Partnership agreement proposed to improve Millennium Trail

UPDATE: Approved and will be moving forward on grant application.

Council will receive a report on the Millennium Trail Project requesting it become a “project of community interest” to allow the County to issue charitable receipts for donations.

A fundraising goal of $80,000 has been set for the association to put toward the Millennium Trail.

The trail system serves as a County wide recreational facility for local residents, visitors and to provide access for farm vehicles by adjacent land owners. The trail corridor is 15 meters in width and 49 kilometers in length and a total land area of 73.5 hectares. The trail starts in Carrying Place and winds through the County to Picton with various vistas and natural landscapes.

In her report, Wendy Lane, grants, contracts and special projects co-ordinator, says the Prince Edward County Trails Association has indicated willingness to fundraise but the project needs to be deemed one of community interest in order to issue donation receipts.

She also recommends that should the County be unsuccessful with grant applications for the rehabilitation of the trail, funds collected would be used toward urban areas between Wellington and Picton as well as eco-friendly solutions for designated wetlands near Hillier.

At the July 16, 2015 Committee of the Whole meeting, council received a deputation by Barry Davidson and Justin Jones regarding an update to work on the trail completed by the Rotary Club of Wellington and the potential of the County to apply for funding to resurface the remainder of the trail through the Ontario Cycling Infrastructure Fund.

The County did apply to the fund in 2015 but was unsuccessful.

“Having a partnership agreement for fundraising would be beneficial to the success of any future applications,” said Lane.

“The Rotary Club has made a significant contribution to upgrading the Millennium Trail from Danforth Road to Hwy 33 east of Wellington making it a usable surface for many trail users including cyclists, hikers, wheelchairs and people with strollers,” said Lane in her report. “Since Mr. Davidson’s deputation in July the work at West Street in Wellington to create a launching area and kiosk for the trail has been finished and the Rotary Club of Wellington project completed.”

Lane notes Davidson worked to get the Trails Association in place and to solicit interest in resurfacing the balance of the trail, adding the County has been watching for funding opportunities from other levels of government.

“A current opportunity for funding is the Ontario 150 Community Capital Program,” said Lane. “With a partnership with the Prince Edward County Trails Association; input from the Quinte Conservation Authority, the Ontario Trails Association and the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, County staff are hopeful there will be provincial funds available.”

Total project costs are estimated at $450,000 to complete the balance of the trail with 50 per cent to be requested from the province.

Should the application be successful, the County would be required to contribute through the capital budgets for 2017 and 2018. Estimated impact for each budget year would be $70,000 with $80,000 from fundraising and an additional $5,000 from another environmental grant application.