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Ashley Postl, left, and Betty Van Osch were among 30 Shorewalk volunteers who helped with the clean up parts of the Lake Erie shore last weekend.
Photo: Kris Dubé
Shorewalk Association pushing for more access to Lake Erie
Mark Ladan
Local News - Saturday, June 02, 2007 Updated @ 8:39:37 PM
To help ensure greater access to the Lake Erie coast, the Shorewalk Association has made another pitch to Fort Erie Town council.
The latest initiative was presented to council at Monday's meeting by Shorewalk president Garry Skerrett. It's called the Haggerty Trail, named for former MPP Ray Haggerty.
Haggerty spent a lifetime working to preserve or gain public access to the shores of Lake Erie. He worked on the public behalf as a councillor of the former Bertie Township and then as an MPP, Skerrett said.
More recently, Haggerty helped with research in developing the Right of Passage Act, a private member's bill introduced in the Ontario legislature in April.
The Haggerty Trail would be built on an unopened public road allowance, off Mitchener Rd., about half-way between Holloway Bay Rd. and Mathews Rd. It would end at the Lake Erie shore, on the east side of Marcy Woods.
"We suggest a minimally invasive walking trail that would preserve the pristine nature of the area, while granting public access to an area of Fort Erie that at present is out of bounds to the public," Skerrett told council. He suggested trail could be built at no cost to taxpayers, with volunteer labour from local clubs, schools and associations.
The only obstacle standing in the way, according to Shorewalk is a house that is built on the road allowance at Mitchener Rd. Skerrett said it's up to the Town to find a solution to this challenge, since it was the Town that allowed construction of the home.
"We suggest a 10-foot easement around the house to allow public passage and some form of encroachment agreement with the property owner," he said.
Skerrett asked that council approve the plan in principle and direct staff to prepare a report over the next six months.
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