Anonymous donation results in council approval for Grand Trunk Trail lighting project

By Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A well-used section of St. Marys’ Grand Trunk Trail from Ingersoll Street to the Sarnia Bridge will soon be better lit thanks to an anonymous donation of $60,000.

At the June 24 St. Marys council meeting, council approved a new capital project to be completed later this year that will see the installation of 13 new LED streetlights and poles along that section of trail west of the Thames River. In 2023, a number of large donations were similarly made to support new lighting and asphalt along 700 metres of trail. According to the staff report on this project, one of those donors committed to donating funds for this year’s trail-improvement project.

“When we were approached earlier this year by a resident who made a large-sum donation to the trail network, we reviewed some of the priorities for the trail and some of the issues we’ve heard from trail users in the past, and the highest-priority item within the available funds of the donation was a lighting project from Ingersoll Street to the Sarnia Bridge,” said infrastructure services manager Jeff Wolfe.

According to the staff report, the Grand Trunk Trail west of the Thames River has steep embankments along the sides of the trail and is very dark at night with limited light cast from adjacent properties. Town staff regularly receive concerns from trail users about the lack of lighting in this area. Wolfe said improved lighting in this section of trail would improve trail users’ comfort level on the trail at night and reduce the risk associated with the steep embankment adjacent to the trail.

Similar to the 2023 trail-improvement project when the Kinsmen Club of St. Marys helped with installation of the streetlight conduit, the town has again received a commitment for support installing the conduit cable from pole to pole from several community volunteers – representing an in-kind donation of labour valued at roughly $10,000 toward this project.

Meanwhile, the pole installation and electrical work would be completed by a licensed electrician. The streetlight poles would be spun concrete, consistent with poles installed along the trail east of Wellington Street in 2024, and the LED light fixtures would be a decorative post-top style similar to fixtures installed east of Wellington Street in 2023.

While the cost of materials, installation and electrical work will be covered by the funds from the anonymous donor and the in-kind donation from community volunteers, the town will be responsible for covering the cost of staff time to oversee the project as well as annual maintenance costs, the additional hydro costs and the replacement of the new assets at the end of their lifecycles – 20 years for the lights and 40 years for the poles and streetlight conductor.

Wolfe said the project will likely get underway in September.

“I just want to acknowledge that, again, I think all council and the town is very grateful for the donation we’re receiving and in-kind work, and I don’t know how that’s passed on to the anonymous donor, but I hope that it is in some way,” Coun. Fern Pridham said.