GUYSBOROUGH – For the past two years the Chedabucto Multi-Use Trails Association – the group responsible for the development and maintenance of the Cole Harbour Road Trail in Queensport – has been developing a trail near Dover. With approximately eight kilometres of trail nearing completion, the group is now working on plans to link the existing Dover trail to Canso and Queensport, as well as expand the Dover trail to Black Duck Cove.
Craig Jamieson, president of the association, told The Journal last week that along with the work progressing in the Dover area, the group has also “just established a letter of authority from Natural Resources and the Province of Nova Scotia to use the Cooeycoff Road, that’s the road that stretches from the Whitehead Crossroad to the Cole Harbour Road… that’s another seven kilometres there in Queensport.”
The letter of authority allows the association to do maintenance on the road, if needed, without having to ask for permission.
“We’ve also established a link, from two landowners, to connect to Hanhams [Gas & Convenience store in Half Island Cove] for provisions and gas and things like that,” said Jamieson.
When asked if COVID-19 has impacted the association’s work on the Dover trail, Jamieson said, “I don’t think it has affected us a whole lot … early on, we may not have been getting the people out to do work, [not] as many people as we probably wanted.”
But he added, “When they do their work, they’re doing it in small groups…so overall I don’t think that COVID really impacted us that much.”
On a positive note, Jamieson said, “Because of COVID, we were able to tap into extra funding… $10,000 [through the OHV Infrastructure Fund] that we didn’t have to match in-kind. It was just to help the clubs do the work and not have to involve so many people.”
At this time of year, the association is busy applying for funding for the coming construction season. Jamieson said, “The money we’re trying to get now will be to basically finish up that Dover trail. Right now, the trail starts at the motel in Yellow Marsh and goes into the start of Little Dover, near the new bridge…Our funding project for next year is to extend it from that point down to Black Duck Cove.”
The association promotes ATV, snowmobile and non-motorized uses of their trails – including mountain biking, walking and running. In a time when outside is the best place to be, people are taking advantage of the trails the Chedabucto Multi-Use Trail Association develops and maintains.
Jamieson said, “I know the trail in Queensport, the Cole Harbour Trail, has been used every day. There’s always someone on it. And, from what I hear, the trail in Dover, what we have, has been used a fair bit too.”
For additional information on the Chedabucto Multi-Use Trail Association visit their Facebook page.
