Currently there is a bit of…

Currently there is a bit of a "cycling void" that occupies the central area around the midpoint of the route that is traversed by a corridor that I have dubbed "The Rail Crossing" from Goderich to Midland. Managed well and with a effort from communities straddling and around this corridor, this route could be turned into a vibrant and local economy enhancing cycling tourism attraction akin to the "Great Allegheny Passage". As a business owner located on the Elora Cataract Trailway, it is is energizing to know that such a great opportunity exists. Having discussed the idea with numerous other business owners and municipal/county stakeholders, I can confidently say that there is will to make it happen and this draft plan is encouraging as a way to help make it a reality.

Below are a few comments about priorities that need to be addressed in order to facilitate bringing this kind of tourism product to market.

1. While the route is in principle mostly complete, there are a few vital links needed to make contiguous journeys possible. Day trip tourism is beneficial, however, multi-day stays always bring more dollars to the community. Since these additions would require minimal investment, it makes sense to prioritize these as “quick hits” with greater return on investment now and in the future.

2. Some sections of the route are in need of repair and maintenance. Specifically, once you get about 20km outside of Goderich on the "Guelph to Goderich" rail trail, it gets pretty wild. While it does also bring a very natural beauty to the trail, it also limits the number of users that would want to cycle the section. The trail is inconsistent like this for about 80km. The suggestion here would be to audit the stretch and do all that can be done to improve the trail in an effort to open it up to as many users as possible.

3. Create a funding mechanism to help communities add better signage where the trail crosses paved surfaces. Also, making on-road connections clearly marked as such with signs and road markings will be beneficial to creating a safer environment for all users. This could be similar to "dollar matching" programs already in place through tourism organizations and other levels of government would help make decisions about investing much easier. Overall, this will limit risk and liability for all communities along the route.

The over-riding sentiment I am hoping to get across is that we (Town of Erin) as a community value the time, effort and dollars MOT is putting into improving cycling infrastructure. Our roads need a lot of work to become cycling "friendly" and this is one of the biggest reasons to focus on improving our existing "non-road" assets. The Elora Cataract Trailway (Erin/Hillsburgh in particular) is almost dead centre of "The Rail Crossing" and will make for a great tourist stopover point for adventuresome tourists cycling from one end to the other.

Our community is actively working on developing tourism in the area through Economic Development Officer and various other committees of council. One such committee is starting discussions with other communities to work together in an effort to deepen our collective tourism experience. Personally, I am working with other business owners in a similar effort that will dovetail with these discussions. All this to say that where there is a will, there is a way and there are numerous wills coming together that would help push this effort forward.

Please feel free to reach out at your earliest convenience to discuss these ideas and how we could work together to make them happen sooner rather than later.

Best regards,

Trevor Crystal

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