The Belsyde Cemetery Trail is a proposed off road multi-use trail that was first identified in the 2014 Township of Centre Wellington Trails Master Plan. It is intended to link existing on-street active transportation infrastructure north of the Cemetery such as sidewalks and walkways to those south of the Cemetery, as well as linking to the internal Cemetery laneways that are used by residents of Centre Wellington for both active transportation and recreation.
The trail will connect the existing laneway behind the Chapel to the sidewalk located at the intersection of Highland Road and McTavish Street through the Thistle Street road allowance.
Currently, the area is heavily used by the community for recreation including walking, dog walking, and cycling, as well as an important pedestrian linkage for school children to access Victoria Terrace Public School and Centre Wellington District High School. In its current condition it is a muddy partially eroded dirt pathway on a steep slope that is unsafe and unmaintainable by Township staff.
Proposed Upgrades
The proposed trail was designed as a series of switchbacks that generally follow the existing topography but with a gentler slope that can be maintained by the Township and appreciated by multiple user groups. Previous concepts such as a combination of stairs and multi-use trails were rejected in favour of a hard surface multi-use trail with switchbacks that would allow use by a family with a stroller. The trail is not designed to meet the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) but instead meets the minimum standards for a recreational trail. An AODA route is provided by the existing sidewalks along Highland Road, Princess Street, and St David Street South.
The proposed upgrades include:
- Removal and replacement of invasive species and hazard trees between the top of the slope and Highland Road
- Upgrading the existing gravel laneway behind the chapel to asphalt
- A 2.4m multi-use asphalt trail and associated grading
- Stone (rip-rap) drainage swales to control erosion
- Naturalization planting and trees between each switchback designed to stabilize the slope and delineate the travel portion of the trail
- Upgrades to the existing concrete sidewalk at Highland Road including a new ramp on the south side and AODA tactile plates at each crossing, and
- A future bench at the intersection of the existing grass pathway in the Princess Street road allowance and the new asphalt trail.
Community Consultation
The Township of Centre Wellington Trails Master Plan included multiple public consultation opportunities with stakeholder groups including, local residents, The Elora Cataract Trailway Association, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, Wellington County Planning staff, and Centre Wellington Community Services staff. As part of that process, a survey was created and administered to residents of Centre Wellington, two Public Information Centre meeting were held, and two Stakeholder Workshops were held which identified the Belsyde Cemetery off-road multi-use trail.
The Belsyde Cemetery trail draft concept was presented to Township of Centre Wellington senior staff on March 29, 2022, and revisions to the design were completed. The completed concept plan was presented to the public at the Mayors Townhall on April 28, 2022, which included presentation drawings, as well as staff and consultants available to answer questions.
Current Work and Next Steps
The project is ready to break ground. A Tender for construction of the trail was released in June 2022 and seven responses from contractors were received. However, the lowest bid was over budget, therefore a decision was made to cancel the 2022 construction tender.
The intent is to re-tender the project in 2023 if approved by Council in the 2023 budget deliberations.
