Open House to discuss the growing Millennium Trail
The public will have a chance to weigh in on the next section of the Millennium Recreational Trail during an open house Wednesday.
The municipality has moved forward with the design phase for section five from Royal Manor Drive/Dorchester Road to Morrison Street/Portage Road.
The open house, scheduled for the MacBain Community Centre between 6-8 p.m., will highlight the design and implementation of three aspects of the project.
Those include within the existing Ontario Power Generation corridor and connection to section four, called Paisley JanvaryPool Pathway and section six, called Canada 150 Pathway.
Nick Golia, a project manager with the city, said the open house will also feature a high-level explanation of other projects going on along the trail system by other agencies, such as OPG replacing fencing along portions of the corridor.
A consulting firm, CIMA+, was hired by the city to undertake the detailed design, landscaping and plantings.
Wednesday’s session with stakeholders will start out with a presentation followed by an informal drop-in format to discuss the proposed design and anticipated construction timelines.
Comments and information will be collected to help city officials finalize the design and implementation of the proposed section.
During a recent meeting, councillors approved submitting an application to Niagara Region’s Waterfront Investment Program to help fund section five.
Successful applicants see the Region match the cash contribution of the local municipality to a maximum of $1 million.
Section five of the trail is estimated to cost $2.3 million.
“We did make that application,” said Golia.
“I don’t anticipate hearing (the results) until later in May.”
Golia said council approved hiring a consultant through its 2017 budget, and construction of section five was approved in the 2018 budget.
City officials have said the section is about two kilometres and may include a cycle track over top of the Dorchester Road structure.
The trail was first established with the construction of a 2.1kilometre section between Oakwood Drive/McLeod Road and Lundy's Lane in 2001, now called the John McCall MacBain Pathway. The trail utilizes the OPG hydro canal corridor, which runs north-south through the city.