Last August a committee was formed to restore a neglected walking trail and associated outdoor areas in Virden. Now the project is well on its way as, over the year’s time, the Scallion Creek Walking Trail committee raised funds, received donations from the local foundation and purchased items from locally businesses. Most recently the walking trail was the recipient of a Red River Mutual community sponsorship of $12,000.
The trail from Raglan Street to Nelson Street was planned to eventually follow the creek all the way to the Queen Street bridge.
Chair of the Scallion Creek Trail committee Helen McCormick said, “As a committee we decided to keep our goals within reach each year and complete them in phases.”
The Scallion Creek Trail committee held a successful Rain Barrel Sale in June and they plan to host another fundraiser next spring.
“We were also fortunate to receive a grant from Virden Area foundation this year. So, we were very excited to hear the announcement that we were one of the lucky winners of the Red River Mutual ‘Spruce Up Your Community’ to be able to complete our 2021 project goals.”
Benches, picnic tables and other amenities were a future hope last year, as well as expansion of the trail throughout the community and hopes to restore the dock at the Trout Pond.
McCormick reports these plans are coming to fruition, “A walking bridge over the creek from the lift station in the Kenderdine division is currently being built by Scotsmun Steel. An additional attraction to people using the trail are the three beautiful picnic tables built by Strike Welding that have already been added to Centennial Park, a place where they can rest and enjoy the scenic area.
“We are currently improving the fish pond area by replacing the dock with one purchased from Home Hardware Virden and two tables have been added in this area. Supplies are in for the dock and a building team is being scheduled to get this in the water as soon as possible.
“Once this is complete our next steps will be fundraising ideas for Project 2022.”
ABOUT
This year Red River Mutual is awarding over $150,000 to communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. These funds will help rejuvenate and preserve ten community gathering spaces across both provinces.
Brian Esau, CEO, Red River Mutual said, “After last year’s overwhelming response, we knew we had to carry the program forward. Seeing the real impact of these improvements really strengthened our commitment to give back to the communities we serve and go beyond just insurance.”
View 2021 winners - https://redrivermutual.com/spruce-up-your-story/winners/
