Back on the path again: Hamilton's Waterfront Trail reopens

People are back on the Waterfront Trail again after the well-traveled path closed for the last four months because of damage from heavy rains and high water. 

Although the pathway has opened up again to the public, there are still areas where repairs need to be made. 

The city is working with shoreline erosion experts to assess the condition of the trail to determine the type of repairs that will be required. 

Many people were pleasantly surprised to find the trail open Monday morning. 

Here's a look the first day of the pathway being opened. 

Tremaine Burrows is an avid biker. When his usual route along the Waterfront Trail closed in April, he was forced to use other paths, discovering different parts of the city. 

"I was unhappy you know, it was my go-to, just to get your body moving in the morning," said Burrows. "The great thing was, it made me discover the Red Hill trail [and] the beach front trail." 

Burrows is happy to be back to the place he enjoys visiting. 

"There's something special about this trail, there's something special about being down by the water as the sun comes up because it's just a beautiful spot," said Burrows. 

Jennifer Brownson was using the trail for a couple of months before int closed in April. "I've really missed it," said Brownson. 

Although she wasn't pleased about the clousre, Brownson didn't let the the barriers hold her back from visiting the place she enjoys exercising in. 

Brownson says she went down a few times and saw a tone of debris and stinking fish.

"Honestly, I climbed over the barrier for a while, so it's a relief not to be a law breaker anymore," said Brownson. 

Nelson Buffett and two of his friends have been walking along the Waterfront Trail together for many years, as often as three times a week. 

He says they've been using an alternative route since the April closure. 

Buffett and one other of his friends were back strolling Monday morning.  

"Every day we come down, we look at the gate and today it was open so it's the first time," said Buffett. 

The city has decided to open the trail before it has been fully repaired, using fencing and signs to keep people away from eroded and damaged areas.

The city describes the damages to the trail as "serious" and has taken precautions to warn users about the erosion along the edge of the of the trail, it says in a press release. Warning signs have been put up around the trail, marking areas with a narrowed pathway or possible hazards.