The Story of the G2G Rail Trail
G2G Story
The Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail, or G2G, is a 132 km train right of way abandoned in 1988 and under re-development as a highly accessible public recreational trail for non-motorized use – walking, hiking, birding, running, wheeling, cycling, snowshoeing and skiing.
The Province of Ontario owns the right of way, retains it as an infrastructure corridor and leases sections to municipal and other organizations with public recreation as their priority. The G2G Rail Trail Advisory Committee has been granted leases on all previously unleased gaps in the trail to establish, maintain and develop the trail to be contiguous from end to end.
Further development of the G2G as a recreational and tourism destination will entail significant fundraising and public engagement for bridge repairs and enhancements, trail furnishings and signage, user information and services, marketing and local business development.
Background
The original rail line was built by the Guelph & Goderich Railway and completed in 1907 to link the port at Goderich and a string of rural communities to Guelph and markets beyond. The business and towns along its route prospered for decades but freight and passenger traffic dwindled with the automotive era. Passenger service on the rail line ended in 1955, and in 1988, Canadian Pacific Railway received permission to decommission the entire line. The three bridges over the Grand, Conestoga and Maitland rivers were removed by the CPR in the early 1990’s.
The provincial government bought the retired line and pulled up the rails and ties to lay a pipe to bring Lake Huron water to Guelph. That scheme died when an international treaty prohibited the transfer of water between the Great Lakes, other than via the flow of nature – as Guelph water eventually drains into Lake Erie.
Over the next decade, public access was piecemeal, some sections were rehabilitated by local volunteers, some became overgrown and gated off, and the smaller bridges were closed or removed.
Ten years later, the County of Wellington and Regional Municipality of Waterloo leased 45 km of the trail, from the outskirts of Guelph to the village of Millbank, to create the Kissing Bridge Trailway, named for the historic covered bridge at West Montrose. Other local municipalities and volunteer groups also rallied to recondition and open sections of the trail, such as the Goderich to Auburn Rail Trail and Blyth Greenway Trail at the far west end.
In 2013, G2G Rail Trail Inc.was formed to spearhead efforts for completion and to encourage public engagement with the recreational, tourism and economic potentials of the trail. The fundraising goal for completion of the trail, including replacement of the three bridges over the Grand, Conestoga and Maitland Rivers is over $10 million. The G2G Rail Trail is now a non-profit charity registered with CRA.
The Trail
The G2G starts from downtown Guelph and passes through scenic countryside, rich farmland, sheltered woodland, along and over streams, rivers and wetlands, past 13 villages and towns, and ends at Lake Huron at the mouth of the Maitland River and the Port of Goderich. The rail trail cuts across the countryside, highways and roads, so entry points are accessible and numerous along its 132 km length – users on foot or wheels can be immersed in natural surroundings in literally a couple of minutes.
The trail is straight and flat with a maximum 3° incline, making it ideal for all levels of skill, fitness and accessibility. The surface for the entire trail is now groomed and consists of compacted stone dust. The trail was officially completed in 2021 with the completion of the Project RED (Rehabilitation, Enhancement, and Development). There are eight significant bridges that offer scenic panoramas, and only three of them are incomplete and in need of replacement (over the Maitland, Conestoga and Grand Rivers) – this will be a major expense in completing the trail.
impact and legacy
Like the original train service that opened the historic Huron Tract to settlement, economic development and continental markets, the G2G reveals a swath of southwestern Ontario’s scenic countryside to the world. The G2G combines the benefits of outdoor recreation and tourism into an inclusive and accessible experience – a portal ushering urban visitors into pastoral beauty, rural heritage, and healthy physical activity.
For national vacationers and international tourists, the G2G will satisfy the desire to experience ‘the real Ontario’ or ‘the real Canada’. Business development for support services and amenities along the route will bolster the economic viability of small rural communities. In terms of regional impact, the rail trail demonstrates environmental and sustainable repurposing of Ontario’s infrastructure and economic assets. The G2G’s proximity to major population centres and transportation nodes makes it a satisfying and memorable rural experience for millions of regional, national and international visitors.
