NEWS RELEASE
COUNCILLOR JONATHAN SCOTT
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Today Councillor Jonathan Scott and staff toured the future home of the Holland River and Canals Trail System by barge for a site inspection following the first preliminary meeting of the joint Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury/Town of East Gwillimbury and Ministry of Transportation project team.
“I was thrilled to join Minister Caroline Mulroney earlier this summer to announce that the provincial government will help us deliver a world-class network of trails along the Holland River and
Canals,” said Scott. “Now that our project team had their first meeting and we’ve begun preliminary site inspections, we are really beginning to see progress on this vision. Opening up our riverfront for recreation so generations can enjoy the natural environment is something I’ve long advocated for.
“This project, which has the potential to be the largest conservation project in Bradford’s history, should see shoreline restoration, tree planting, multiuse trails, and other amenities for residents and tourists to enjoy, as well as diverting these activities away from farm operations. It also ties into our other environmental protection efforts, including pushing for the Holland Marsh phosphorous recycling facility. The trails project will improve the east end of Bradford and can tie into our downtown revitalization and the old community centre. It truly has the potential to be a game changer for the east end of Bradford,” said Councillor Scott.
The project is based on existing trails master plans for both municipalities that have been in the works for over a decade. The full River trail on both branches and along the Canals would cost as much as $40 million as an estimate, depending on what materials are used and full scope of work.
As Minister Mulroney said at the first announcement in late July, “There’s great opportunities to develop more active transportation and our trail system. We have the opportunity to unlock so much of our natural world right here and not only revitalize parts of our existing trails system but actually create a whole new one too.”
"During COVID-19, we all saw how much our trails were used. These trails are going to let people enjoy the great outdoors, and anything that gets our residents out into nature is great for their health and well-being as well,” said East Gwillimbury Councillor Loralea Carruthers. “We’ve been trying to open up more and more trail systems and this is a fantastic opportunity to expand our trail network. This project opens more outdoor space for residents to enjoy. This is a fantastic conservation project that will do so much good for our community and environment.”
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