy the landowners who have outstanding concerns regarding setback distances, trespassing, trail crossing rights and food security.
Beeton Coun. Richard Norcross said the town shouldn’t slam the brakes on the project even if all the details with the landowners haven’t been sorted out yet.
“We’re not saying we’re going to put that through or build it now, but let’s keep the trail rolling, let’s keep building it, and keep working on it,” he said.
However, some councillors are concerned that the total cost of the trail remains unknown.
“The trail is going to go ahead, I’m supportive of that,” noted Coun. J.J. Paul Whiteside. “But I want to make sure that these mitigation measures are negotiated in a timely matter and reported back to this council.”
The town still needs to decide how the trail will be built along the W.D. Potato property north of Beeton.
The landowner is against the trail due to food security concerns and the town is looking at three alignment options on how to proceed with the project at the property.
Before making the decision, council heard from Jim Paterson, the Pan Am Legacy Trails coordinator for Southern Ontario, who urged the town to continue with the project.
He said over 2,000 kilometres of trail has been built in Southern Ontario, most of which on abandoned rail corridor in rural areas.
“The Trans Canada Trail, once complete, will be a national trail system which will connect over 1,000 communities across Canada,” he said. “Being part of the TCT provides a great recreational resource for the citizens of the town. It will promote active healthy living, in addition, the completed trail in the town will complement the existing tourism opportunities you currently have.”
Paterson said many of the concerns that the landowners have raised were resolved in other municipalities, whether through signage, fencing, or controlled crossing measures.
The town has spent about $564,000 on the trail project since it began in 2012.
The breakdown includes $414,000 in Trans Canada Trail grants, $60,000 from Simcoe County, and the remainder is from development charges and reserves.
Council to decide future of Trans Canada Trail in New Tecumseth
By Brad Pritchard Alliston Herald January 15 2015
NEW TECUMSETH – Council will have to make a crucial decision in the coming weeks to determine whether or not the town will continue with plans to build the Trans Canada Trail route along the abandoned rail corridor in New Tecumseth.
At Tuesday’s budget meeting, council was given options on how to proceed with the next stage of the project.
The current recommendation is to move ahead with phase 2a, which would see the trail created between the 9th and 10th lines and between the 10th and 20th sideroads, but council has yet to make a decision.
During Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, however, Coun. Donna Jebb tabled a motion to suspend all work on the trail until all matters relating to the next phase of the trail are resolved and another report is brought to council.
“I think we should be looking at the whole thing and getting a plan in place for the whole trail, not just piecemeal it,” she said.
New Tecumseth has long been a missing link in the Trans Canada Trail. The local section is being designed to connect with existing trails in Innisfil and Caledon. The town owns 26 kilometres of abandoned rail line that will be at least part of the trail route.
Since completing the first phase of the project about a year ago, the town has been negotiating with abutting landowners on legal issues and other details such as setback requirements.
Jebb isn’t pleased with how the process has unfolded. She noted how some residents called the experience dealing with the town’s consultant more “confrontational than consultative” when discussing the details of the plan.
“I think it was the intent of council to have an agreement, not an acknowledgement (from the landowners),” she said.
Landowner Bob Reynolds spoke to council about some of the confusion caused by the letter he received last month regarding the liability issues of the trail.
He said he was against the plan when it originally surfaced in 2000. Since he felt the trail was going to happen regardless, he decided to work with the town to make sure it was “done right.”
But now he’s changed his mind.
“I do not want to see the trail go through, because this is just getting to be ridiculous the way it is going, so I would like to see something get either done or have it put on ice.”
Ross Reynolds is worried about trail crossing rights, along with food security. He’s also concerned about people tampering with the crops grown on his land, which he rents to potato farmers.
“I’m going to have to quit that because of these issues,” he said.
Since 2012, the town has spent roughly $565,000 on the project. Most of the funding is from the Trans Canada Trail grant and Simcoe County grants.
If the town decides to scrap the trail, it’s not clear how much of the money will have to be paid back.
The town also has to sort out the minimum distance setback rules for the trail from agricultural structures, which under the town’s current bylaw is 1,000 metres.
The town’s solicitor said this likely wouldn’t be an issue since the town’s setback rules apply to development, not the recreational use of a trail.
However, he recommended tweaking the bylaw to ensure farmers don’t get prosecuted if they decide to expand their operations.
The consultant handling the project hopes to finish all negotiations with the landowners, which includes the trail realignment near the W.D. Potato lands north of Beeton, by the end of the month.
After that another report will be presented to council on how to proceed next.
If council approves the next stage of the trail, it’s anticipated construction could begin in early May and be completed by the end of the year.
Let’s move on with this project. Concerns registered locally by the farmers are old news in other jurisdictions, which resolved their issues, built their “rail” trail and are now getting on with other things. The trail is important to many taxpayers in New Tec and they must be listened to as well! We need recreation for all and the TCT provides this at a cost which is supported through the County, Provincially and Federally.
Ross Reynolds should go for a bike ride on this trail. He will see this trail goes through multiple famers fields with zero issues. We have used sections of the trail from hwy 9 to Airport rd and from Beeton to Thornton and have never seen anyone go into back yards or farmers fields. If someone is going to trespass they will do it regardless of a trail or not. Council needs to stop leaving Beeton in the dust. Build the trail