A new multi-use pathway is coming to the Village of Corbeil, thanks in part to a $1,027,433 investment from the federal government. The MacPherson Drive Link will connect Corbeil to the Voyageur Cycle Route, a 645-kilometer route that connects 29 communities from Sudbury to Ottawa.
“This is great news for the Municipality of East Ferris,” Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota said, while announcing the funding in Corbeil Tuesday. “The all-season trail will provide safe and accessible paths for the community to walk, cycle and roll, snowshoe and more,” he added.
The million-plus dollars come through Canada’s Active Transportation Fund, a fund doling out over $400 million over five years – the fund began in 2021. The Municipality of East Ferris is also contributing $182,000. Additional funding for the trail has come from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and the Trillium Foundation. The province, in total, has pitched in $522,904 for the pathway.
See: East Ferris highlights impact of two provincial grants
Once complete, the MacPherson Drive Link will add around seven kilometers of multi-use paths, complete with trail markers, benches, bike racks, and bicycle repair stations. The project is designed to promote active living within the municipality and will create a four-season link between Corbeil’s outdoor recreation hub and the Trout Lake boat launch and public beach.
"This funding will further connect East Ferris and Trout Lake pedestrians and cyclists to the 645 km Voyageur Cycling Route and our Corbeil Recreation Hub,” East Ferris’ Mayor Pauline Rochefort emphasized.“
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.