by Sarah Herring, Director, Kemptville Winter Trail
Winter’s shadow is looming longer and darker in 2020, with many people wondering how to cope with increased isolation this winter and desperate for things to do. Kemptville Winter Trail (KeWi) hopes to offer a fun, free, healthy and active winter alternative to isolation and boredom, right here in the heart of North Grenville.
Kemptville Winter Trail is a non-profit corporation run by community volunteers who aim to create and maintain (over time, and in segments) groomed multi-use winter trails in Ferguson Forest Centre, Kemptville Campus, the Waterfront Trail and Anniversary Park – a vibrant outdoor community space for people to cross-country ski, hike, snowshoe or ride a winter fat bike on 10+ kilometres of groomed winter trails.
Keeping community residents within the community to participate in such activities benefits our community as a whole by boosting our local economy through increased stops at local stores and restaurants. And places that offer outdoor activities tend to draw visitors from outside the community too, with further potential to benefit our local economy.
KeWi has struck an arrangement with Ferguson Forest Centre to create an initial trail sector there this year, received much enthusiasm, encouragement and support for this initiative from North Grenville Mayor Nancy Peckford and Councillor Doreen O’Sullivan, and our social media debut (https://www.facebook.com/Kemptville.Winter.Trail) has garnered great community interest and enthusiasm!
But making the trail a reality requires community support.
KeWi’s goal is to raise the funds by the end of December 2020 for the purchase of a snow-grooming machine (operated through volunteer snowmobile owners this season), and additional funds over the next year toward the purchase of a trail-dedicated snowmobile, allowing us to better coordinate trail grooming and expand the winter trail system.
With your help, we can reach our goal and bring the trail to life!
Donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated, and donations of $100 or more will be prominently and gratefully acknowledged in the following manner throughout our 2020-2021 operating period:
$100 to $499 – your company name on our website and trailside signage
$500 to $999 – your company name and logo on our website and trailside signage
$1000 and up – your company name and logo, along with Platinum Sponsor designation, on our website, and both trailside and grooming machine signage
Donation cheques can be made payable to “Kemptville Winter Trail” and mailed to: PO Box 5054, Kemptville, ON, K0G 1J0.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and generous support toward making Kemptville’s outdoor winter landscape a more vibrant and exciting one for the whole community.