History
The trail dates back to the late 1980s, when CSX Transportation operated a line, formerly the Canadian branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway from Hiram Walkers distillery in Windsor, Ontario south and east to Leamington, Ontario. This branch line was built by Hiram Walker in 1848, and extended all the way to Kingsville, and later Leamington.
A portion of the rail line from Windsor to Blenheim was abandoned in 1989, and the rail line was donated to the Essex Region Conservation Authority in 1993, and Chrysler Canada gave a considerable donation to ERCA to convert the rail line to a bike trail. Work was finished on the trail by 1997, and it opened that year to use. The remainder of the rail line would also be abandoned, and its tracks removed to where they branch from the mainline between Highgate and Muirkirk.
By the year 2001, CN Rail took note of the popularity of the Chrysler Canada Greenway that they donated an additional 26-km spur line from Amherstburg, Ontario to Essex, Ontario, a portion of the rail line operated by the Canada Southern Railway, which was abolished in 1977. (The rails for this spur, and the spur leading from Comber to Leamington were removed in 1995, eliminating three at-grade railroad crossings on Highway 3). ERCA has stated they intend on converting the new trail from Amhurstburg to Essex as soon as funds become available, and stated this is part of their goal of improving the environment of Essex County, and for linking the communities in Essex County together via trails. There has been no word on if the Leamington-Comber rail corridor will be converted to a trail. ERCA, Ontario Parks and Parks Canada have stated interest on turning the entire abandoned rail corridor from Ruthven to St. Thomas into an extended Chrysler Canada Greenway, linking up with trails in Delhi and Simcoe, providing a single long trail corridor from Windsor to London and Kitchener, and even to Hamilton and Toronto (via the Waterfront Trail). It is currently unknown if Leamington intends on converting its abandoned rail corridors to trails.
LaSalle, Ontario has also expressed its interest and intentions to link the Windsor Trail and its own LaSalle Trail network to the Chrysler Canada Greenway.
Read more about this topic: Chrysler Canada Greenway
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—Boris Pasternak (1890–1960)