Pictured: Vince Armstrong (Manitou Beach Council), MLA Donna Harpauer, Minister of Highways Jeremy Cockrill, Mayor of Watrous John Gunderson, and Ron Ediger of Melron Services. (submitted photo/Angie Rolheiser, Watrous Manitou Marketing Group)

By Ben Tompkins

Connected Pathways

Manitou/Watrous walking trail hosts grand opening

May 26, 2023 | 3:32 PM

Months after its completion date, the new walking trail that connects the resort village of Manitou Beach and the nearby town of Watrous officially hosted a grand opening.

The event took place at a new gazebo along the path (a replica of the resort’s arcade cupula) and featured some of the more significant contributors in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

One of those people was Ron Ediger, who owns a construction company called Melron Service Ltd. and had donated his time and equipment to finish the last few kilometres of the trail.

“A lot of people have enjoyed it already, and I hope there’s gonna be a lot more that enjoy it,” he told northeastNOW.

Ediger also spoke about MLA for Humboldt-Watrous Donna Harpauer and Minister of Highways Jeremy Cockrill, who both helped create the trail.

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“Without them, we probably wouldn’t have this trail here,” he explained.

The trail has since been named memory trail, with signs still being made, to honour the ‘in memory’ benches along the way, with one more still to come.

“Let’s bring back the memory of the folks that were here and the ones that have left us,” added Ediger.

The area has been a tourist attraction for decades because of the mineral waters of Little Manitou Lake, and this marked the first time that there was a completed walking trail between the two communities.

“I really appreciate working with everyone to make this a reality,” said Cockrill. “Sometimes we’re (the ministry) a little sensitive because we’re focused on safety, but when we see communities stepping up to benefit, it makes this a great thing that we’re proud to be a part of and support.”

The completed trail builds on the earlier Rotary trail, which goes around the north end of Watrous.

The work took about seven months to complete, as it was done during Ediger’s company’s downtime.

The completed trail is up to ten feet wide, built on a base of gravel, with clay compaction and a sand seal on top of it, along with culverts put in where they were needed.

“The trail is a testament to these communities and tying them together, the volunteerism, the donations, and how great it is to live in Saskatchewan,” Harpauer said. “You should be proud, I’ve seen lots of people using it, and that’s what we want to see.”

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news@northeastnow.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8