Walking Trails
The Ignatius Jesuit Centre features places to walk, hike and ski; naturalized areas that allow people to distance themselves from the stress of life in the 21st century. Drawing from the geography and history of our property, our trail system includes the Chardin Trail, the Great Auk Wetland Trail, the Holzer Trail, and the “Old–Villa–By–The–Speed” Trail.
To view a map of our trails in print friendly PDF format, please see “Map.pdf”
.
To view the 2010 Nordic Ski Club trail click here! 2010 Ski Trail
Chardin Trail
Located on the west side of Highway 6, the Chardin Trail was named after Pierre de Chardin, S.J., one of the first Jesuits to write about ecological issues. A section of the Chardin Trail was dedicated to the memory of Jane Buse, a former member of the Ignatius Farm Community who lost her life to cancer. Known as the Daffodil Path, (established by her sister Carole McCrae) serves as a celebratory walk for other cancer survivors and their families.
The Chardin Trail features a former gravel pit that is slowly being rehabilitated as native plants take hold in the arid landscape. To assist in this process, and to create a buffer from the sound and sight of Highway 6, trees have been planted in the gravel pit and adjacent fields that were formerly used for cattle grazing. Tree planting is ongoing with trees donated by the Green Legacy Project, operated by the County of Wellington.
Also of note on the trail are benches built and donated by the wood working classes at John F. Ross high school, and a meditative space that was build with the help of a St. James co-op student.
The Catherine Donnelly Walk
In the design phase, The Catherine Donnelly Walk will lead to the entrances of the “Stations of the Cross” and “Stations of the Cosmos” trails located adjacent the community gardens.
Great Auk Wetland Trail
This predominant feature of this trail is the “Provincially Significant” Marden South Wetland Complex. The trail was named in honour of the Great Auk, a flightless bird that became extinct in the mid-19th century. Great Auks walked slowly and sometimes used their wings to help them traverse rough terrain — appropriate qualities for trail hiking.
Villa by the Speed Trail
Named after the ruins of the former Villa located on the east side of Highway 6, this trail is situated on the high banks of the Speed River. Joining the John Holzer, S.J. trail at the Cross Creek Boulevard easement, this trail winds its way east to Victoria Road.
John Holzer, S.J. Trail
The John Holzer, S.J. trail connects the property’s west side with the more established trails that start at the Cross Creek Boulevard easement.