Press Release
County of Renfrew
Pembroke, ON: Recently the Councils of the City of Pembroke and the Township of Laurentian Valley agreed to the inclusion of motorized/multi-use activities on the sections of the Algonquin Trail that pass through their municipalities. These decisions align with the overall purpose of the Algonquin Trail / Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail to be a four-season multi-use trail.
The County of Renfrew continues to build out the Algonquin Trail from the recently completed twenty-one kilometres between Renfrew and Cobden, with the recent approval of a tender to improve the trail between Cobden and the City of Pembroke and a portion in the Town of Laurentian Hills. Once finished, this thirty-seven-kilometre section will complete the Algonquin Trail/Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail from Smiths Falls to the Town of Petawawa. The contractor, G.P. Splinter Forest Products of Laurentian Valley who was the successful bidder, has started work on the section between Turcotte Road and Old Mill Road and will work as long as weather permits, continuing into 2022 for the completion of the improvements. In addition, G.P. Splinter will be addressing the bridge structures in the City of Pembroke ahead of the upcoming snowmobile season and will be working to create a parking area for trail users located at McKay Street.
“The agreement of both the City of Pembroke and Township of Laurentian Valley Councils to include motorized users on the sections of the trail that pass through their municipalities is a timely decision as the recent sale of a major section of the CN line in the City of Pembroke has recently restricted access to the area for snowmobile and ATV trail users. The multi-use, four-season Algonquin Trail will benefit tourism and economic development in Renfrew County and for our friends in both Laurentian Valley and the City of Pembroke,” Chair of the Algonquin Trail Advisory Committee, Councillor Bob Sweet.
“This is welcomed news and, once complete, these sections of the Algonquin Trail will bring new trail users to our area, bringing tourism and economic benefits to our local economy. County of Renfrew staff will be continuing to work with both City of Pembroke and Township of Laurentian Valley staff to develop further parking, business opportunities and signage to improve the trail experience for all users,” shared Warden Debbie Robinson.
When these sections of the trail officially open following the completion of the contracted improvements, County of Renfrew staff will be addressing dust mitigation and enforcement issues. The County wants to remind all users of the Algonquin Trail to continue to obey and respect all posted signage and rules of use while the improvements to the trail are made. Trail guidelines and rules can be viewed on the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail website.
The Algonquin Trail is part of the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail and is owned and managed by the County of Renfrew in partnership with Lanark County and the Township of Papineau-Cameron.
