Amherstburg’s active transportation network will get a big boost next year with the construction of the Big Creek Trail at the Libro Centre.
The Town recently received word that we secured $263,621 in provincial and federal funding for the transformational trail project, but we also learned that was insufficient to cover the costs for a compacted, granular accessible trail, let alone the lookouts and boardwalks envisioned in the concept plan.
The total cost of an accessible 2-km trail with benches spaced out every 200 metres is estimated at $424,000, so Council voted Tuesday night to invest an additional $160,379 in the 2022 Budget to ensure we didn’t lose out on the provincial and federal funding or on the opportunity to create a signature recreational attraction at the Libro. The lookouts and boardwalks could potentially be constructed in future phases.
The Big Creek Trail project will expand and improve upon the budding trail network that already exists on the sprawling Libro property, promoting physical and mental wellness for Amherstburg residents of all ages. I cycled up the grass hill overlooking the ball diamonds and football field on Monday and was blown away, yet again, by the view and the possibilities.
This trail will open up for Amherstburg residents a huge swath of land they currently aren’t using and it will connect to other key arteries in the Town’s active transportation network, like the paved shoulders on County Road 18 or the pathway on Meloche Road linking to the paved shoulders on Alma Street that connect to the pathway on Thomas Road leading to the Greenway and the pathway on Texas Road
Cyclists, or ambitious walkers, can also take a quick jaunt down Creek Road and link up with the freshly paved shoulders on County Road 20 that link to new paved shoulders on County Road 50 to Holiday Beach.
