A Place For Discovery
Prepare to be immersed in nature on the Cayuga Grand Vista Trail
By Brad Smith
Photos: Seferian Design Group
Haldimand County in Canada has a population of approximately 45,000, and is located on the north shore of Lake Erie, bordered by Norfolk County, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Brant County, the city of Hamilton, and the region of Niagara. Haldimand County encompasses the urban centers of Caledonia, Hagersville, Jarvis, Cayuga, and Dunnville, and also contains the village-type communities of Selkirk, Canborough, Fisherville, Kohler, and Nanticoke.
In 2016, the county approved in its capital budget funds to undertake detailed design, construction tender, and some capital works in 2016-2020 for trail development. The county’s Trails Master Plan outlined design standards and anticipated growth in recreational trails over the next five years—including the Cayuga Grand Vista Trail. Cayuga is the seat of the municipal offices of Haldimand County. The new trail is one of the first pieces of the county’s long-term vision for cycling and pedestrian connectivity in the region. The trail will ultimately connect to the River Road multi-use trail, which links Port Maitland in the south to Caledonia in the north, and which connects in turn to Hamilton’s Red Hill Valley Trail and then the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail.
Conceptual Design
In June 2016, Seferian Design Group (SDG), a landscape architectural firm in Burlington, Ontario, was retained to provide conceptual design, public consultation, detailed design, tendering, and contract administration services for the project. The three-quarter-mile (1.2-kilometer) limestone trail has reclaimed a disused former CN Rail bridge across the Grand River as a community amenity that promotes health and wellbeing, a connection to nature, and an understanding of local history and culture.
The Cayuga Grand Vista Trail bridge spans the Grand River, a 174-mile (280 km) heritage river and home to many Indigenous nations, such as the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk (Neutral), Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations, and Mississauga. Throughout the 19th century, many Anglo-Canadian settlements developed along the river within former Six Nations territory, including Waterloo, Berlin (now Kitchener), Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, Cayuga, Dunnville, and Port Maitland.
With a $1.5-milllion construction budget, the trail connects the east and west sides of Cayuga, forming a scenic loop from the Cayuga courthouse to King George Street and Maple Road, and back to the courthouse via Talbot Street East and Munsee Street North. The heart of the trail is the reclaimed rail bridge, a .18-mile (300-meter) span over the Grand River that offers sweeping views of the water, woodlands, and cultural landmarks, like the old Cayuga water tower.
The context of a site is always SDG’s point of departure on a project, serving as inspiration and framing its work. Whether celebrating a site’s existing characteristics or inviting users to create and discover new interactions, perceptions are built on the layering of senses in unique ways. As part of the design process, site conditions were studied extensively to draw influence from the natural environment.
Key design considerations included but were not limited to:
Preserving the natural environment
Using environmentally sensitive construction methods
Maintaining and enhancing trail connections throughout the county
Ensuring safety, security, and accessibility
Considering maintenance and operations
Increasing health and well-being.
As landscape architects, we are passionate about design and the impact the natural environment has on mental health and wellness. By providing direct access to, and views of, nature, and using building materials and features that both mimic and respect the surrounding ecosystem, SDG created viewing platforms that connect to one’s innate attraction to the natural environment. For this project, we were inspired by the natural systems and Grand River to influence the design of the viewing platforms and bridge trail.
Project Specifications
The original rail bridge was built in the 1950s, and many of the railway ties were still structurally sound. To save project costs and limit environmental impact, the design team decided to work with as much of the existing bridge structure as possible, eventually replacing only 75 of the more than 200 ties.
This is significant because the guard rails could be cantilevered out approximately 2 feet (700 mm) from the edge of the existing railway ties, lining the railing up with the existing steel bridge truss and providing an unimpeded view of the Grand River below. The 28-foot by 28-foot (8.5 m by 8.5 m) viewing platforms (a first of their kind in Ontario) are constructed with new steel framing and steel cross-beams to replace existing railway ties that ensure the load is transferred evenly back to the bridge. The trail is not only a connection for active transportation, however. It has also been designed as a place to stop and rest, experience the Grand River, and learn about Cayuga’s history. Two cantilevered viewing platforms have been constructed along the bridge’s length, oriented to the curve of the Grand River, and supplied with surface-mounted benches that invite lounging. These have been placed outside the path of travel, which not only ensure safe circulation for cyclists and pedestrians passing by, but also create a sense of discovery, as neither lookout is immediately visible from the ends of the bridge.
The bridge’s 2,000+ composite deck boards are secured by more than 28,000 clips. Wood strapping was used between the railway ties and the boards to create a surface for the clips to fasten to. All 985 feet (300m) of wood strapping along the bridge had to be shimmed in-place to compensate for the uneven railway ties and to create a level, accessible surface.
The custom guard rail also responds to the conditions, with the posts installed first, and the guard rails attached separately to mitigate the unevenness of the existing ties. The 5-foot (1.5 m) tall steel guard posts were installed with a 3.5-foot (1.1 m) horizontal member fastened between ties, with two additional plates connected to the ties with galvanized thru-bolts. This fastening method alleviates the lateral forces acting on the rail, increasing user safety.
A New Standard For Bridge Trail Design
The construction of the new decking, viewing platforms, and guard rail on the existing bridge is unique and sets a precedent for future bridge reclamation in Ontario.
The viewing platforms have been named after local individuals who have noted accomplishments regionally, provincially, and federally. The eastern lookout recognizes The Honourable Madame Justice Helen Kinnear, the first federally appointed female judge in Canada, and the western lookout is named for the Honourable Dr. Justice T. David Marshall, who was not only an influential judge but also a doctor, pilot, and provincial coroner.
The project was recognized with several design excellence awards, including a 2020 DNA Paris Design Awards Winner for Landscape Design/ Parks & Public Spaces, Educational, Community, & Recreation Facilities, a 2019 Architecture MasterPrize Winner in Landscape Architecture/ Public, a 2018 International Design Award, and a 2019 Landscape Ontario Award of Excellence.
Brad Smith, OALA, APALA, CSLA, ASLA, is a Senior Landscape Architect for Seferian Design Group in Burlington, Ontario. Reach him at (905) 634-3110, or brad@seferiandesign.com. For more information, visit seferiandesign.com.
At A Glance
Landscape Architecture: Seferian Design Group
Project Manager: Brad Smith, OALA, APALA, CSLA, ASLA. Senior Landscape Architect and Project Manager
Contractor: Environmental Design Group
Structural Engineering (Design): Witzel Dyce Engineering
Structural Engineering (Assessment): G.D. Vallee Limited