Lake Minnewasta has long been a favoured destination for hikers, bikers, families, and pet owners. While the area already has some beloved trails that provide relatively challenging terrain to visitors, a new thoughtful addition strives to offer something slightly different.
Recycled materials, wider path
“Right now, informally, we're calling it the lakeside loop trail, which is surfaced with wood chips. The idea was to provide a wider and different opportunity for user groups walking on the pathway,” says Shawn Dias, director of parks and urban forestry for the City of Morden. “It's also relatively flat and accessible, although it's not 100% accessible because it isn't a hard surface. It's definitely something that was cost-effective that we could do on this site to provide the community an opportunity to get on the trail and get outside.”
The project was completed quickly — it began in late summer. Dias says it was a “collaborative effort” with support from Morden’s Public Works Department.
“Their staff came out and helped move wood chips and lay fabric and get the base work done for the trail, so without the team effort between departments, I don't think this would have happened in a timely fashion the way it did,” he says. “Big shout out to our staff [and the] the staff at Public Works for all their help.”
For Mayor Nancy Penner, who took a tour along the new trail with other community members on October 29th, the objective of a more accessible option at Lake Minnewasta was achieved. She says the new trail is easier to walk on than the other hiking paths along the lake.
“I'm not young anymore, and so it is a challenge. I had our grandchildren out this summer and they loved it, but they have young legs,” she says. “There are a lot of steep hills on the lake trail, and this is a very level trail, so I would encourage anybody with mobility issues to take this [one] because it is a very easy walk.”
For Mayor Penner, in addition to the approachability of the new trail, the beautiful scenery surrounding it also stood out.
A quick turnaround
Dias says it took about a month and a half to complete the project even without the team working on it round-the-clock. As for the materials they used, much of it was recycled, including the foundations of the park benches.
“We want them to be permanent and secure and reduce any damage or vandalism and so we embedded them and mounted them on some concrete blocks. We were actually able to recycle the concrete blocks from our old Access Event Centre . . . arena floor,” he says. “The second recycling project was the base for the path. It was created from our yard waste site. Every year the wood debris that residents drop off gets chipped. Those chips were brought here to build the pathway so that the majority of the base is a recycled product [that] was relatively cheap to access.”
The hope is that the path with be usable in winter, too.
“Anytime we're considering making a capital investment in infrastructure in the city, we try as best we can to make it multi-use and not just for one particular season,” says Dias. “The idea here is that . . . we would be able to take advantage of the sheltered areas to groom some ski trails . . . . Fingers crossed we have conditions that allow us to [create] ski trails.”
‘A breath of fresh air, literally’
Morden Councillor Brenda Klassen was also along for the trail walk. The painstakingly planned-out trail is impressive to her.
“It is amazing. I love that we have this kind of trail in nature right here . . . at the edge of our city. It's just a really good base for walking on,” she says, adding that it's soft, but not too soft. “The views are amazing. This has just been a breath of fresh air, literally.”
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Councillor Klassen says that Morden City Council is “proud” of Dias and his team for the work they’ve done.
“We're always happy to have more trails and walking paths and places for people to connect with nature in our community, so this is just another really amazing place to do that,” she says.
265 new trees
Lake Minnewasta’s new path is adorned with a significant number of trees thanks to the efforts of the Stanley Trail Association. Dias says the association wrote an application to the Manitoba Hydro Forest Enhancement Fund and was granted about $7,000 for trees. The result is 265 trees along the new path.
“We worked with them on a planting design and the trees there are intentionally planted close together to create more of a forest bluff in the future. [It] will be a windbreak,” he says. “There's a diversity of species there, which is good for birds and wildlife as well.”
Dias says the planting is not a normal shelterbelt, but designed to be tight together to create a bluff.
“Then on the other side of the gully, we worked with Morden Nurseries, and they were very generous in donating 50 trees to the project as well,” he says. “We installed those last week along the trail.”
Trails Manitoba was also involved in the project. Dias says it provided a grant that went toward the purchase of the non-woven geotextile fabric at the base of the trail, the wood chips on the surface, and the benches, too.
“Their contribution is definitely significant and helps fund the project, but it also helps Trails Manitoba meet their mandate as well,” he says. “[It’s a] great partnership. I just want to thank Trails Manitoba for their financial support.”
Dias says that the parking lot south of the water fill station near Spillway Road is the main entrance to the new trail.
“We'll also have an access point to the wood chip path at the very west end of Lakeside Cemetery,” he says. “There's an overflow parking lot there as well, and we anticipate people will use that parking lot to access the trail.”
At home in nature
For Dias, the new trail is another good opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.
“I think trails in an area like this provide a connection to nature and I think it's increasingly important for people to be able to get outside and have that connection with nature,” he says. “You get health benefits from being outside.”
At the same time, it’s also necessary to respect the space — both its natural features and the work of the many hands that built it.
“Like any community space, it's important for people to understand that there are staff members that have put time and effort into creating [it and] maintaining [it],” says Dias, adding that to lessen the task of maintenance, the community can ensure they take their refuse with them and clean up after their pets. He also encourages people to practice respect and kindness to anyone on the trail.
“I think overall it's a great community amenity, and we want to keep it that way,” he says.
At the end of the day, it’s about the therapeutic qualities of being out in nature, and Dias himself already feels the benefits when he’s on the new path.
“When I walk the trail with my dog and with my family, I feel that connection to nature. I feel reduced stress and relaxation [when I] sit on the bench and take in a vista,” he says. “I think it's important for the community to have the availability of [these] types of spaces.”
See the photos below for a few more glimpses of Lake Minnewasta’s newest trail.
~With files from Connie Bailey~
