One Saugeen Shores business owner is putting his money where his mouth is.
Railtrail Committee Member Norm Charbonneau presented a proposal to Council on Monday night to do a feasibility study on whether a pedestrian bridge can be built over Highway 21 south of Bruce Road 3.
Charbonneau — who owns Hi-Berry Farm located next to the trail on Highway 21 — says he is willing to put in $10,000 of the $60,000 cost to do the study.
He believes if you put up some of your own money, the better chance it will be to get it matched by the Town or through a grant from the Province.
Charbonneau says the bridge would alleviate concerns about people crossing Highway 21 as there is no crosswalk or signal lights at that intersection.
He says the popularity of the Railtrail has increased over the years with the amount of new development in Port Elgin and Southampton and tourism.
He says when the Railtrail first opened in the 90s there was no problem crossing Highway 21 but times have changed.
Council has asked Charbonneau to come back during the 2009 budget deliberations.
They also are awaiting word from the Ministry of Transportation as that section of Highway 21 is being considered for four-lane expansion.
Charbonneau believes the Town will have to drive this initiative because of the cost and complexity of the project.
He says the Town’s Parks and Trails Committee may have a better chance in obtaining grants and there might be some fundraising involved too.
He says the total cost of the bridge is estimated to be around $700,000.
He also believes it will be about 5 years before the bridge is finally up.
