PEMBROKE — At the March 28th meeting County Council passed the following resolution: “County Council has received a legal opinion regarding the development of the Algonquin Trail. The opinion confirms that the County of Renfrew has the authority to develop the Algonquin Trail as a multi-use trail.”
Chair of the Algonquin Trail Advisory Committee (ATAC), Councillor Bob Sweet said, “This resolution comes as a result of a legal challenge put forward by the United Townships of Head, Clara & Maria regarding the use of the Algonquin Trail. The ATAC, through County Council, sought a legal opinion on the matter. Council has decided to proceed with the multi-use aspect of the trail, and will proceed with the development of the Trail Management Plan that is well under way, and that has been circulated to all municipalities for comments, to govern the use of the trail. This decision aligns with County Council’s decision last June to officially designate the Algonquin Trail as a multi-use trail and is consistent with our partners’ approach.”
Warden of the County of Renfrew Jennifer Murphy shared this, “Council has provided clear direction to staff on moving forward in developing the trail, and the Management Plan will act as a guiding document on the future development and use of the trail.”
Renfrew County, Lanark County and the Township of Papineau-Cameron formed a partnership in 2011 and recently signed a lease and donation agreement to acquire ownership of the 296-kilometre discontinued Canadian Pacific Rail between Smiths Falls and Mattawa. The County’s portion of the corridor runs from the Arnprior/Ottawa border in the south to the Renfrew/Mattawa border in the North. The intent is to work with local municipalities, the public and other partners to develop the multi-use trail. Renfrew County hosted six public open houses in the fall of 2016. Many comments were received about motorized versus non-motorized use of the trail, and those comments were considered when developing the Ottawa Valley Recreation Trail Management Plan. The trail corridor passes through 10 municipalities within the County and the City of Pembroke, and will form the “spine” of a future County-wide trail network as contemplated in the County of Renfrew Trails Strategy, and the County’s 1997 Abandoned Rail Policy.
