The purpose of this project is to formalize part of the Beachburg rail corridor through north Kanata for year-round public use by improving its safety and accessibility, as well as providing connectivity to other active transportation facilities in the greater area.
The Beachburg rail corridor is one of several protected rail corridors within the City of Ottawa. It extends from the Quebec border near Fitzroy Harbour to Tremblay Station. Between approximately Carling Ave and Tremblay Station, the Beachburg rail corridor remains an active rail line. North of Carling Ave to Quebec, the rail corridor is decommissioned.
Originally owned by CN Rail, the decommissioned section of the corridor was purchased by the City in 2022, with some sections of the raised rail bed currently functioning as snowmobiling routes as well as informal trails used by local residents. Through the Transportation Master Plan process, the City identified a 7 km stretch of this rail corridor to be converted to a recreational trail. The proposed facility would extend from Cameron Harvey Road to Carling Avenue, where the pathway would descend from the rail bed to the nearest intersection.
The existing rail bed conditions vary throughout the project area. The rail bed currently consists of a flat, coarse, granular subbase, varying from 3 m to 8 m in width, with considerable overgrowth throughout. Adjacent land use varies from agricultural, recreational, residential, commercial and institutional use.
The project area contains three road intersections: Cameron Harvey Drive, Klondike Road, and March Valley Road. Each road is a rural two-lane collector, with posted speeds of 80 km/h at Cameron Harvey Drive and Klondike Road, and a posted speed of 50 km/h at March Valley Road. There are no controlled crossings at these intersecting roadways.
Project Details
The project proposes a compacted stone dust multi-use trail to be built on the existing railway bed, with a width ranging from 2.5 m – 3 m along the corridor. The existing rail bed would be regraded, and overgrowth would be cleared.
Existing stormwater culverts parallel to the rail bed will be assessed and replaced where required.
Carling Ave Intersection
At the trail’s Carling Avenue terminus, it will ramp down and connect to the existing signalized intersection at the entrance to the Shirley’s Bay Campus, 150 m east of the railbed. The proposed connection would be a 3 m multi-use path with two additional connections to the paved shoulder on Carling Avenue. These connections would better facilitate the use of the trail for pedestrians and cyclists travelling westbound and connect trail users to the existing bus stop on the north side of Carling Avenue.
Crossings
The trail design proposes calming features at each crossing to improve the safety of all trail users.
At Cameron Harvey Drive, proposed improvements include:
- Gates or boulders to slow approaching cyclists.
- Advisory signage and tactile walking surface indicators for trail users.
At Klondike Road and March Valley Road, proposed improvements include:
- Gates or boulders to slow cyclists during the approach.
- Advisory signage and tactile walking surface indicators for trail users.
- Removal of road tapers to minimize vehicles driving on the shoulder.
- Traffic calming signage for approaching vehicles.
- Connections to the existing concrete sidewalk on Klondike Road.
Rest Stops
The proposal includes nine rest stops along the rail trail corridor, ranging from 500m to 1000m apart, including one parkette 165m west of Klondike Road. The proposed parkette includes a picnic area and seasonal garbage bins. Locations of rest stops were chosen to be adjacent to natural features such as wetlands, streams, meadows and/or recreational access points.
Public Consultation
Interested members of the public are invited to attend an online public information session on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 pm.
Please register to receive the link for the online session. At the session, the City will present the proposed design and take questions from the public. The session will be recorded for viewing by those who cannot attend. The presentation slide deck will be posted to this website after the event.
The City will be accepting feedback until Friday May 22, 2026.
Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. If you require special accommodation, contact the Project Manager.
Comments and questions can be sent to the City project manager:
Mazen Shuhaibar, RPP
Project Manager
Active Transportation Planning
City of Ottawa
mazen.shuhaibar@ottawa.ca