My Dundas Valley

(Click on picture to enlarge)

In my letter to the editor, “Why the change to Dundas Valley trails?“, published in the Hamilton Spectator on May 28, 2014, I wrote:

Up until last year, the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) was able to maintain a friendly and accessible character to Dundas Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) trails. They looked natural; they were easy to walk, run and bike on, even to push a baby stroller or a wheelchair. The water damage, frequently caused by rain and melting snow, was repaired in a timely manner, garbage was promptly removed, the area was clean and user friendly.

Since last fall, the HCA has been implementing a new idea — our beautiful and natural-looking trails are now being covered with large, coarse gravel and crushed rock, often the size of table tennis balls. The trails are beginning to look like rough farm lanes and the rare Carolinian forest like a construction site. The new surface is difficult to walk or run on, dangerous to bike on and impossible to access with a baby stroller or a wheelchair.

It destroys shoes and bike tires. It hurts the legs of dogs and other animals. It makes it impossible to remove the ever-increasing amount of horse manure. It looks plain ugly and creates a safety hazard.

A better solution is badly needed. It could be a layer of fine gravel or sand on top of the sharp and rolling rocks or a removal of the new surface and restoration of its natural state. For years, it was possible to maintain natural and accessible trails. Why is it not being done now?

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