Cornwallis River Greenway

Cornwallis River Greenway is a 6 km section of active-transportation trail managed by the Cornwallis River Pathways Society (CRPS). The trail runs through Coldbrook and Cambridge, Nova Scotia, along the old Dominion Atlantic Railway corridor. Although it passes close to several residential areas it offers access to scenic areas with opportunities to see a variety of wildlife.

Except for seasonal snowmobile use, off-highway vehicles are prohibited. Full details of acceptable uses are provided on the "Trail Use" page.

At its eastern end, the greenway connects to the  7 km Kentville Trail, a completely non-motorized active-transportation trail. To the west, once Sharpe Brook Bridge has been crossed, the trail is managed by Kings County Trail Society as a motorized trail where walkers and cyclists can expect to meet ATVs and trail bikes.

Annapolis Valley Trails Coalition’s “good news” (“Valley Trail System Finally Complete”, November 3) is fantasy. The valley trail “system” is both incomplete and a mess. It did start out well in 2002, when the Trans Canada Trail donated 225 kilometres of DAR abandoned rail corridor, worth ten million dollars, to the people of Nova Scotia. AVTC chair Bob Suffron states, “It was a dream of a lot of folks when the rail line was abandoned.” It was. We dreamed of the TCT running through our communities and near our homes as the train had, an asset to tourism and health, preserving the corridor. That dream died. The Valley TCT fell victim to provincial policy of motorizing trails, a policy resisted for obvious reasons: up to 40% of the valley’s population live or work within 1 km of the corridor. It runs beside homes, through a theme park, a marsh body, historic Annapolis Royal, Bed and Breakfasts of Smith’s Cove, across roads and driveways. It bisects farms. It crosses Highway 1 at angles unsafe and illegal for Off-Highway Vehicles.

The trail groups, one per county, faltered. They lost workers who volunteered to build the TCT but declined to build motorized trails. Adjacent homeowners who protested were ignored, stick-handled, or pressured by midnight riders, civil servants, and MLA’s. Ministers and head bureaucrats from HPP and DNR kept their arms around the shoulders of the now-motorized trail groups whose “right to ride” trumped the right of homeowners to sleep. No one said, “Maybe we need to rethink. Maybe there are more appropriate places for OHV’s to ride.”

Instead, the government propped up the trail groups, providing expertise on how to push through a bad idea. In 2007 Kentville’s Health Promotion and Protection office created AVTC to “support and guide” the five groups building motorized trails. (Digby Courier, September 21, 2007) AVTC got money and clout, a full-time “Trails Co-ordinator” to run interference, from HPP’s budget, with token sums from local Councils so persuaded. In Nova Scotia, money flowed through ACOA, B-Fit, and Stimulus funds- all with the fiction of building healthy “shared” trails. Riding through the smoke and mirrors are the machines- noisy and emitting carcinogens, with posted speeds up to 50 km within community limits. Walkers and cyclists persist, but are at risk.

Many areas remain completely undeveloped. And trails deteriorate where ATV’s ride, chewing up the surface. They cost four times as much as walking/cycling trails to maintain: we have massive ruts and puddles. Enforcement officers are gone, little as they could do at 2 a.m. TCT says it will not designate a new trail if ATV’s are allowed. And if they did, why would anyone donate? As for snowmobiles, a Quebec case awarded damages to homeowners beside a TCT trail which allowed them. AVTC does not want a TCT Greenway. It wants motorized trails. With funds drying up, and the TCT garrotted with nary a peep, a stark choice has been made.

What we still could have is an Evangeline Greenway. We could have walkable communities for our health and magnets for cycling tourism. It’s what people want. So why can’t we? Because we have the Annapolis Valley Trails Coalition from Health and Wellness.

The Executive

Nova Scotians Promoting Active Transportation on Community Trails ( NSPACTS)

www/nspacts.ca

Bob Connell, John Hawkins, Barbara Bishop

July 22, 2011

Today we have placed six kilometre marker posts starting at the eastern end of the Greenway. We hope these will make it easier for users to judge the distance they have walked, run or biked.

Recent visitors to the greenway include a couple walking from Digby to Wolfville, a cyclist from Vancouver Island and a couple of cyclists from Vancouver on their way to Halifax via Yarmouth. It's great to meet interesting people from across the country enjoying the greenway.

The walkers, a retired couple from Wolfville, wrote an account of their expedition and kindly sent us a copy. It's an entertaining article and you can read it HERE.

July 2011

We recently upgraded a further 2 kms of the greenway trail by adding a layer of crusher dust on top of the existing surface.

The work included completion of upgrading the section between Sharpe Brook Bridge and South Bishop Rd. and 1.5 kms between Lovett Rd. and the Hwy 101 overpass.

The new surface is ideal for walking, running and cycling and improves accessibility for wheelchairs.

This project was financed with assistance from the Municipality of Kings County and the Nova Scotia Department of  Health & Wellness.

December 16, 2010

The storm earlier this week blew down a number of trees along the trail. The fallen trees have now been cleared away and the trail is clear for use. A trail user sent us some pictures of the damage and clean-up work and these can be seen on our "Photos" page.

November 14, 2010

Visit our "Photos" page to see a few pictures taken this year.

These pictures highlight improvements made during the year including the recent upgrade to a 2 km section of the greenway at the western end. A layer of crusher dust has been applied which will improve the surface for walkers and cyclists. As funds permit, we plan to upgrade the remaining 4 kms.

November 8, 2010

In August members of the Blomidon Naturalists Society took a walk along part of the Greenway. The walk was led by Murray Colbo, a director of both CRPS and BNS and he has kindly given us permission to publish his report.