Paving paradise: what we’re hearing from Topsail Island

Sault Ste. Marie City Council will be asked Monday to approve a paved walkway around Topsail Island.

"The existing dirt trail is well used by the public year-round," says Don McConnell, the city's director of planning and enterprise services.

"This project would create an accessible walking trail at one of the community’s most beautiful locations," McConnell says.

The project would include replacing part of the existing riverside walkway damaged by high water levels, as well as completing a paved walkway around nearby Prince Island, where City Council approved a controversial proposal for a religious grotto in 2010.

"The proposed walkway will be 2.5 metres in width and conform to all of the provincial integrated accessibility standards for recreational trails," McConnell says in a report prepared for Monday's council meeting.

Total distance to be paved is about 1.62 kilometres.

The work is expected to be done this year.

It's part of a new five-year accessibility plan to be presented to City Council in March, aimed at removing identified barriers at city facilities and services.

An accessible walkway on Topsail Island would "create an outdoor experience for the entire community," McConnell says.

Estimated cost of the work is $125,000.

The city is also hoping to install accessible seating at the John Rhodes arena, either later this year or in 2022, depending on cost and availability of funding.