Council weighs winter use, funding limits, and operational options for waterfront trail plan
SMITHS FALL — Smiths Falls council has begun discussing how far it wants to go with waterfront trail development, focusing on what “year-round” activation means and how limited capital funding should be used.
The discussion followed a presentation from Stephanie Clark, director of community services, who asked council to clarify its intent under Strategic Priority 3.1, Placemaking and Waterfront Activation, before staff proceed further.
Clark told council there is $60,000 allocated in the 2026 capital budget and said staff need direction on whether that funding should support additional planning or incremental improvements.
“The remaining question for us is not whether planning is required, but what council intends by year-round waterfront activation,” Clark said.
She noted that several foundational planning tools are already in place through Strategic Priority 6.1, including trail standards and the Parks and Open Space Connectivity Plan. The strategic plan measures success for Priority 3.1 as council approval of a waterfront trail plan and does not automatically establish a new service level for parks or trails.
Clark said the phrase “year-round” could range from a long-term design principle to a more significant operational shift involving winter maintenance, staffing, and programming.
“At the far end of the spectrum, that would represent a fundamental shift from our current seasonal operating model,” she said.
Council acknowledged that residents continue to use trails outside the maintained season but expressed caution about winter maintenance, safety, and cost.
Mayor Shawn Pankow asked if they follow the data of people using the spaces in the fall past Thanksgiving.
“Do we have any idea of how such (trails) are used in the wintertime?” he asked.
Clark said she didn’t have actual numbers as that’s difficult to achieve, but in 2024, she noted that there was geo-data suggesting that there were 400,000 visitors to Lower Reach Park during the year between May and October, with about 50,000 in the shoulder seasons.
Keeping the trails open in winter would cost time, energy and money, the director noted, but it’s not impossible to sand, salt and snow clearing options.
Coun. Chris McGuire said when it comes to winter maintenance, “I think the footprints on the trails speak for themselves. It gets compacted, it’s icy and it’s dangerous.”
Chief administrative officer Malcolm Morris added that once the town actively maintains a trail in winter, liability increases.
“When you maintain it, there’s an implicit statement that it’s safe,” Morris said.
Council members agreed there was no immediate appetite for full year-round operations, but expressed interest in extending shoulder-season use and improving high-traffic trail sections within existing operational limits. They also wanted to have a more fulsome discussion when all members of council were in attendance, as three were absent on Monday.
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