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The trailhead was completed in 1999 by the Porcupine Rotary Club. It can be accessed from either Schumacher or South Porcupine. The west end can be found from the Timmins Chamber of Commerce Information Centre by crossing the highway and turning left on First Avenue in Schumacher. The trail is found as a continuation of First Avenue where the road turns to access the highway. Follow the sidewalk trail up the hill. Another Schumacher access is off Highway 101 as shown on the above map. From the Timmins Chamber of Commerce Information Centre, turn left on highway 101 and travel less than one km. At the top of the slight hill that used to be a railway bridge you will find a parking lot on the right hand side with a large sign indicating the trailhead.
The first part of the trail follows the old railway bed that used to bring trains to downtown Timmins. The trail fairly quickly enters the grounds of the Porcupine Ski Runners and uses some of the wonderful ski trails they have developed. About 2 km into the trail you will emerge at the bottom of Rae Hill where the highway is visible. The trail continues on beside the revegetated tailings dam that belongs to Placer Dome Mines. The revegetation is a marvel of plant research as scientists found grasses and plants that would grow on the crushed rock that emerged as waste from the Dome mill following the extraction of gold.
The trail parallels the highway for about one km and then enters the bush again for a short and pretty walk through mixed forest, emerging in South Porcupine near the Spruce Hills Transition Living Home. This building is the former South Porcupine Hospital which was closed in the 1990s. It is now the home of many elderly residents of the City of Timmins.The Rotary Trail has the important role of connecting two former towns now located within the City of Timmins as well as connecting to two other trail systems - the Bart Thompson Trail and the Gillies Lake Promenade.
The trip from South Porcupine is merely the reverse of the trip from Schumacher. To reach the trailhead from the Timmins Chamber of Commerce Information Centre travel 8 km east along Highway 101. Turn right at the first South Porcupine exit and make a right turn a short distance further on.
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