Bayfield Lions Club Completes Sidewalk from Cameron Street to Bayfield Foodland

by Bob Montgomery

The Bayfield Lions Club celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2021 and part of that celebration was the creation of a sidewalk from Cameron Street to the Foodland and LCBO parking lots so people wouldn't have to walk on the shoulder of highway 21.

Lions Club President Ian Mathews points out there are a lot of seniors living in Bayfield and many of them are dealing with some form of disability and anyone who wanted to get to Foodland or the LCBO store had to walk on the shoulder of highway 21 for part of their journey. Mathews says the path and sidewalk they've created cuts the corner by going in front of what used to be the old lumber yard, and then in front of a house, and on to the Foodland parking lot. So, people who previously had to put themselves at great risk to make that trip, or simply couldn't make the trip, can now do that by taking the sidewalk.

Mathews says they had to get approvals from the owners of the property, the MTO and from Bluewater to go ahead with the project and that was done in March of 2022. The total cost of the project came in at roughly 62-thousand dollars. Mathews says the village of Bayfield was able to get an infrastructure grant for 34-thousand dollars, the Lions Club put up ten-thousand dollars, the property owners put up five-thousand, and Bluewater covered the remaining thirteen-thousand dollars.

Mathews is quick to point out that the Lions Club got the project started, but it was truly a community project with several groups pitching in. The project was actually completed a couple of months early because the construction company had some equipment and some people that were available, so they went ahead and did it earlier than expected.

Photo courtesy of Jack Pal - Bayfield Lions Club