The restoration of the Upper Canada Heritage Trail continues to gain ground, with the team about halfway to finishing the entire trail, and a $50,000 boost, courtesy of the Goettler family’s foundation.
The Goettler Family Foundation presented a $50,000 donation to the heritage trail committee on Wednesday to support the latest phase of the restoration project, completing a new, one-kilometre section of trail along Concession 1, from Line 3 to Line 4.
The cheque presentation and ceremony took place at the Line 3 trailhead, where the completed portion ends and a dirt path, soon to be upgraded, begins.
A loader rumbled along the unfinished stretch as Tony Chisholm, vice-chair of the heritage trail committee, said the section, going up to Line 4, should be completed by September.
Chisholm also said they are about halfway to finishing the entire trail.
“The progress is great,” said Chisholm.
Restoration of the trail began in 2017 along the former Erie and Ontario railway line, which operated from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. The committee aims to transform the overgrown route into a gravel trail.
The work is divided into four phases: right now, crews are busy with phase three, which started in mid-June, going from Line 3 up to, eventually, Line 8.
The first phase, from John Street to East/West Line, was completed last year. The second, from East/West Line to Line 3, finished in May.
The Goettler Family Foundation, operated by Lauren and Vaughan Goettler, made the donation to help preserve the historical character of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The couple built their fortune in the HVAC industry.
“It’s part of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s history,” said Lauren Goettler, who attended the ceremony on July 9 with her husband. “Any of our heritage we can we need to save, and walking trails are very important.”
She said the organization may do more work with the trail.
Also present at the event were Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, Couns. Gary Burroughs and Wendy Cheropita, and several other town staff.
Chisholm said the total cost for the Line 3 to Line 4 section is still unknown. He added that the full extension to Line 8 could take “a few years” to complete.
Donations to support the trail restoration can be made at heritagetrail.ca.
daniel@niagaranow.com
