Third GRCA park Opens for Winter Activities

Another Grand River Conservation Authority Park is open for winter activities after debris was removed in the wake of the December ice storm.  Laurel Creek Conservation Area, 625 Westmount Rd., Waterloo opened for cross-country skiing Friday morning. 

Two other GRCA parks had previously opened for ice fishing: Shade’s Mills in Cambridge and Belwood Lake near Fergus.  However, the weekend thaw may interfere with activities at the three open parks for a few days. The warm weather and rain expected this weekend could curtail some activities. Customers should check the Winter Activity listing in the Newsroom section of the GRCA website at www.grandriver.ca or call the parks directly for updates.

Pinehurst Lake, north of Paris, remains closed as crews continue to clean up from the  ice storm. GRCA staff are using font-end loaders and wood chippers to clear branches and trees that litter roadways, trails and parking lots.

Four nature centres are open but only for school programs and GRCA-organized events: Shade’s Mills (Cambridge), Apps’ Mill (Brantford), Guelph Lake and Laurel Creek (Waterloo).

Most other GRCA facilities remain closed in the wake of the storm which damaged thousands of trees on the 20,000 hectares of property owned by the GRCA.

That includes:

·         Elora-Cataract Trailway, Cambridge-Paris Rail-Trail, SC Johnson Trail (Paris to Brantford) and Brantford-Hamilton Rail-Trail

·         Other GRCA paid-admission parks, which are normally closed for the winter: Conestogo Lake, Elora Gorge, Elora Quarry, Guelph Lake, Rockwood, Brant and Byng

·         Free-entry natural areas such as Starkey Hill (Guelph), Dumfries (Cambridge), Puslinch Tract (Cambridge), Snyder’s Flats (Bloomingdale), FWR Dickson (south of Cambridge) and Apps’ Mill (west of Brantford).

GRCA staff, supplemented by outside contractors,  have been working to clear trees and branches from public areas. The biggest danger is with partially-damages branches and trees, which are at risk of falling on users.

Self-help efforts on Elora-Cataract Trailway may actually raise risk level

GRCA staff are aware that some people are going onto GRCA trails and other properties to remove downed branches so they can use the properties. In particular, some people have been removing obstructions on the Elora-Cataract Trailway to open it for snowmobile use.  However, in some cases they have left the trees and branches dangerously close to the trail, putting snowmobiles at risk. They are also not dealing with overhead dangers, which imperils snowmobilers who may think the trail has been cleared, but could run into a newly-fallen tree or branch.  Please stay off of the Elora-Cataract Trailway and all other GRCA trails until staff  have made them safe for public use.