43°28′32″N 80°26′57″W / 43.47556°N 80.44917°W / 43.47556; -80.44917

Walter Bean Grand River Trail
Paved path through a wooded area by a river.
The Walter Bean Grand River Trail in Waterloo, Ontario
Length76 km (47 mi)
Location
Use
  • Walking
  • cycling
  • rollerblading
  • cross-country skiing
DifficultyModerate[1]
SeasonYear-round[1]
Sights
SurfaceGravel / asphalt
Right of wayPublic roadways (partial)
Maintained byLocal municipalities

The Walter Bean Grand River Trail (also sometimes shortened as the Walter Bean Trail) is a 76-kilometre (47 mi)[2] multi-use trail that runs along the Grand River in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The trail runs through the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo and is owned and maintained by the cities.[3] It is considered part of the larger Grand Valley Trail, a 250-kilometre (160 mi) route that runs along much of the length of the river.[4] A section of the trail is labelled the Economical Insurance Trailway, spanning from the Waterloo city limits in the north to the start of the Cambridge city limits in the south.[5]

Route description

A sign listing some fundraisers of the Walter Bean Grand River Trail

The 76-kilometre (47 mi) long Walter Bean Grand River Trail runs along the Grand River. The Grand River serves as the eastern city limits for both Waterloo and northern Kitchener, so therefore the trail mostly runs on the eastern edge of both cities. The trail is between Woolwich Township and North Dumfries. A 6.2-kilometre (3.9 mi) section of the trail in Cambridge is part of the Trans Canada Trail, therefore providing access to the rest of the Trans Canada Trail.[6][7]

The route varies, either using 2-metre-wide (6 ft 7 in) gravel trails located on the river banks or travelling along residential roads to bypass private properties and unbuilt trail.[8]

History

The Walter Bean Grand River Trail is named after Walter Bean, who created the idea of a continuous trail through the Waterloo Region.[8] The project was announced in 1999.[9] It was constructed in phases and by 2004 was 70 percent completed.[7] The basic construction cost was set to $6.4 million (U$5.12 million) or $8 million (U$6.4 million) adjusted for inflation.[10] Ninety-nine percent of the total was fundraised by September 2006.[10] After construction, the trail was further supported by donors, whom received recognition and plaques in various public spaces.[11] Later, the ownership and management of the trail was transferred to the cities of Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge.[10]

In June 2017, the Kitchener portion of the trail was temporarily closed due to flooding from the river.[12] Beginning in 2020, a municipal initiative called Trail Mix, consisting of signs with QR codes linking to songs and poems, was implemented on the Walter Bean Trail.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Walter Bean Grand River Trail". Ontario Trails Council. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Arial, Tracey (2005). Hiking in Ontario (2 ed.). Montréal: Éditions Ulysse. p. 113. ISBN 2-89464-683-6. OCLC 57339561.
  3. ↑ "Other trails". www.grandriver.ca. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  4. ↑ "Grand Valley Trail". Grand Valley Trails Association. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  5. ↑ Brace, Courtney (2020-08-04). "Economical Insurance Trailway on the Walter Bean Grand River Trail". www.chymfm.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  6. ↑ "Explore The Great Trail of Canada". The Great Trail. 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  7. 1 2 Veale, Barbara J. (2004). Grand River, Ontario : a decade in the Canadian Heritage Rivers System : a review of The Grand Strategy. Canadian Heritage Rivers Board, Grand River Conservation Authority. Cambridge: Grand River Conservation Authority. ISBN 1-894414-07-1. OCLC 56923100.
  8. 1 2 "Walter Bean Grand River Trail". www.kitchener.ca. 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  9. ↑ "The Walter Bean Grand River Trail - Fundraising". Archived from the original on 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  10. 1 2 3 "The Walter Bean Grand River Trail". Archived from the original on 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  11. ↑ "The Walter Bean Grand River Trail - Donor Recognition". Archived from the original on 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  12. ↑ "Walter Bean trail closed as it awaits flood repairs". CTV News Kitchener. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  13. ↑ Smith, Jessica (2021-04-19). "Trail Mix: Project pairs local artists with trails around Waterloo". CTV News Kitchener. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
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