Colourful and accessible makeover planned for Guelph trail

A rendering shows how the completed trail is expected to look. (Submitted/Guelph Hiking Trail Club)

Improvements are on the way for a trail in Guelph located behind Wellington Plaza near Gordon Street and Wellington Street.

The Guelph Hiking Trail Club is spearheading the project after joining forces with the Guelph Community Health Centre and several other local businesses.

“Other trails in Guelph are well manicured and well cared for. This one part of the trail where many people frequent wasn’t getting that same lift,” said Raechelle Devereaux, executive director of the Guelph Community Health Centre.

$25,000 worth of improvements will be made to this section of trail behind Wellington Plaza near downtown Guelph. (Heather Senoran/CTV News Kitchener)

The work will include resurfacing the ground with a gravel path, clearing the brush and making the approximately 400 metre space more accessible and user friendly.

“Some seating, benches and chairs. As well as garbage receptacles,” Devereaux said.

The team behind the project said they spoke to trail users to see what they wanted and are considering this a collaborative community initiative.

A big part of the project is adding artwork commissioned by the group Art Not Shame. The group worked with about 80 artists to complete a virtual mural in 2020.

Lead artist Melanie Schambach said it's more than just a mural, but also a forum for community members to speak out against injustices.

“The stories talked about systemic oppression and some are about the importance of uplifting our sense of cultural connections,” said Schambach, who is from London but does social art across Ontario.

A version of this digital mural commission by the Group Art Not Shame in 2020 will be a highlight of the newly improved trail. (Submitted/Art Not Shame)

The project will be getting a boast in form of a $25,000 grant from the federal government.

“The City of Guelph is also going to, as the owners of the trail, take up much of the upkeep as well, within their planed budget,” said Devereaux.

Some of the work has already started but the team is taking a winter break. The makeover is expected to be complete by July, 2022.