Sault Ste. Marie HUB Trail

From Jim Miller, submitted Aug 3/07

The Sault Naturalists have played an instrumental role in the realization of the HUB Trail with the completion of the biological inventory of a portion of the trail that passes through the Fort Creek Conservation Area. This inventory was spear headed by Don and Marjorie Hall. The quality of this document is a testimony to the professionalism and expertise of members of the Sault Naturalists.

Tony Walker represents the Sault Naturalists on the Sault Trails Advocacy Committee (STAC). This is a citizens group with a vision to play a lead role in creating a habitable community that fosters human powered activities for transportation and recreation, that respects the need to lessen our foot print on the environment and promotes a healthy life style for our citizens.

In our community, STAC is a voice in the wilderness. STAC’s vision contradicts historic trends in our community that promotes an overwhelming reliance on motorized vehicles which leave a massive foot print on our environment and results often in a tragic decline in the health of our community members particularly our children. At a municipal level, we do not have a champion that advocates our vision. What a tragedy!

As citizens and particularly as naturalists, we need to demand that our municipal representatives address these significant issues. One of ways that change will occur is through the pressure that we as citizens put on politicians. The other way is through changes to our personal behaviour. Like never before, survival rests in our hands.

Next steps for the HUB Trail:

- The path on the east side of Carmen’s Way is in place. There are some safety issues to consider which will be addressed in the future.

- The cycling master plan is being updated with the intention of making cycling safer and more convenient in our community. A draft plan will be presented to council in late August.

- The Provincial Government has provided $450,000 to implement the HUB trail. The

City is committed to providing $100,000 annually for this infrastructure.

- STAC and city staff are working closely with a consultant; Marshall, Macklin, Monaghan to plan the trail in our community using the most current concepts and ideas from other communities. This is very exciting and rewarding.

- Engineering projects are increasingly addressing non motorized needs and opportunities in our community.

Hub Trail Update

A landowner will not give permission at this time for the HUB trail to go through his property on Third Line, so a re-route that does not go through Fort Creek is being proposed. This re-route would go up the hill to the Finnish Rest Home and then proceed down a number of city streets to come out on the rebuilt Third Line. In future years, when

the property owner sells his property to a developer, the Sault Trails Advocacy Committee will put the

permanent route of the HUB Trail through the new subdivision to Third Line.