Historic Walking Trails
The walking trails not only connect us to historic landmarks and activities dating back more than a century ago. They also serve as a welcome exercise opportunity for walkers and joggers, a pathway for Island tours regarding historic sites and waypoints, a resource for nature lovers and children’s scavenger hunts, and a ready means to move from one activity to another around the Island. For all these reasons, we have been moving forward each year with additional progress toward completing the inter-related circuitry involving multiple phases of the trails. To provide the reader with a visual depiction of what these words express, we have included below a “Google Earth Map” of the Ojibway Island with the trails and landmarks clearly identified.
As seen on this Map, we have illustrated walking trails (1) fully completed, (2) proposed for future completion and currently walkable, and (3) planned for future restoration but not yet accessible. The kiosk erected at the trail head in the Spring of 2014 contained the trail map painted and contributed by Carol Prior, but did not yet have what are designated as phases # 2 and 5 completed. The completed (first category above) trails on this “Google Map” include the most recent phases finished by North Shore Barge in the Fall of 2014 and the Spring of 2015 – # 2 running from the Movie Hut and Southeast to the back beach; and # 5 from the large soccer pitch, passing well South of the tennis courts, up to and around the children’s playground, then connecting at # 2 just East of the Movie Hut. In addition, new in the Spring of 2016, we have now completed and made fully accessible the category (3) segment of trails which is designated #7, running from the large soccer pitch in the middle of the island West to and around the old Volleyball Court and Incinerator and back again.
Each phase of the completed trails has been restored through tax-receipted donations at the costs originally quoted by North Shore Barge in 2011 and, now in the case of the new #7, at a significantly discounted cost courtesy of North Shore Barge as its further contribution to OHPS. The restorations of phases 1, 2, part of 3, 5 and 6 were accomplished over effectively three years. The final 1 ½ of the initial six phases (being the remainder of # 3 and all of # 4, reflected in the second category above) and new phases are being scheduled as funds are raised. Since those final phases are walkable, we decided to proceed with the third category of trails (the new #7) which has now been finished as of Spring 2016. Work on those final "walkable" initial phases (the rest of #3 and all of #4) will be done as funds are donated to allow proceeding.
Meanwhile, thanks to a generous donor, another wonderful addition placed on the trails for the start of the 2016 season are six-foot long benches at spaced intervals throughout the trails circuit, to provide either the gazing nature lover, eager photographer or weary walker a spot to rest and take in the beautiful island scenery at his or her leisure.
The trails have served as a wonderful resource for exploration and recreation, and will do so for years to come. Donors to date have contributed generously to trail restoration for each of the successive phases, including over each of the past winters and with gifts In Memory of Susan Worts. We thus remain hopeful that members of the Ojibway community will continue to assist in restoring and preserving the trails as a bridge and access to our historic past. If you are interested in doing so now, please proceed to the DONATE link on this website, follow the instructions, and designate your contribution for the “Walking Trails.”