By Mark Squibb
November 24, 2023 Edition
The provincial government’s Department of Environment and Climate Change has given the go ahead for construction of a 4.1-kilometre multi-use trail linking Cape Pond Road to Horse Chops Road.
The Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA) registered the project in October 2022, and government approved the Environmental Protection Plan on November 9 of this year.
The trail, which will be wide enough to accommodate both foot traffic and motorized vehicles, will tie into existing trails in the region.
“This will be fantastic for the region,” said Bay Bulls Mayor Keith O’Driscoll. “It will provide a trail basically right from Bay Bulls to Cappahayden.”
BBBAA chairman Scott Penney said his group has partnered with the Southern Shore Trail Association on the project, and commended the efforts by that group to improve trails in the area.
“We believe that this is a regional project, and that’s what we’re about,” said Penney. “We’re not about one community, we’re about the region.”
Penney said trails attract people to the area, and they bring their wallets with them.
“Some of the trails are better than some of the roads in the province,” Penney joked. “And the volunteers that pulled this off and did fundraisers should be commended. We’re just glad to be a part of it. These are the things that build communities.”
O’Driscoll noted that at this year’s Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador conference, one of the sessions touched on the importance of community trails.
The BBBAA last week also donated $20,000 for the upgrading and maintenance of the trail network.
O’Driscoll said that getting the approval was the biggest hurdle, and now it’s a matter of straightening away the paperwork and getting the work underway.
