Major spring flooding devastated the popular Kagawong River Trail on Manitoulin Island and is having a major impact on tourism this summer. The Billings Township trail has been closed since April. The not-for-profit Manitoulin Streams has been given the job of clearing and repairing the trail and the nearby Kagawong River. “So hopefully working together with them, and local contractors, we can get the trail back up and running,” said Billings Mayor Bryan Barker. CTV News was invited to get a closer look at the devastation and find out why the cleanup is taking so long. Seija Deschenes, project coordinator with Manitoulin Streams, outlined the extent of the flood damage. “A lot of the trees had eroded with the force of the water coming downstream and they all fell into the river,” Deschenes said. “A lot of these trees were transported downstream and a lot of them created these log jams.” The logjams diverted water, with the buildup leading to additional erosion of the shoreline. Rock deposits further upstream created rock bars. As a result, the trail remains closed to users due to safety concerns. “As the water levels rose, it eroded the edges of the trails,” Deschenes said. “There were also landslides from the hills that came down. That rock is covering the trails. So it’s really unsafe for tourists or locals to walk along this trail system.” “I always say words can’t explain,” Barker said of the damage and devastation along the trail. The township is asking everyone to respect the trail closure signs as the restoration work gets underway in the next month. There is an urgency to get some of the initial work done. Deschenes said debris needs to be removed from the waterway by mid-September to support local ecology. “So that when the salmon do come up there is going to be some habitat for them to spawn,” she said. Popular Bridal Veil Falls reopened to visitors July 23. Barker said the viewing platform had always been open, but due to high water and safety issues, the stairs down to the gorge were closed. Now the area is packed with visitors. “Last long weekend, you couldn’t get a parking spot in and around the falls,” he said. “There are a fair number of people here today as we drove by. This time of year -- usually the last couple of weeks of July, first couple of weeks of August -- is our prime tourist time.” Deschenes said restoration could cost about $1 million in the next three years, estimating the immediate portion of the remediation around $140,000. “It’s beyond the reach of the township financially,” Barker said, adding that the township is seeking help from the province in identifying potential funding opportunities. “It’s not infrastructure, so I’m not 100 per cent sure where it falls. We are going to apply,” he added. To help with some of the costs, Manitoulin Streams created a GoFundMe page. Deschenes said any donations for the Kagawong River and Trail restoration can be provided with a donation receipt.
