Government-funded asphalt trail at Meadowbrook Park complete

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Ward 8’s Meadowbrook Park has a new multi-use trail thanks to federal and provincial funding.

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The 410-meter asphalt trail officially opened on Tuesday, though final restoration and asphalt coating won’t be completed until things warm up in the spring. The trail’s roughly $180,000 price tag was covered by the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

“Since the pandemic began in 2020, exploring Windsor’s parks and trails has become an everyday experience for many,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “Navigating public health guidelines has highlighted the importance of outdoor activity to support our physical and mental health. We’re grateful to upper levels of government for this much-needed funding boost that is helping to upgrade our infrastructure and strengthen the quality of life for Windsor residents.”

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In addition to the trail, funding for Meadowbrook Park allowed for the installation of five new benches and bench pads, three accessible ramps and curb cuts, two new waste receptacles, two recycling silos, and 15 large caliper trees that will be planted in the spring .

Investing in public infrastructure is essential to building the healthy, sustainable communities of tomorrow

Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak said he is “so happy for the residents of the Meadowbrook community who use this park extensively.” The trail and other improvements “will make a big difference moving forward towards our goal to have active and walkable neighborhoods and parks.”

Kaschak also called the project a “terrific collaboration from the three levels of government to bring this community improvement to fruition.”

Meadowbrook Park is one of six city parks benefiting from about $3 million in joint federal and provincial funding announced last August for projects that improve public services in City of Windsor parks, facilities, and active transportation. The federal government invested about $2.5 million through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the ICIP, and the province invested about $640,000. The city’s combined contribution for parks projects is about $255,000.

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Multi-use trails will also be added to Central Park, Southdale Park, Calderwood Park, Bellewood Park, and Patrick Maguire Park.

Six streets will receive upgrades to bike facilities as part of the project. Victoria Avenue from Ellis Street to Park Street will see a local street bikeway expansion, Hawthorn Drive from Roseville Park to Hawthorne Court will have an off-street trail and local street bikeway upgrade, and Walker Road and EC Row will have spot improvements to connect the cycling network across the expressway. There will also be improvements on EC Row Avenue from Bliss Road to Turner Road, the Walker Business Park Trail from Walker Road to Riberdy Road, and Walker Road from the south interchange ramp to the north interchange ramp.

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Eighteen city facilities, including the Capitol Theater, Mackenzie Hall, and the WFCU Center, will also receive improvements as part of the project.

“Investing in public infrastructure is essential to building the healthy, sustainable communities of tomorrow,” said Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk (Windsor-Tecumseh). “This investment at Meadowbrook Park is another great example of our federal government’s commitment to partner with the City of Windsor to expand multi-use trails and create more vibrant public spaces for local residents to enjoy.”

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