A fundraising effort was launched in 2019 which has successfully raised over $150,000 for the rehabilitation of the trail. Most of these donations have come from local residents and businesses who have purchased 1 metre of trail for $100. More than 100 people and families have become “Trail Blazers”. As well the Committee has received generous contributions from local businesses and corporations - see below for details.
Daniel Salvatore of CN, Rick Meloen and Tony Chisholm of the Heritage Trail Committee, January 8, 2020.
The Heritage Trail is the only unimproved multi-use trail in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Official Plan. It dissects the epicentre of the Wine Route in NOTL, a key destination for cycling, eco-tourism and agri-tourism. As the automobile was responsible for the decline of the railway, it seems fitting that a shift from the automobile to a renewed priority on active transportation has the potential to breathe new life back into the Heritage Trail.