K&P Trail open for ATV's through Verona

Jeff Green | May 27, 2020

Verona residents have been split for years over whether to allow motorized vehicles on the K&P trail within the village. It is a full multi-use trail from Craig Road (north of Verona) to points north, and it is a non-motorized trail south of Craig Road

ATV activists, including the year-old Verona ATV Association, have been advocating for the dividing line to be moved south to the trail head at Hardwood Creek bridge, at the foot of the village of Verona.

The trail head, which is located on a former gas station property that was purchased by Frontenac County from the Township of South Frontenac Township, has a relatively large parking lot, and is an ideal location to leave vehicles and trailers and begin an ATV trail expedition that can extend through Frontenac County as far as Calabogie and Renfrew. Until this week, ATVers needed to travel north along Main Street/Road 38 to Craig Road, before they can join the trail.

The Verona Community Association (VCA), which has relocated their Verona Village kiosk to the trail head, is opposed to motorized vehicles using the trail in the village.

Speaking on their behalf at a meeting of Frontenac County Council last week (May 20) Councillor Alan Revill said, “people in Verona see that section as an urban linear park. I've seen horseback riders, kids on bicycles, people walking dogs. It does not lend itself to motorised vehicles. The VCA opposes the use,” he said.

South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal, who ultimately voting in favour of extending he multi-use section when the matter came to a vote at the meeting, pointed to another concern. The township is planning to build a senior's housing complex along that stretch of trail and ATV travel within the grounds of that complex may not be a compatible use.

“I will support this as long as we put a time limit on it of this November. Let's try it for a few months and see what happens. That's how we handled Sunday hunting and ATV's on roads in South Frontenac and it worked well.”

Other members of Council, none of whom come from South Frontenac, made some comments about the matter before it came to vote.

Councillor Gerry Martin, from North Frontenac, said “I think the trail head was built in the wrong place. It should have been at Craig road, and the problem would not be there at hall.”

This prompted a response from Ron Vandewal.

“It is easy to say put a parking area at Craig Road, but we bought that trail head at Bellrock Road for a reason. Things can change in a year, but I don’t think the sky is going to fall because of this use. It is only until November, and as I said we will see if they can co-exist.”

The motion to to allow motorised usage of the small section of trail through downtown Verona was approved in a vote of 7-1, with Councilloor Revill registering the only no vote.