Photo (from left) Rick Fryer (ERCA), Claire Wales (Essex Region Conservation) Foundation, Brian Schwab (Cypher Systems Group), Mayor Ron McDermott (Essex), Stephen Savage (Cypher Systems Group), Deputy Mayor Bart DiPasquale (Amherstburg) and Richard Wyma (ERCA) join students from École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Ursule to open the Cypher Systems Group Greenway.
Cypher Systems Group Greenway Celebrates Grand Opening
Dozens of walkers, cyclists and trail enthusiasts joined representatives from the Cypher Systems Group and Essex Region Conservation to celebrate the grand opening of the Cypher Systems Group Greenway.
The abandoned rail line was first donated to the Essex Region Conservation Foundation in 2003. In 2012, the Foundation launched its TrailON! campaign, which raised over $1 million dollars to undertake trail development. The Cypher Systems Group Greenway stretches 22 kilometres, from the urban centre of Essex to the Town of Amherstburg and intersects with the existing Chrysler Canada Greenway in McGregor, the site of the grand opening.
Caesars Windsor made an initial contribution of $25,000 to kick off the campaign. Contributions of $250,000 from Cypher Systems Group, $100,000 from the Town of Essex and many other corporate and individual donations enabled the Essex Region Conservation Foundation to be approved for up to $500,000 in funding through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (CIP 150) for the trail renovation. The Town of Amherstburg joined in celebrating this grand opening by announcing their own contribution of $100,000.
“The Greenway Trail is now coming to life. We can go for walks, jogs, runs and really start to explore this area and appreciate all it has to offer. We can accomplish much and build upon the value of this area by helping to provide these types of recreational places. It really is an investment, for everyone to use and enjoy today and for future generations to come.” – Brian Schwab, President, Cypher Systems Group
CIP 150 is a $300-million national program that supports the renovation, expansion and improvement of existing community and cultural infrastructure, including projects that support the Government’s priorities to ensure a better future for Indigenous peoples and promote a clean growth economy. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) is delivering the program in southern Ontario with a total allocation of up to $88.8 million over two years.
The Cypher Systems Group Greenway will support active living, promote economic diversity, and provide meaningful outdoor experiences for a healthier, more sustainable community. Essex Region Conservation will continue to raise funds to establish new community entrances and trail connections. These investments will enhance our regional tourism industry, connect us to our communities and our landscapes, and make the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region the Place for Life.
For more than four decades, Essex Region Conservation has been sustaining and enriching the environment of the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region to ensure it is the Place for Life.
Green spaces, trails and a healthy environment directly contribute to our region being recognized as the place for life, where people choose to live, work, visit, and invest. Trails connect us as communities and as Canadians, and this is a wonderful way in which to celebrate Canada 150.” – Rick Fryer, Chair, Essex Region Conservation Authority.