ELORA – The stairs leading down into the Elora Gorge will be a lot different once replaced.
According to a display at a Township of Centre Wellington open house held Tuesday evening, the outdoor stairway in Elora’s Victoria Park leading down into the Elora Gorge will become a steel stairway built over top of the existing one.
Currently, the staircase is approximately 60 stone steps with a metal handrail leading only to the bottom of the rock face.
Matt Tucker, manager of parks and facilities, explained at the open house the new staircase will go beyond where they are now and provide a safer path all the way to the river’s edge.
“Currently, if you go to the bottom of the stairs and once you get off that last step, you’re in unknown territory,” Tucker said. “It’s really uneven and it’s a little dangerous for people to navigate their way down to the river.”
This new staircase will also have a platform part way down for a resting spot and to give some feeling of the Elora Gorge for those who don’t want to or are unable to travel all the way down.
Tucker said a little more site work is required and information needs to be put together before going to tender. Timing wise, the parks manager said the hope is to start the project in the fall and finish it in spring 2024.
As part of the 2023 budget, $310,000 has been approved for this replacement with it at least partially funded by the Canada Community Building Fund.
