5 January 2006
The Changing Face of the Pines
Woodstock - The Pines, the Woodstock Cycling Club's serene sanctuary just northeast of
Woodstock for the past 11 years, just lost three quarters of its trails, and believe it or not, that's the good news.
The bad news is there's a study being done that could lead to a rail track constructed through part of the wooded area, depleting even
more trail space and pushing redevelopment back even further than its projected two years. "If the rail does go through, we will
lose quite a bit of land, but I'm trying to be optimistic that we won't lose as much," David Lee, the club's president, said.
"It's a big if. If it does, there will be a lot of trails that we have to rebuild."
The proposed rail tracks would service the new Toyota assembly plant, and while no final decision has been made, it would be the second
disruption to the area in recent months. In December, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority cut down every fourth row of pine
trees - 25 percent in total - an necessary but inconvenient move designed to allow the "natural hardwood" to grow.
At a time when the WCC would casually be preparing for another season, the club's six executive members met Wednesday night to discuss
rebuilding and the possibilities of the rail line moving in. "I think the new trails, going forward, will be a lot better,"
Lee said. "As for the rail line, I wish we knew sooner."
The nearly 12,000-square-metre area has been the club's home since 1994, when it signed its first lease with the UTRCA.
Back then it was unrefined, with trails wide enough for vehicles. It was up to the club's members to groom the trails until they were
mountain-bike ready. "When we first had access to The Pines, it was a bunch of service roads," said Gerald
Mueller, the club's head of trail maintenance. "Once we got a lease on it, we started adding more and more (single track) trail
room." This reduction of trail to about three kilometres from 13 kilometres (11 kilometres in races) has been the club's biggest
group challenge in his 25 years with the group, the past five as head of maintenance, Mueller said.
He knows 2006 will be a year like no other. "We've really got our hands full for the new season coming up," he said.
"We're fortunate the east end by the Flying Club didn't get touched."
Ike Donnan, the club's vice-president, expressed his disappointment with having to rebuild trails that took 10 years to
cultivate. "We'll certainly have part of them if we can't have all of them. Toyota isn't going to go away," Donnan said,
stressing he's not against the car company's development. "It's not an us against Toyota sort of thing. We'll have to start to
rebuild trails and clear woodlots. It's disappointing, but we don't have much choice, you know?"
Original estimates are it will take two years to fully rebuild the trails to their original state, but even that is uncertain given
questions surrounding Toyota's development.
Canadian Pacific Railway, which has old rail spurs in The Pines, sent Blandford-Blenheim Township a memo last month
informing the municipality of a study being conducted between Township Road 3 and Township Road 4, an area that affects The Pines.
If it receives approval from the Canadian Transportation Agency and passes federal environmental assessments, the track would cut
through the western section of the trails. The actual amount will be known when the study is complete, but it will also depend on the
shape of the land. "If (the land) is low enough or straight enough, it takes a minimum amount from the trails," Lee said.
"If it's higher, it spreads out further."
At the time, members knew The Pines would be affected by the UTRCA's cut, but the Toyota rail line possibility came out of nowhere.
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