By John Francis,
Bruce Peninsula Press
A consortium of Bruce Peninsula charities has been awarded $124,000 by the Trillium Foundation to turn Cabot Head Road into a wilderness hiking/cycling trail.
Speaking on behalf of the project, Mike Campbell describes it as “world-class”. A dedicated cyclist, he stated “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I have ridden a lot of the world and have seen very few bike trails this magnificent”.
The road to Cabot Head washed out in the fall and winter of 2019-2020. Rebuilding it is… complicated.
Built on a federal government impulse nearly 60 years ago, Cabot Head Road provided road access to the lightstation, which up until then had been serviced by boat, The road was built quickly and without much of a process. Like many of the peninsula’s early, unsurveyed roads, it crosses private land without a proper road allowance.
It would cost perhaps a quarter million to repair the washout but that does not address four complicating factors:
• it might wash out again the next time there is an easterly storm.
• the washout is in a trespass part of the road so the road only has rights to the “wheel track” area. It’s hard to rebuild a road without extending beyond the “wheel track”. (See photos.) Anything else would require negotiating with the landowner.
• it’s probably a federal responsibility but they are showing no initiative whatsoever. They would probably be perfectly happy to abandon the road, tear down all the lightstation buildings and service the light-on-a-metal-tower by helicopter.
• any attempt to rebuild the road will be greeted with howls of anger from the Dyers Bay community.
Enter a consortium of charities, each with a need to access Cabot Head.
The Friends of Cabot Head have been maintaining the historic lightstation for decades. Their museum and gift shop, staffed by live-in volunteers, generated enough revenue to keep the place clean and prevent vandalism.
The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory is one of North America’s few science-based bird research facilities. It operates on Provincial Park land and rents a couple of cottages to meet expenses.
The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association bases a major fundraising event — the Gravel Gran Fondo — on Cabot Head Road. In addition, the Biosphere Association is trying to foster eco-adventure tourism and Cabot Head Road is a perfect showpiece.
All three groups urgently need Cabot Head Road to be open. But hikers and bicycles would be fine — no need for a two-lane automobile road.
The three charities got together and held about 25 meetings with various stakeholders — including Cabot Head landowners, Ontario Parks, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Municipal staff, Dyers Bay Property Owners Association, Bruce Trail and Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). They were able to generate a consensus around the idea of turning Cabot Head Road into a wilderness hiking/cycling trail.
The three charities applied for and were awarded, a $124,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation to carry out their plan. The money must be spent by the end of 2021. The group needs municipal approval in order to proceed.
Mike Campbell presented to MNBP Council at the July 23, 2021 Meeting.
An excerpt from the Executive Summary reads:
“The Bruce Peninsula has one of Canada’s highest concentrations of rare species yet no Conservation Authority. Three registered charities (the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory, the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association and Friends of the Cabot Head Lighthouse) operate out of the Cabot Head area, and help fill this conservation gap. Each organization relies on unique social enterprise revenues; buildings for research and “rentals” at the Bird Observatory, entrance fees for the Friends of Cabot Head Lighthouse and the Gravel Gran Fondo fundraiser for the Biosphere Association. However, COVID-19 has forced suspension of mission-critical operations, staff work, and volunteer and visitor participation with over 50% loss of revenues to date. Recognizing that the lake-damaged Cabot Head Road provided critical access to the area, the three charities applied for an Ontario Trillium Grant to re-envision the road so it could benefit the local community, and preserve access to the historic Cabot Head Lighthouse and Bird Observatory Research Station. In December 2020, the charities were granted $124,000 with $90,000 directed toward the predicted costs associated with transitioning the Cabot Head Road to a wilderness trail.”
A YouTube video shows how exciting a ride it will be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogmP_eTGG2g (or go to YouTube and search for Cabot Head).
The trail would begin at the municipal parking lot on the south side of the village. Riders would first ride through the village to get to Cabot Head Trail.
Council and staff had many questions concerning ongoing responsibilities and the potential for a revenue stream. Campbell points out that bicycles and hikers have a minimal impact on a roadbed. It would probably not need annual maintenance, just a touch-up every few years.
