Fourteen years ago, the County of Wellington and Region of Waterloo undertook a unique partnership by jointly leasing a 44.5km stretch of abandoned rail right-of-way from the province for development as a multi-use recreational trail between Guelph and Millbank.
Today, the Kissing Bridge Trailway is operated under the stewardship of six community groups that have developed various sections of it. Those groups depend on donations to support their work to complete the trail, including bridge installations.
“We are investigating the possibility of suspension bridges at the Grand and Conestogo Rivers, near West Montrose and Wallenstein,” said Trailway board chairman Mike Curtis. “The trailway board is excited about the idea and expects that these bridges will increase the profile and use of the trailway.”
Recognizing that a major fundraising initiative would be needed to cover the cost of new bridges, the board has planned a Spring on the Trail event for May 14. From the historic West Montrose covered bridge (or Kissing Bridge), picturesque farms, beautiful rural landscapes, and small towns and villages along the way (Ariss, Elmira, Wallenstein, Linwood, and Millbank), the Kissing Bridge Trailway has much to offer. “This event has been designed to bring people together along the full length of the trail to celebrate the annual spring opening,” said event chairman Doug Cerson. Participants can register as an individual, family, teams, or corporate groups. We would like to see some friendly “challenges” between businesses, communities, teams, and other volunteer groups. We are also extending our fundraising opportunity to these groups to assist in selling event “pasSports” by allowing them to keep a portion of the contributions. For more information about the event, how to volunteer or donate, contact Cerson doug@springonthetrail.ca or visit the event website at www.springonthetrail.ca.
