Marsh said federal grants under the Millennium program are also being used to build trails, but for every dollar given, another three has to be raised locally. Trail promoters envision having an unbroken path all the way along the water from Port Lambton to Grand Bend. Parts of the trail already exist, such as the stretch from Grand Bend to Pinery Provincial Park. Other trail developments in Lambton County include the Homer Watson trail from Point Edward, through Sarnia to Camlachie, which was built on an abandoned railway bed. Plans are also in place to connect the St. Clair River Trail with a spur trail to the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area, just west of Petrolia.
Money is the big thing.
However, as slowly as they are being developed, many health and recreation experts are looking to the development of trails in increasing numbers. As an employee who commutes along the river to Point Edward, Atkin gets a first-hand look at how the existing trail has gained acceptance. It's used more than I would ever have dreamed. Part of the trail passes near the Thompson Gardens senior residence in Corunna, and it is used extensively by the people who live there. Atkin said people who live along the trail were initially concerned litter from users would be a problem, but if anything, she said people who use the trail tend to pick up trash as they walk along.