THUNDER BAY – The Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team organized a trail cleanup at the Marina on Saturday.
The team operates as a part of the Port Arthur Rotary Club. They work together to advocate, promote and support the multi-use trail along Lake Superior’s shore and beyond.
Starting at 10 a.m. at the waterfront, participants were grouped and assigned an area where they would tidy up along the trails, until 12 p.m.
“The Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team has been the epitome of bringing groups together,” said Warren Philp, team lead.
“We have about 10 different organizations that have representation on our trail committee,” Philp said.
The team received approximately 50 letters of support from organizations interested in the environment, history, culture, recreation, and of course, trail expansion.
“It is a broad community effort here. Specifically, today is a hands-on effort to be part of the beautifying of the waterfront.
“City park staff are typically responsible for the cleanup,” Philp said.
“But there are sections of the waterfront and sections of the trails in Thunder Bay that aren’t necessarily looked after by the park staff.”
The team considers themselves as concerned citizens, advocating for trail usage and keeping those trails clean and in good shape, he said.
“There is a currently a potential plan to connect Prince Arthur's Landing with Fisherman’s Park,” Philp said.
“This would connect Boulevard Lake, Centennial Park, the Cascades Conservation Area, and Trowbridge Falls.”
It is a tremendous linkage that will cost $9 million, he said.
“It’s a trail that would connect Current River all the way to Westfort.”
In addition to the cleanup, the team held a trails information fair.
Participating in the event were Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, EcoSuperior, Special Olympics Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario Recreational Trails Association, Casque Isles Hiking Trail Group, Lake Superior Remedial Action Plan, Thunder Bay Hiking Association, and Friends of Grain Elevators.
Visitors learned about the benefit of trails, future trail plans, where to access trails and how to care for Lake Superior.
