Photo courtesy Eighth Street Trails Association via Town of Fort Frances agenda hand out

A group overseeing the Eighth Street Trails in Fort Frances is seeking some support from the town.

It has a list of equipment needs necessary for the maintenance of the six kilometres of cross-country trails and three kilometres of walking trails.

The big item is a new snowmachine and grooming equipment to replace an existing machine over thirty years ago.

Other capital items include wood chips, culverts, and new signage.

The group estimates the purchases at about $40,000.

Committee member Elaine Fischer says they are not looking to the town for money, but they would like to partner to seek out grant money.

“We’ve had some very promising conversations with some potential funding sources, and we want to go after that money to take the burden off the town because we know the purse strings are tight, and we do feel it’s a win-win,” says Fischer.

The group was a recent winner of $5,000 from the Tbaytel for Good campaign.

It was also presented with $20,000 from the Moffat Family Fund.

Additional funding was received from a test-drive day and bbq at Fort Frances GM.

Another wish list is a storage facility. The group now uses a shed on Riverside Health Care Facility property.

“We are growing, and we’d like to brainstorm, with the town, on storage options at the trailhead right behind Rainycrest. The primary storage would be for the snowmobile and grooming equipment as well as we want to look at some long-term options, including storage for a ski loan program,” says Fischer.

Fischer says this would include skis, boots and poles being available.

The group also wants to work with the town to increase public awareness of the trails.

It estimates that about 2,000 people use the trails each year.

Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting