The gap in the Tom Thomson Trail is slowly closing.
Grey County council is donating a portion of the CP Rail Trail to the Tom Thomson Trail Group to help extend the path from Owen Sound to Meaford.
The county owns a piece of the corridor that would help connect the existing trail networks in the two municipalities.
County and Owen Sound councillor Arlene Wright says they’ve entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the group, which will allow them to use that section of the CP Rail Trail.
The county will pay to upgrade the existing trail so that it’s more convenient for people to use.
That will include flattening it and adding some crushed stone dirt to make it a hard-packed surface.
However, Wright says she doesn’t know what the cost will be yet – – the group will come back to county council with the number.
After that, the group will be responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the trail.
Six kilometres of trail are already finished, and the group hopes to complete a 43 kilometre trail when all is said and done.
The patch between Owen Sound and Meaford has no predetermined route or abandoned trail lines, so for most of the distance, the group has to create a new trail.
Wright says donating the piece of land is a good move, as it gets more people out to enjoy the trail.
