Paradise staff hope stream diversion will protect trail

By Mark Squibb

People who walk Adam’s Pond Trail regularly will be glad to hear council is taking steps to address continuous water pooling along the trail.

Councillor Erin Furlong brought the matter forward during council’s July 21 committee of the whole meeting.

“An existing outflow culvert crossing the trail has proved insufficient in managing waterflow,” explained Furlong. “This results in a localized pooling of water on the trail surface, limiting accessibility, and potentially causing erosion and trail degradation.”

Staff have decided to remedy the problem by removing the culvert and replacing it with a natural stream, complete with a new pedestrian bridge.

A limited call for proposals to provide hydrology and civil engineering services to facilitate part of the design resulted in staff recommending the Town hire Stantec at a cost of $38,255.

Furlong said $30,000 had been budgeted for the entirety of the project, including construction, so the extra funds needed to complete the planning work will be taken from the recreation budget. The actual construction will be budgeted at a later time.

“Myself and my family walk this trail pretty frequently, and we have seen the pooling of water on the trail, and we’ve noticed that sometimes the water flows over, which can degrade the sides of the trail a little bit, and in the wintertime, it can cause ice to build up,” said Furlong. “So, I think residents that use the trail regularly will be happy to see that there will be a solution to that issue to make the trail more accessible and useable for everybody. Plus, the naturalized stream will be a nice addition to the trail.”

The stream is located near Archibald Drive, and staff hope to redirect the water run off from Paradise Road and Archibald Drive into Adam’s Pond.

Furlong noted the culvert itself is not deficient and will likely be stored at the Town’s depot once it’s been removed. The increased water flow is likely a result of development along those roads.

Construction, once it begins, is anticipated to take three to five weeks, and will be tendered this fall or in the new year.

CAO Lisa Niblock said the construction cost will be determined once the engineering work has been finished, and the work will likely be completed by the Grand Concourse Authority.