Railway Corridor

At the invitation of the Mayor and  the Director General, Sentiers Chelsea Trails (SCT) made a presentation on its vision for the future use of the rail corridor this week.  This vision calls for the creation of a 19.9 km year-round linear park and non-motorized trail running from Loretta Loop to Morrison Quarry.

This vision to convert the rails to trails flows out of the recommendations made in the Active Transport Master Plan commissioned and adopted by Council last year.  In that plan, the railway corridor was identified as a ‘structural element’ and a key active transport corridor. The municipality is in the process of reclaiming the rail corridor lease and has been considering ways to turn this municipal asset into an active benefit for community.  SCT  thinks a linear park has the potential to be a valuable, community building tool.

In the winter, Sentiers Chelsea, in collaboration with the municipality, volunteers and local businesses, has already made recreational use of the rail corridor by creating the popular and ever expanding winter ski and walking trail. “This project is really at the research stage,” says SCT board member Alain Piché. “ It will require a lot of work and a lot of community consultation to get it right.”

For  more information on the status of the corridor, and on best practises, consult the FAQ  page on our site.