91���˵���

140000 Bridal Veil trails fundraising campaign launched

0:00

/511.4325

1×

KAGAWONG—With the Bridal Veil Falls being a major economic driver for the township of Billings and the overall damage to the falls trail being in excess of $1 million due to the devastating floods it incurred this spring, Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association (MSIA) is working in partnership with Billings Township on a $140,000 fundraising campaign (including a Go Fund Me) to get immediate, necessary work done this fall.

“We are working in partnership together with Billings township,” said Seija Deschenes, coordinator of MSIA. “We have been looking at all environmental funds that are available, but usually they announce these funding programs in the spring. We can apply for NOHFC funding, but there is a two-phase process that an applicant has to go through.”

“We have a one month in-water working period, and there is emergency work that needs to get done,” said Ms. Deschenes. “One of the things that needs to be done is getting rid of downed trees in the river and for work to be done on the rockslides that have caused erosion on the banks of the stream; this work needs to be done this fall.”

Ms. Deschenes said, “We are trying to get the immediate stuff complete and then work on funds for the rest of the work next year. We need to get in there to get work done for the fall fish (salmon) spawning. The salmon don’t spawn as early in Kagawong as they do in Mindemoya and Manitowaning, so we are looking at the end of September or early October.” She said MSIA and Billings have applied for an in-water work extension from the province.

Billings Mayor Bryan Barker said, “On Tuesday, August 4, I met with representatives of the province and Manitoulin Streams to discuss the restoration of the Bridal Veil Falls trail and the Kagawong River system following the significant damage caused by the spring flooding.”

“The township is seeking assistance from the province in identifying potential funding opportunities and supporting the remediation and restoration work required as a result of the flood damage,” said Mayor Barker. “The immediate cost to undertake the necessary trail restoration and reopen the area to some level of tourism is estimated at approximately $119,000-140,000. This work would provide an important first step toward restoring access and allowing tourism activities to continue.”

“However, restoring the entire ecosystem and returning the river system and surrounding area to its pre-flood condition is estimated to cost $1 million,” said Mayor Barker. He noted MSIA has outlined a three-phase restoration plan, in partnership with Billings, to restore the Kagawong River system as close as possible to its pre-flood condition. “The township is hopeful that a significant portion of these costs can be offset through provincial and other funding programs over the proposed three-year restoration period. Even with funding assistance, however, there will likely remain a substantial financial shortfall.”

Mayor Barker explained, “the province advised that most of its available funding has already been allocated for this year. However, provincial representatives indicated that they would investigate whether any funding remains available that could assist with the restoration efforts.”

“The province also recognizes the importance of Bridal Veil Falls to Manitoulin Island’s tourism industry and understands the significant impact the closure and flood damage have had on the community,” continued Mayor Barker. “They have indicated that they will do what they can to assist the township and its partners in restoring the river system and this important tourism destination.”

“The township has already received generous donations from private community members who want to see Bridal Veil Falls and the surrounding area restored,” said Mayor Barker. “We are extremely grateful for this support and for the community’s commitment to this important project.”

“Manitoulin Streams and Billings Township have been assessing the damage to the Kagawong River and Bridal Veil Falls Trail since the devastating floods this spring,” a press release notes. “The overall damage will reach in excess of a million dollars and will take numerous years. Bridal Veil Falls is an economic driver for the township of Billings as is it is a highly visited tourist destination on Manitoulin Island.”

“The township has recently opened access to the falls, while continuing to prevent access to the trail system because of the hazards,” the press release continues. “They ask that the public respect the fencing and not trespass as it is for your own safety. It is a dangerous situation along the trail until it can be restored. Once the work along the trails is completed it will be reopened for hiking.”

Ms. Deschenes told The Expositor, “A lot of people don’t understand how much damage was caused by the flooding to the river and trail. It is too dangerous for members of the public to get over the many obstacles on the trail. We are hoping to get the trail open this fall, if work can be done and it is made walkable. I’m optimistic this can take place.”

The high water levels and sheer volume of water that came downstream eroded most of the shoreline banks impacting the trail system and causing hundreds of trees to fall into the river, with many then transported downstream causing log jams. These log jams displaced the water toward the shoreline edges causing additional erosion, explained Ms. Deschenes. There is a substantial log jam built up on the pedestrian bridge which caused the water to divert around the bridge and wash out the gravel that connects the trails to the bridge. The erosion of gravel and force of the water caused the abutments to sink which will involve engineering. The health of the trees along the trail will need to be assessed and determined if they must be removed for safety reasons.

Much of the spawning gravel and stones in the middle to upper reach of the river was transported downstream creating large stone bars in the centre of the river. The stone bars displaced the water to the edges of the river shoreline causing additional erosion of the trails. There were two large landslides from the high embankments in which large stones and trees fell into the river and along the trail system. For these reasons, the township must ensure public safety before opening the trail for locals and tourists, the release notes.

“An initial challenge was determining the cost of restoring the damage along the river and trails due to the significant area that it covered and the limited accessibility to many locations. As the in-water working period is coming to an end due to fall fish spawning they are scrambling to find funding to complete the emergency efforts within the next month. Manitoulin Streams has received quotes to help create a budget to restore the river and trail system,” the release states.

Ms. Deschenes explained, as Manitoulin Streams and the township investigated funding opportunities to help support these efforts, they realized that they didn’t qualify for various funds for this type of remediation and most funds were already allocated for other projects. “As you can imagine, the township did not anticipate this in their annual budget. This is more than a one-year project, and it will take a couple of years to restore the damage caused by the flooding. Due to the short timeline to conduct in water work a decision was made to raise funds for the immediate restoration work required before next year’s spring freshet so that additional erosion doesn’t take place and then look at funding to restore the river for future years to come.”

“Their goal is to raise $140,000 to complete the immediate actions required before this fall, which include the following: trees that have fallen into the river causing water displacement, erosion and sedimentation need to be removed before next spring freshet, so they don’t cause additional damage to the shoreline and trail system; the health and safety of the trees along the trail needs to be surveyed and removed if needed for public safety reasons; the stone bars created by stone and rock being transported downstream into the center of the river need to be addressed and a new centre channel created; large rocks hanging from landslides need to be dislodged so that they won’t tumble onto hikers utilizing the trail and safe guarded; trails need to be graded; gravel/stone added and culverts need to be replaced or added where required; an assessment is required by an engineer to determine estimated cost for bridge repair, solutions and barrier protection placed in until the bridge can be restored to prevent further damage; a survey and site design is required by engineer for two of five stream restoration sites to be completed in 2027 that had severed erosion.”

“Manitoulin Streams and Billings is requesting the public’s help to support these immediate actions before the fall spawning run takes place,” said Ms. Deschenes. She said for anyone interested in supporting the Kagawong restoration efforts who would like a charitable receipt, “we will provide a receipt for a donation of $20 and over and require your address.”

Donations can also be made to the Go Fund Me site set up by MSIA, or in the following ways: e-transfer to [email protected]; Pay Pal on the MSIA website www.manitoulinstreams.com (bottom of home page) or cheques to Manitoulin Streams 25B Spragge Street. Box 238 Manitowaning, Ontario POP INO.

For tourists visiting Bridal Veil Falls that would like to see the trail reopened there will be signage placed at the top of Bridal Veil Falls with the MSIA QR code to donate.

Mayor Barker said, “the restoration of Bridal Veil Falls and the Kagawong River system will be a significant undertaking, but with the support of the province, Manitoulin Streams, the township, local residents, businesses, visitors, and donors, we are committed to moving this project forward.”

“Bridal Veil Falls is an important environmental, recreational and tourism asset for Manitoulin Island,” said Mayor Barker. “Our goal is to restore this treasured destination so that residents and visitors can once again enjoy it for years to come.”