Nature walks and cycling swaths

Putting the 'Trails Master Plan' on the map

By Mark Schadenberg

I enjoy riding laps on my mountain bike through trails and walks through nature, but at the same time I’m not the biggest fan of all the overlap we have in Oxford County government.

Woodstock 

Currently, the City of Woodstock is tweaking a Cycling Master Plan, which deals with trails, bike lanes on busy streets, cut-through paths from one street to another, and generally bicycles as both a mode of transportation and for general fitness.

At the March 3 (1-4) Rec & Leisure Show at Cowan Park, the City will be utilizing the event to receive additional public input on this study or possible game plan for the future.

Oxford County

However, at the same time Oxford County council is look at its developing Trails Master Plan. The county’s horseshoe is discussing the matter on tomorrow’s agenda.

The idea here is similar, but significantly different as the crystal-ball gazing includes linking all the existing trails (for walking and/or cycling nature buffs) and creating additional paths to connect communities. It’s been well publicized that a trail is under construction currently which begins in Beachville and is gradually weaving its way to Woodstock to join the system here -- near where Dundas Street becomes Highway 2 at Ingersoll Road. It’s a terrific idea.

As chair of the Woodstock Recreation Advisory committee, this is an opportunity to remind folks about these studies. But, and here’s the but, keep in mind that all trails created must be maintained and it’s more than just cutting the grass and taking a scythe to overgrown low branches, it’s repairs during flooding, building and later re-building culverts and bridges, it’s distributing truck loads of mulch and gravel.    

I’m not saying stop the advancement of formal organized trails, I’m saying that maybe some of these areas can be simply make-shift trampled unorganized swaths. Keep in mind, once they are placed on a map they will be requiring upkeep.

I would be the absolutely last person to agree with the Joni Mitchell song about relocating trees in a ‘tree museum’, but we also only have one taxpayer and already have dozens of kilometres of trails in and around Woodstock, including the marvelous tract maintained by the Woodstock Cycling Club and called The Pines (Just east of Woodstock on Township Road 4 in Blandford-Blenheim Twp).

A topic for another day, but it is important here, is that re-planting in the Lions Club / Standard Tube / Youth Start trails will cost a bundle of paper money due to the emerald ash borer.

Heather Rivers from The Sentinel-Review offers this story, which I am linking to because I do believe the online ads and presentation of the paper is important revenue to the Sentinel.

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http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2013/02/25/oxford-trails-master-plan-will-create-walkable-network

Mark Schadenberg

Sales Representative

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Call anytime: (519) 537-1553

I care about the community; and care more about offering proper advice to clients