An eight km section of trails in west Bracebridge is headed for a facelift.
During yesterday’s general committee meeting, councillors agreed to enhancements to the Covered Bridge/South Monck Trail in the development of future municipal budgets.
The Town, in partnership with Muskoka Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA), are proposing improvements to a section of the South Monck/Covered Bridge Trail behind the Meadow Heights subdivision.
The plans include designing and constructing a new trail with six Green (easy) trails and four Blue (moderate) trails over the next five years in conjunction with MORCA. The plan also includes restoring the existing trails, completing informal routes and installing wayfinding signage.
Coun. Andrew Struthers said any new active transportation projects were a great intuitive. He questioned whether the entire system would be used for mountain biking. He was told by Scott Clayton, Bracebridge’s Manager of Operations, that it would be a multi-use trail system to facilitate not just biking but hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and the general enjoyment of nature. He said part of the project will be to create signage to that effect.
Coun. Debbie Vernon said some members of the public are concerned that the trail improvements could result in the loss of trees or other damage to the environment.
Clayton said any impact on the environment would be minor and anything more significant would require all of the proper permits and approvals.
In addition to the funding regularly set aside for maintenance of the trails, the 2024 Municipal Budget and Business Plan has allocations for trail developments and connections ($15,000) and active transportation initiatives ($30,000), which are available to support the types of enhancements approved.
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