Work begins to expand Lincoln-area hiking trail

Another partner has joined the effort to expand the Niagara Twenty Valley Trail in the Lincoln area.

Monday, Ontario Heritage Trust announced it is partnering with the Town of Lincoln, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and the Bruce Trail Conservancy on the Niagara Twenty Valley Trail Revitalization Project in the the northern part of Niagara Region. A $50,000 grant to the former from the Greenbelt Foundation to the Ontario Heritage Trust has enabled work to begin at the Trust’s Ellis property in Jordan Village, which is on the traditional and ancestral territory of the Anishinaabek and Haudenosaunee peoples. The property is about 1 km from the Ball’s Falls Conservation Area.

The long-term plan is to expand the current trail so hikers can access a continuous 1,366-km trail network onnecting Ball’s Falls to the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Ellis property, the Bruce Trail and side trails, the main street of Jordan Village and the Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre.

The grant will fund a feasibility study. The current trail will still open during that process.

“This work involves a feasibility study to plan out the trail pathways, identify areas of improvement and necessary infrastructure, and the creation and installation of trail signage,” Ontario Heritage Trust stated. “The final trail construction will be completed as a later phase of work. The Trust’s Ellis property will be closed while the feasibility study is underway. Usage of the trails along the current Twenty Valley Trail will remain open.”

In the release, Ontario Heritage Trust chair John Ecker said expanding the trail would help connect natural heritage sites with cultural and tourist attractions in developed areas.

“As Ontario continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the trust remains confident that our province’s heritage will be an asset for the economic recovery and revitalization of our tourism sector,” Ecker stated. “The new trail infrastructure will preserve important natural heritage sites while connecting to the cultural and tourism experiences offered in Jordan Village and Lincoln. We are grateful for the Greenbelt Foundation’s support and look forward to working with our partners to enhance visitors’ experiences in the Niagara region.”

The OHT will work with Indigenous partners to ensure their history and heritage are acknowledged and reflected along the trails, the release said.