The Suncor Nature Way in Sarnia is scheduled to be closed to the public for about two and a half months, beginning May 31.
The city’s Engineering and Operations General Manager David Jackson said the parking lot and trails are being shut down at the site, off Modeland Road, for the removal of sediment from the stormwater management facility there.
"The storm pond eventually fills up with that sediment and debris and has to be cleaned out regularly, so the work we're moving ahead with now is the first time we've ever had to do a major cleaning of a storm pond in the city," said Jackson.
Ground Force Environmental has been awarded a nearly $880,000 contract to dewater the pond, remove the material, dry it out and transport it to a landfill.
"So, as part of that work, unfortunately, we have to close the nature way for the safety of the public and the contractor. They'll be having a lot of equipment in that area and lots of traffic, so we don't want the public around that."
Jackson admits the timing isn't ideal.
"We recognize that the area has certainly become much more popular during the pandemic and so the timing is unfortunate. But, this is a significant project for the city that has been in the works for a number of years, so any delay to that would cause increasing costs."
The pond was constructed in 2004 for the development of the subdivision on the west side of Modeland Road.
Wawanosh Wetlands Conservation Area will still be open to the public through its access off Blackwell Side Road.
Residents are also being encouraged to explore other parks and trails in the city, like the Blackwell Trails Park on Blackwell Road.
