| Aug 16, 2017


Organizers of the summer long Central Frontenac Canada 150 celebrations have been working with staff at Frontenac County on a trails event for Sharbot Lake as a celebration of the completion of the K&P trail between Lake Ontario and Sharbot Lake. It turned out that the Trans Canada Trail is celebrating Canada 150 on August 26, and there was funding available to put on events. It seemed like an ideal opportunity to mark the long anticipated, hard fought for, completion of the K&P Trail between Lake Ontario and Sharbot Lake, bringing the trans Canada Trail through Central and South Frontenac.

Unfortunately, while construction on that final stretch has begun and the County of Frontenac has agreements in place for all required parcels of land along the rail bed, in some cases the completion of the necessary paperwork to transfer ownership has taken more time than expected. The official opening of the final stretch of the Frontenac K&P Trail from Tichborne to Sharbot Lake has been delayed until the trail is closer to completion.
Still, Sharbot Lake will be a hub of trails activity next Saturday, August 26. The gathering will be one of more than 200 celebratory events planned in Canada from coast to coast to coast. The event in Sharbot Lake will be held in partnership with the Trans Canada Trail and the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

“I am especially looking forward to this event as it will bring all the various user groups together to celebrate our trails. I encourage everyone to come to Sharbot Lake and be part of it,” said Richard Allen, Manager of Economic Development for the County of Frontenac. “The volunteers who have been running Canada 150 events in Central Frontenac have been doing an amazing job all year and their involvement in this event makes me look forward to it even more,” Allen said.

The event will include a participatory element with opportunities for different trail user groups to be involved. Members of the Napanee and District ATV cub will be gathering at the Kaladar Community Centre at 9:30, to take a trail ride on the Trans-Canada trail to Sharbot Lake. Also at 9:30, cyclists are asked to gather at the caboose in the Railway Park in Sharbot Lake for a 26km ride. Less adventurous cyclists can gather at the Canada bench on the causeway south of the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team at 12:15. At noon, walkers are asked to gather at the trail crossing at Road 38 in Sharbot Lake. All groups will gather at the caboose at 12:30 when the festivities will start. The gathering will eventually proceed to Oso beach for music, food and games.

The best way to plan your participation is by visiting the website of the Central Frontenac Canada 150 Celebrations Committee at https://www.cfcanada150.ca/k-p-trail-day.html.
To date, the completed section of the Frontenac K&P Trail stretches the length of roughly 40 kilometers between Orser Road in South Frontenac and the village of Tichborne in Central Frontenac. The last time a section of the trail opened was in November of 2015 when it was extended from Verona to Tichborne. That 20-kilometer section includes bridges over White Creek, Elbow Creek and Fish Creek.

The Frontenac K&P Trail is open to a variety of user groups including hiking, biking, skiing, horseback riding and snowmobiling. And, contrary to more southern parts of the trail, the section north of Craig Road, just north of Verona, is accessible to motorized vehicles year round. While many trails in eastern Ontario require a permit for ATVs, that is not a requirement on the Frontenac K&P Trail between Verona and Sharbot Lake.

When completed, the K&P Trail will also serve as an important link in the Trans Canada Trail, which enters Frontenac County near Arden, connects to the K&P Trail and exits the County to the East towards Smiths Falls via the Cataraqui Trail.

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