Cycling community looks to sanction trails at Black Oak Heritage Park
Black Oak Heritage Park is one part of what will soon make up the Ojibway National Urban Park.
But a community group of cyclists is concerned access to the park will go away when the National Park opens in about a year.
The 660-acre park, which is owned by the City of Windsor, has a vast trail system open for hikers, bird watchers, and even leisure cycling.
Advocates call it a hidden gem.
“I stumbled upon these trails and I instantly fell in love, right, and [the trails] became sort of a happy place,” said James Braakman, a director of Windsor Essex Bike Community.
“It's one of the most serene areas that I know of around here,” said Glyn Buck, a co-director for the not-for-profit advocacy group.
Black Oak Heritage Park is home to approximately 130 endangered plant and animal species, but Braakman said at one point, it was a dumping ground for old cars, trash, and illicit behaviour.
“There was illegal activity in here, drug use, off road vehicles,” Braakman said. “And it's been the cyclists and the trail users coming in here using this trail every day that has kicked all that out.”
There’s one catch; cycling on many of the trails is prohibited by the City of Windsor to protect the black oak savannah’s ecological integrity. According to the city's website, it’s open only for passive recreational activities.
That hasn’t stopped mountain bikers from using it all 12 kilometres of trails.A cyclist uses paths snaking through Black Oak Heritage Park in Windsor's west-end on Sunday Dec. 3, 2017. (Photo by AM800's Gord Bacon)
“You come out here in the middle of the summer or on a nice day, you can't even get a parking spot because there's so many people who really love these trails and it's a really special place for a lot of people,” said Braakman.
The Windsor Essex Bike Community (WEBC) is advocating for the trails to be sanctioned by the city, and eventually, Parks Canada when it becomes part of the National Urban Park.
“By sanctioning the trails, you get regulation, you can implement awareness, you can implement a framework, you can implement guidelines that are going to lead to long term environmental sustainability,” said Braakman.
Neither Parks Canada nor the City of Windsor responded to interview requests Friday, but Braakman confirmed they have met with the cycling community and their conversations have been respectful.
But cyclists warn much like today, even when the national park opens, rouge users will continue to access the trails.
“Why can't we find a solution here, under the watchful eye or guidance of Parks Canada, to create a similar trail network where trail users, environmental sustainability, Parks Canada, the city of Windsor can all work together to create something incredible,” Braakman said, noting cycling trails exist at many other national parks, including nearby Point Pelee National Park.
WEBC hopes common ground exists to both preserve trail usage and promote environmental and ecological sustainability.
“Being on the trails actually focuses the human activity in one location [and] keeps people from wandering around in the park,” said Buck. “We believe that it actually improves the environmental sustainability and viability of the area.”
The Windsor-Essex Bike Community has launched a petition to Parks Canada on its website, hoping the government will investigate sanctioning the trail network.
In just 24 hours since the launch of the petition, nearly 500 people have signed onto the cause.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc insists
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.