Rick Johnson (MPP) and Al MacPherson (President KTCTA) annouce (August 30/11) the lease extension of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail unitl 2018. As stated by Rick Johnson plans are to have this extended until 2025.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Rick Johnson visited the Frost Campus on Aug. 30 to celebrate the extension of an agreement the province has with the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association (KTCTA).

The KTCTA, a non-profit organization, has reached an agreement with the province to extend its current agreement by five years, until 2018, continuing to maintain and improve the trail in the Kawartha Lakes area.

The trail runs through the campus and the KTCTA has a close working relationship with Fleming College to ensure the campus portion is maintained and safe for all users. On the campus portion of the trail, users can view a regional map of the trail as well as signage that details local plants and wildlife, and a donor wall. The campus has also extended its lease agreement with KTCTA.

The strengthened partnership between Ontario and the KTCTA will ensure that this once-abandoned railway corridor will continue to offer Ontario families a healthy all year round experience.

“This extension will allow our Association to maintain its momentum and focus on updating, developing and managing a critical link for the Trans Canada Trail system,” said Allen MacPherson, president of the KTCTA.

“The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association will continue to develop and maintain a key green space that is enjoyed by the community while promoting tourism and economic development in the City of Kawartha Lakes,” said MPP Johnson, who is also Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure Bob Chiarelli.

Quick Facts

• The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association was established in 2006 as a charitable, community organization and has invested more than $1 million in upgrades to the trail, through the participation of about 120 volunteers.

• Since 2006, the number of trail users has increased from a few dozen to an estimated 2,000 per year, which benefits the community and the local economy.

• The trail is used by local schools for both physical activity and outdoor education such as biology or geography field trips.

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Another photo of volunteers repairing damage to trail.

On Thursday August 11, volunteers came together to repair a section of trail washed out by the heavy rains from two weeks ago. Aside from KTCTA volunteers, there were Reaboro, Unity Church and Fleming College managing partners involved and the Boy Scouts from Reaboro. Many hands had the job done in two hours.

In late July 2011 on Vancouver Island during a family visit we attended the reopening of Kinsol Bridge. As the photo indicates it is beautiful, situated in the miiddle of nowwhere- connects the Trans Canada Trail from Victoria to Naminao and beyond. Cost $7.5 million dollars and we are trying to find $3000 to redeck the Pigeon River Bridge.