ATV Extended Access On K&P Trail To Be Looked At This Week

Jeff Green | Jul 05, 2023

Marc Moeys, the President of the Verona District ATV Club, made a presentation to Frontenac County Council in April.

Much of Moey's presentation dealt with the activities of the club along the K&P trail between Verona and Sharbot Lake, where the club helps to maintain the trail for all users, whether they be on ATV's, bicycle, or on foot.

He also addressed concerns about a small section of trail between the trailhead in Verona and Craig Road, north of Verona. ATV's are permitted on that section, on an interim basis, and Moeys talked about how the club continues to focus its efforts on keeping the peace among Verona residents along the trail and ATV enthusiasts.

But Moey's threw an added wrinkle into his presentation. On behalf of the club, he asked that ATV use on the trail be extended from the trailhead in Verona, south to Harrowsmith, where the K&P meets the Cataraqui Trail.

He said that one of the reasons for the extension was for ATV's to access Pizza from the two pizzerias in Harrowsmith, and Gilmour's Meat, and Centennial Park.

A motion was prepared for Council to look at the proposal.

At the May meeting of Council, Richard Allen, the Frontenac County Manager for Economic Development, proposed that council refer the matter to their planning and economic development committee to determine how best to proceed, but council was in more of a hurry. They wanted to consult the public before the committee met, so the committee can consider the matter at their meeting.

A quick and successful public consultation took place since that May meeting and this week, with 800 members of the public providing oral or written responses.

And before the committee discusses the motion and decides whether to recommend that council go forward with the extension or not, a public meeting is taking place. There are three people registered to speak at the meeting, and more are expected to step forward on the day.

The committee decided to hold the meeting at the Lion's Hall in Verona in order to accommodate an expected crowd and to hold the meeting in the area of the county where the issue is of greatest interest to residents.

The staff report to the committee shows that a very narrow majority, just over 50.4% of those who responded to the online survey, favoured the extension, 47.4% did not. 1.2% were unsure and 1% said they needed more information before deciding.

But that majority support is the only really favourable element in the staff report for ATV extension supporters.

The report points out that the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, which owns the Cataraqui Trail that has a joint section with the K&P trail in Harrowsmith, has a longstanding and clear policy opposing motorised use, with the exception of snowmobiles.

One of the presenters at this week's meeting, Heather Keeling, will be representing the Friends of the Cataraqui Trail, who oppose the extension.

It also points out that 124 residents who live on the trail in the section were directly contacted. As few as 20 responded, and only 4 favoured permitting ATV's on the trail as it passed by their own property.

South Frontenac Township staff pointed out that parking at both Centennial Park, and the Trailhead in Harrowsmith where the K&P and Cataraqui Trails diverge, is already at capacity in peak times, and adding ATV's and trailers carrying them would make it worse.

But perhaps the biggest hurdle for advocates of the extension to overcome is the position taken by the Trans Canada Trail organisation.

One of the main drivers for the development of the K&P trail was to join the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) and ensure that the TCT runs through Frontenac County, and the TCT organisation has supported the K&P through grants over the years. The most recent grant was $60,000 just this year, to help rebuild a bridge over Elbow Creek on the trail.

When asked by Richard Allen for his comment about the proposed extension, Mathieu Roy, a Vice President with the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), wrote: “As you know, our organization is working to protect and increase the amount of greenway within our network ... our objective is to limit the length of mixed-use trail as much as possible, while selecting the safest route for the non-motorized users, moving users from the roadway. Currently, the trail is a greenway. Based on our research and experience, adding motorized usages will generate negative impact for at least some of the non-motorized users. Also, it is important to mention that a change in permitted usages will automatically lead to a review of any contribution agreements currently in place with TCT.”

(Note – The Public meeting and committee meeting following it took place while this article was being printed, starting at 10am on Wednesday, July 5. The meeting is available for viewing on the Frontenac County YouTube Channel).