(Wiarton Bluewater Park) Image provided by South Bruce Peninsula CAO Bill Jones
A trail at Wiarton’s Bluewater Park is receiving over $131,000 in upgrades.
Town of South Bruce Peninsula CAO Bill Jones says, council approved a resolution on Sept. 21 to perform upgrades on the trail, including drainage improvements, replacing the gravel route with a three-meter wide asphalt surface and other trail location changes due to erosion and washout issues on some parts of the trail.
Jones says the project is underway and was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Covid Resilience Stream through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
With they majority of the costs being covered by the grant, Jones says the town will be covering over $31,000 through the parks and facilities reserve.
The contract to perform the upgrades was awarded to Owen Sound based E.C. King Contracting, who will put down about 550 meters of asphalt from the parking lot along off George Street to the north side of the campground.
“We have seen an increase use in the park over the last few years and that may be Covid related, but it just coincides with the increase in tourism we have seen on the peninsula over the last four or five years,” says Jones.
Jones says the new multi-use asphalt trail will be accommodate walking, cycling, rollerblading and other activities.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.