Trailway Management Plan

The Trailway Management Plan is an agreement among the Trailway partners which governs the use and management of the Trailway. The plan is overseen by a management committee which is made up of one representative from each of the following groups: Any changes in the Management must first be reviewed and recommended by the management committee after which the change must also be approved by the boards of ECTA, CVC and GRCA.

Proposed Changes

In the near future the management committee will review two proposed changes in the management plan. The changes are described below along with a rationale for each change. Trailway Association members are encouraged to express their views concerning each proposal and are welcome to attend the meeting of the management committee which will likely be held in late January. The exact time and date will appear on the Association website www.trailway.org . Feedback can be e-mailed through the website or mailed to ECTA at 41 Mathieson St., Elora ON., N0B 1S0.

Snowmobile Use on the Elora Cataract Trailway:

Proposed Change:
The Hillsburgh Snow Roamers Inc. (Snowmobile Club) has applied to ECTA and CVC for permission to extend the grooming and snowmobile use of the Trailway east from Dundas Street to Winston Churchill Blvd.

Rationale:
1. Currently the snowmobile club is required to turn their large tracked trail-grooming machine around at Dundas Street the present limit for snowmobiling.
2. Traffic volumes, the width of the street and the 45-degree angle at which the Trailway crosses Dundas Street presents a safety concern to both the snowmobilers and the public due to time delays in aligning the groomer with the Trailway gate.
3. Currently, some snowmobiles accessing the Trailway from east of Dundas Street are trespassing on the front lawns of three of the residences or are travelling along Dundas Street. This extension would permit the snowmobiles to travel more safely on the Trailway behind the homes.
4. The extension adds two kilometres of groomed trail past the homes to the east providing improved access for walkers, cross-country skiers and horse riders.
5. In comparison to Dundas Street, Winston Churchill Blvd. has less traffic, is a wider roadway and meets the Trailway at a right angle. This increases safety and time in turning the grooming machine around.
6. The Hillsburgh Snow Roamers respect the no-motorized trail policy of the Town of Caledon and will take the appropriate action to sign and restrict access east of Winston Churchill Blvd. into Caledon.

Horseback Riding on the Trailway

Proposed Change:
It is proposed that horseback riding be prohibited on all parts of the Elora Cataract Trailway between March 1 and June 1. During the remainder of the year, horse riders are requested to not ride on the Trailway when the surface is soft and wet.

Rationale:
1. Damage - The trail surface has been seriously damaged by the hoof prints of horses, particularly during and immediately following wet weather. "Pitting" left by hose hooves remains in the stone dust after it dries creating a "washboard" surface.

2. Concerns - Cyclists and wheelchair users have expressed concern that the trail surface causes vibration which makes their use of the Trailway uncomfortable and unsafe. Walkers have also complained about the rough, uneven trail surface. The amount of pitting due to horse hooves has increased as more riders use the trail. Similarly as the numbers of cyclists, wheelchair users and walkers increases more complaints about the roughness of the trail have been received..

3. Costs - Grading, which is the only way to remove the hoof marks, is costly. The Trailway Association, even with generous grants received from local municipalities, is struggling to meet the costs of maintaining the Trailway.

4. Proposal Timing - Given that the Trailway is especially wet during the spring season due to snow melt and precipitation, the proposal is put forward in an attempt to minimize damage to the Trailway due to horse traffic.

Copyright © 2002 The Elora Cataract Trailway Association.