Township needs grant to complete trails plan
By Liz Dadson

Huron-Kinloss Council

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Huron-Kinloss has applied for a Healthy Communities Fund grant to complete its plan to link the walking and biking trails through Ripley, Lucknow, Point Clark and the lakeshore.

That was part of the discussion at the township's facilities and recreation department stakeholder meeting Thursday night in the municipal office.

Public attendance was slim which could mean people just couldn't make it to the meeting or residents are happy with the way recreation is being operated in the township, said facilities and recreation director Mike Fair. As for trails, he said that the township has received a $20,000 grant to put together a plan for connecting the trails throughout the municipality, including a financial plan. However, the actual cost will be closer to $30,000, he said. The township has budgeted $5,000 for a master trails plan, so an application has been submitted to Healthy Communities to make up the remaining $5,000.

"If we get the funding, we'll have to put Healthy Community Lifestyle messages on our trail marker signs," said Fair.

In other recreation business ...

*Fair said there is concern about a lack of swing sets in Lucknow. "When I actually looked at it, we have only four swings in all of Lucknow," he said, noting that gap will be considered during future purchases of playground equipment.

*Deputy mayor Wilfred Gamble said he was hoping for the donation of a handicapped-accessible swing for the Blue Park in Point Clark. However, Fair said the cost for a fancy saucer-hammock-type swing for use by handicapped children, is about $12,000. The accessible swing in Lewis Park in Ripley cost about $1,000, he said.

*Don Thorpe of the Point Clark Beach Association said he is glad to see action at Blue Park and suggested a rope be put up between the edge of the park and the parking access so children don't run into the parking area. Fair will look into it.

*Fair said the township has several beach information kiosks which it purchased from the International Plowing Match committee after the event was held in Teeswater. The four-foot-by-three-foot kiosks will be installed at several focal points along the lakeshore and feature signs on both sides, educating people about the sand dunes, beach management, beach closure notices, and will include some mapping as well.

*The number of visitors at the Point Clark Lighthouse is down, said Fair, due to a lot of reasons, including poor weather, fewer tourists travelling from the United States, and the damage to the exterior of the lighthouse which caused the structure to be fenced off and canopies installed at the entrance to the lighthouse and the adjacent shed.

*Fair said the township's eradication of the invasive common reed, Phragmites Australis, has been stymied by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He said the reeds have been cut all along the area south of the lighthouse, and a tractor and side mower will be used to do the open areas on Lurgan Beach and Boiler Beach. "We hand-cut the small areas at Boiler Bach and the rocky sections," he said.

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24/07/2009 10:03 PM

Last year, the township used an herbicide and a technique called "wicking" to destroy about 90 per cent of the plant in some of the larger areas. Now, Mark Shoreman of the ministry, has said that is not allowed because of new provincial regulations against pesticides and herbicides.

"We're going to invite Mr. Shoreman to come here and see the Phragmites in full bloom and see how invasive it is," said Fair. "We've given him volumes of information to read. Without the use of this application (of herbicide), it will set us back years in eradicating this invasive species."

He added that research shows if the township applies an herbicide twice a year, it can totally destroy the reeds. "The high lake level this year has helped," he said. "The wave action and high water help to drown it."

*The facilities and recreation department operates and maintains the following:

In Whitechurch - Whitechurch Park;
In Lucknow - Victoria Park, waterworks, outside Kinsmen Ball Park, Lucknow Town Hall and Library;

In Ripley - Lewis Park, Dorrie Soccer Field, Park Street soccer fields (4), Ripley Ball Diamond, Ripley Library, Ripley-Huron Community Centre;

Along the lakeshore - Olivet, Monument on the sixth, Pine River Ball Park and area, Amberley Park, Attawandaron, Point Clark Lighthouse, Lighthouse Park, Point Clark Community Centre, Blue Park, Point Clark Ball park and area, Lions Park, Langdon Park, Pearl Elizabeth, Heritage, KinBruce Ball Park and area, Huronville Park;

Pumphouse grass - Tuscorora pumphouse, 10th pumphouse, water tower;
Trails - Blair's Grove nature trail, Deer Run nature trail, Tuscorora nature trail, Attawandaron nature trail, Huronville trail, Ripley trail, Lucknow Community Greenway project;

Pavilions - Waterworks Park in Lucknow, Lewis Park in Ripley, Point Clark Ball Park, Lions Park, Lighthouse Park;

Permanent seasonal public washrooms - Lions Park, Lighthouse Park, Lewis Park;

Mobile seasonal public washrooms - Boiler Beach at lakeshore, 12th at lakeshore, 8th at lakeshore, 6th at lakeshore, Amberley Beach, KinBruce Ball Park, Point Clark Ball Park, Pine River Ball Park, Ripley Ball Park, Park Street Soccer Field, Dorrie Soccer Field, Victoria Park in Lucknow.

Besides maintaining structures and properties, the department (with the help of volunteers) operates recreation programming, including hockey, ringette, playground, baseball, soccer, ball hockey, shuffleboard, fitness and babysitting/first-aid classes.