Improvement work on the K&P Trail is scheduled to begin from Monday, November 15, at the Verona trailhead. The project plans include levelling, grading, and paving the parking area; installing benches and picnic tables; and the addition of barrier-free access to the trail from the parking area. The work is scheduled to take about three weeks but crews will return in the spring to pave the parking lot. The Verona trailhead parking area will be inaccessible during construction, so users are invited to park at and access the trail from the Hartington, Godfrey, or White Lake Road trailheads. This work will not only improve trail access and safety but also strengthen the overall user experience, further positioning the K&P Trail as a valuable public recreation asset and emerging tourism attraction in the region.

“Frontenac County has spent the past decade developing the Frontenac K&P Trail into a world-class facility," says Richard Allen, Manager of Economic Development, Frontenac County. "These improvements will ensure that trail users of all ages and abilities can safely access and enjoy our wonderful trail.”

This work is just the first phase of a program funded through the Community, Culture, and Recreation stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The four-year, $828,000 funding partnership among Infrastructure Canada, the Province of Ontario, and The County of Frontenac was announced in June.

Verona Trailhead Concept Drawing

Improvements to edge protection will take place at several locations along the trail. Crews will install edge protection in the form of post and rail fencing as needed in high-risk areas where there are steep drop-offs or water hazards near the trail’s edge. The trail should remain open during this work but users are advised that they may encounter heavy equipment on the trail and are asked, for everyone’s safety, to follow any work crews’ instructions.

This project improves access to the trail for those who have disabilities and provides rest areas which supports additional use by seniors and trail users with mobility challenges. In addition to improving access, this infrastructure will improve the quality of the facility for all users by encouraging enjoyment of the trail and facility with rest facilities and higher quality access points. Accessible recreation infrastructure is difficult to find in rural communities and as such, the Frontenac K&P Trail is a significant community asset in Frontenac County.

This project includes the following elements:

• Upgrades to the Verona Trailhead: This includes leveling, grading and paving of the parking area, installation of benches and picnic tables, and providing barrier free access to the K&P Trail from the parking area. Design work has been completed, and estimates for the parking area upgrades have been provided.
  
  
• Improved accessibility at gated locations: Rehabilitation of 26 gate structures to ensure adequate width and level access for users with mobility devices, strollers or electric wheelchairs. Additional signage indicating permitted trail uses will also be installed
  
  
• Road Crossing Improvements: Signage and minor infrastructure changes will be used to improve visibility of trail crossings and trail users.
  
  
• Edge Protection: As required by the AODA Design for Public Spaces regulation, edge protection should be installed along the edge of the trail in places where there are steep drop offs or water to prevent trail users of all abilities from injury.
  
  
• Rest Areas / Park Benches: These areas will be developed throughout the Frontenac K&P Trail, with a focus on settlement areas where seniors and users with mobility challenges are most likely to access and use the Trail. This includes benches and enough off-trail space to support persons using assistive mobility devices. The Frontenac Regional Active Transportation plan recommends placement of benches every 500-1000 meters. Shelter areas will be placed at strategic locations along the trail that are more remote and isolated from settlement areas and other amenities. These areas are to ensure the safety of trail users from dangerous weather conditions.
  
  
• Trail Counters: In order to provide consistent reporting data over time on the use of the trail, automated trail counting infrastructure will be installed at consistent intervals along the trail and near busy access points.