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Sault Ste. Marie residents support new recreational trail

Community demand for new non-motorized trails in Sault Ste. Marie has led to resident support for a project along the hydro plant power canal.

Oliver Turner is the Sault Ste. Marie City Manager. He said the trail will improve the quality of life for Soo residents.

“We envision an improved quality of life, enhanced non-motorized transportation facilities, and expanding our recreational portfolio. I think it will improve access to the power canal itself which is a very unique facility within the state of Michigan”.

Turner said the power canal trail will link into existing trail systems to help form stronger connections to other parts of the city.

“It’s connecting to trail on west portage and running east. Eventually what we’d like to do is to have a dedicated bicycle route which would allow citizens to use the trail and head north up to the Valley Camp area and then head east out to Rotary Island Park”.

Turner said the project has nearly met its’ crowd funding goal of $50,000 that will trigger matching funds from the state.

He said most of the work is scheduled to be done in 2018, but the project will not be totally completed until 2019.