MISERY BAY—The universal access trail at Misery Bay Provincial Park is getting nearer to completion with work that has been carried out on the trail the last few months.
John Diebolt, of special projects for the Friends of Misery Bay (FOMB), told this newspaper in an email August 10, “just a quick update on trail building. We have been working away at our universal access trail over the last few months and we have enlisted the help of Manitoulin Streams. We are progressing along nicely and are leading up to a planned work blitz with Stewardship Rangers on August 14. We have worked through some very hot and humid days where our team was wheeling gravel up to 450 metres-assisted greatly by the horde of persons eating flies.”
“We are now at the point where we have all the major structures built and graveled-with a few smaller ones still left to do,” wrote Mr. Diebolt. “On August 14 our plan is to do a lot of smaller tasks along the trail that involve removing roots, covering up roots, rocks etc, with the Rangers. On August 13, myself and Peter Barnett will be walking the trail, marking and getting organized for the August 14 day with the Rangers.”
Mr. Diebolt continued, “after the work day with the Rangers, we will be reassessing what is required to complete the trail and I will be then asking for volunteer help from FOMB to complete-this date will likely be in the first week of September.”
Mr. Diebolt praised, “Peter and Michael from FOMB and Maria and Liam from Manitoulin Streams-full marks to these folks for the herculean task of wheeling gravel as far as they did. It is amazing as always on our Island how organizations team up and help out for good causes.”
“This is a good cause, and as one park visitor said to me when we working, ‘my daughter and her baby have already used this trail to go all the way to the beach in a stroller-this is awesome.’ Kudos to Seija Deschenes and her Manitoulin Streams crew and of course to our FOMB volunteers.”
