In Caledon, a far-reaching plan takes shape

The acquisition of the Orangeville-Brampton rail corridor is a new chapter in the story of railway networks through Caledon, writes Tayler Parnaby

Thestar.com
August 4, 2022
Tayler Parnaby

Three years ago, the Caledon Trailway book committee had noted the fate of the long-forgotten Hamilton and North Western Railway, which once sliced through the forests of Albion and Caledon Townships, linking Lake Ontario, the town of Barrie and the Georgian Bay Port of Collingwood. It’s been 38 years since the last train crept through Palgrave, Caledon East, Inglewood and Cheltenham. Yet, a dream had already been born.

Weeks after the town’s birth in 1974, its new council urged the Canadian National Railway (CNR) to “abandon its lines through Caledon.” (The Caledon Railway). Fourteen years later, the town bought the land, leading to the creation of the Caledon Trailway.

The rest is history. Author Diane Allengame writes, “This accessible, linear park has given a largely rural community a focal point and is a place where users can appreciate nature, make connections to the past and enjoy a safe place to exercise. Thoughtfully designed, the Trailway appeals to cyclists, equestrians and hikers of all ages from Caledon and beyond.” It’s estimated as many as 90,000 use the trailway every year.

Now, a second chapter. The Region of Peel, Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga have acquired “approximately 51 kilometres of what was the Orangeville-Brampton rail corridor,” which runs from the Caledon-Orangeville border to the Village of Streetsville within Mississauga. The plan is to create “a continuous trail linking” all three municipalities and the national Trans Canada Trail system.

Until last December, the former Credit Valley Railway connected with the existing trailway at Inglewood providing limited freight service, and for a time a tourist train, which travelled across the famous 1,145-foot trestle bridge over the Credit River.

Says Caledon’s Mayor Allan Thompson: “Our trailways are the natural linkages that bind our vast rural and small urban communities together. This acquisition is especially important because it gives the town the opportunity to create a new north-south recreation trail that will travel through Caledon’s breathtaking scenic areas at the edge of the Niagara Escarpment.”

And, Thompson says, the new trail will allow “continued expansion of rural services like broadband infrastructure.”

Call this plan far-reaching and far-sighted!