Iroquoia Club Temporary Reroute of Main Trail

Iroquoia Club Temporary Reroute of Main Trail

The Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club has had to close a six-kilometre portion of the main Bruce Trail around the popular Spencer Gorge Wilderness Area in the communities of Greensville and Dundas in Hamilton. The closure was requested by landowner Canadian National Railway Company as a result of the death of a man struck and killed by a passing train in mid-June. The accident occurred near the point where the Bruce Trail crossed CN railroad tracks near the bottom of Spencer Gorge, (km. 59.6 of the Iroquoia section, Map 8, 24th edition of the Bruce Trail Reference Guide).

As a result of the CN directive, the Club had to close the entire main trail section between km. 59.6, near the intersection of Woodley Lane and King Street/Highway 8 in Dundas at the west, and the point where the Trail crosses Sydenham Road part way up the Escarpment to the east (km. 65.6 on Map 8.) The club also closed the 800-metre long 'Old Dundas Station Side Trail' which ran east and west parallel with the tracks.

The main Trail has been re-routed for 2.5 kilometres through Dundas streets between Woodley Lane and Sydenham Road. This is the route all through hikers must use. White blazes have been posted, primarily on utility posts.

Trail closure signs and barricades have been placed where the Trail had intersected the railroad property, and on the west side of the Sydenham Road crossing. Signs advising of the trail closure were also posted at the top of the stairs at Webster's Falls, and at Tew's Falls.

Hikers visiting Webster's Falls may continue to hike the trail down Spencer Gorge alongside Spencer Creek, but cannot continue down to the railroad property. They must reverse direction. Similarly, hikers may use the Trail east from Tew's Falls to the Dundas Valley Lookout and the Glen Ferguson Side Trail, but must reverse direction before reaching the railroad property.

The Club hopes this re-route will be temporary, and is actively looking at alternatives that might permit continued use of the Spencer Gorge as a continuous route of the Bruce Trail.