Blazing trails towards active living

Sometimes things are done simply in the name of active living.
A group of local residents has been lending their time to refurbish the Eighth Street trails. Over the past 10 years, they’ve cut down dead trees, cleared walking and skiing paths, and now are ready to make their next move to re-naturalize the area.
“It’s just to promote good health. Walking is the most basic form of exercise and it’s important to have the appropriate surroundings for it,” said Bob Holmes, one of the co-organizers of an upcoming tree-planting drive beginning June 1.
Those involved will find spots for 200 black spruce along the 2.4 km of walking trails and 5.9 km of skiing ones.
Holmes, along with Ron Grabowski, Art Colfer, Sam Arbuckle, Stan Zajac, Lyle Martin, Leon Wells, and Henry Miller, have done most of legwork to make the trails what they are today.
“Concrete is hard on the knees so having a setting like this really helps,” Holmes remarked.
The group has received financial support from the Town of Fort Frances (which owns the trails) and other volunteers. But they’ll be the first to tell you volunteering their time has its own benefits.
“I enjoy getting out there to clear trails,” said Colfer, who is over the age of 50 like all the others. “It’s been a bit of exercise for ourselves, too.”
“We’ve had people of all ages use this, from day care kids, Cub scouts, and [senior citizens] from Rainycrest,”notedGrabowski.
Two weeks ago, new signs sporting the town logo and basic maps were erected just outside the entry point to the trails, located north of Eighth Street near Rainycrest.
For more information on how to help out with the tree-planting, contact Grabowski (274-6816), Holmes (274-7273), or Colfer (274-6347).