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Waterfront Trail and Greenway News
An Ezine Produced by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust
| COIP*The waterfront municipalities of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, conservation authorities and community groups* MapArt* Dunmap*Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee* The MMM Group* Heart and Strok Foundation* Mountain Equipment Co-op | 
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April 2008
In this Issue:
- Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Update
- Partners meeting: September 25, 2008
- Bike Train Tickets Now on Sale
- Featured Article: Nordic Walking – A perfect Activity for the Waterfront Trail
- Get Out There Magazine – New Edition Available Online
Upcoming Conferences and Community Events:
- 3rd Annual Green Living Fair
- Hike for Hospice
- Apple Blossom Tyme Festival
- Roseneath Spring Festival
- Bike For Betty
- Clarington Country B&B Open House and Garden Tour
GREAT WATERFRONT TRAIL ADVENTURE UPDATE
With just over 60 days left before the Great Waterfront Trail
Adventure Tour, things are moving ahead at full steam. This month,
members of the Trust staff went on a pre-Tour ride of the Trail to work
out logistics and check out Trail conditions along the route. After such
a long winter, it was a great treat to get back on the Trail and we’re
more excited than ever to be able to share the Trail experience with all
of the tour participants!
April was also a busy month for promoting the Tour. In addition to our
continued promotions through newspapers, magazines, local radio, visitors
guides and bike club message boards, we also distributed 250,000 post
cards to tourism boards, parks and recreation departments and schools
across southern Ontario.
Registration is for the tour is filling up fast. We are now over 2/3 full
and counting, with people signing up from all across Canada and parts
of the US.
Updates to the GWTA website:
- Link to Facebook group page
- Link to MapMyRide forum for participants to communicate with one another
- Downloadable training program to begin training for the ride
PARTNERS MEETING: SEPTEMBER 25TH 2008
Mark your calendars! This year’s partners meeting will be taking
place September 25th, 2008. The agenda will focus on reviewing the first
year of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure and planning for 2009.
2008 BIKE TRAIN TICKETS NOW ON SALE
The 2008 Bike Train schedule has been announced and tickets are now on
sale. Building on the success of the pilot year, the Bike Train service
schedule and promotion have been expanded for 2008. This year will see
triple the number of trips with service extended into September. A stop
in St Catharines is also being added on selected trips. Tickets are limited
so book early!
The Bike Train Initiative was launched in summer 2007 and introduced
bike racks onboard select VIA Rail departures between Toronto and Niagara
Falls. For more information visit www.biketrain.ca.
***Take the Bike Train to Niagara to start of the Great Waterfront Trail
Adventure Tour! For more information visit www.waterfronttrail.org ***
FEATURED ARTICLE: NORDIC WALKING – A PERFECT ACTIVITY FOR
THE WATERFRONT TRAIL
By Mandy Johnson
Nordic walking is a new fitness trend that is spreading rapidly throughout
Ontario this year. Immensely popular in Europe, especially Scandinavian
countries, for the past twenty years, it has been likened to cross country
skiing without the skis. Simply put, it is walking with the assistance
of especially designed urban poles that transform Canada’s most
popular physical activity into a total body workout that uses the muscles
in the arms, shoulders, and core area (chest, back, abdominals). Indeed,
research has indicated the full body workout engages an impressive 90%
of the body’s muscles.
Because Nordic walking involves more muscles that regular walking, Nordic
walking burns on average 20% more calories, with some individuals reporting
up to a 46% increase. But the benefits do not stop there. As utilizing
the poles shifts some of the weight bearing to the upper body, it lessens
the stress to hips, knees, and ankles making it a perfect activity for
baby boomers and active seniors. It also improves stability, mobility,
and is fantastic for improving posture.
While there are a number of manufacturers of Nordic walking poles, one
of the leaders in Canada is Vancouver-based Urban Poling (www.urbanpoling.com).
The Urban Poling vibration-minimizing, ergonomically-designed poles along
with the Rutlin Technique provide the safest and most effective Nordic
walking workout on the market. The company not only sells the poles, but
has certified instructors to teach Urban Poling classes. A list of certified
instructors can be found on the Urban Poling website. In Ontario, the
master trainer offering instructor certification in the Greater Toronto
area is Barb Gormley (www.barbgormley.com)
and in the Kingston area, it is Kari Galasso (karigalasso@gmail.com).
Urban poling can be done in any location you can walk. But the poles,
which come with rubber boot tips for added shock absorbency and grip on
asphalt surfaces, are most perfectly suited for settings like the Waterfront
Trail where you can really step out, get a rhythm going, and let the poles
help propel you forward at a good pace. The poles also ease hill climbing,
and provide support and more stability while moving downhill.
The technique of effective urban poling can best be taught in a series
of several easy lessons. Classes are turning out to be very popular. People
who have started out to simply learn the technique are motivated by the
group experience, exploring new outdoor venues, seeing results, and picking
up tips and techniques on an ongoing basis from a qualified trainer.
Waterfront Trail communities might want to consider arranging for an instructor
to teach a demonstration class this spring or summer to introduce this
exciting new activity and ascertain the interest in holding regular classes.
In Durham Region and Northumberland County you can contact Mandy Johnson
(walkermandy@rogers.com) who
can be found regularly urban poling along the Waterfront Trail in Ajax.
GET OUT THERE MAGAZINE – NEW EDITION AVAILABLE ONLINE
Check out the newest edition of Get Out There Magazine online, and be
sure to read the article on the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure on p.
4.
From Get Out There Magazine:
Get Out There Magazine’s new digital edition is available for viewing!
The entire print issue plus bonus pages can be viewed in their entirety
online. Check out some of the features in this issue: Hosting a Cottage
Triathlon, Kayak Gear from Head to Toe, GPS Review, Reader Photo Gallery,
Epic Rides, Your Guide to Bike Month, Kids’ Event Calendar and of
course, the largest sports and outdoor event calendar for activities taking
place in your area!
It’s 100% free to view – and to subscribe! If you like this
issue, sign up to receive each issue direct to your inbox 6x year.
Visit http://www.getoutthere-digital.com/getoutthere-ont/20080506/
to read it now and don’t forget to submit your answers to our Products
of the Decade contest for a chance to win a pair of Salomon XT Wings!
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS:
3RD ANNUAL GREEN LIVING FAIR
When: Saturday, May 3, 2008, 10am – 4pm
Where: Port Hope Fall Fair Building, Port Hope, ON
Cost: $3 admission, local fare available for sale
Learn about Living Lightly from over 40 community exhibitors and local
youth.
Contact Gina McFarlane gmcfarlane@tsh.ca for more information or visit
http://livinggreen.open-eyes.org/.
HIKE FOR HOSPICE
When: May 4, 2008 at 1 p.m.
Where: Tom Gavey Pavillion at West Zwicks Park
Registration Fee: $20, but fee waived if participants collect pledges
of $20 or more.
Take a walk along the Waterfront Trail in Belleville and help raise money
for Hospice Quinte.
Hospice Quinte assists terminally ill patients and their caregivers in
Belleville, Quinte West and South Hastings region by giving them support
and companionship.
APPLE BLOSSOM TYME FESTIVAL
When: May 24 & 25, 2008
Where: Colborne, Ontario Canada
Family-oriented weekend of events include a Street Fair, Wellness Center
& Garden Boutique, Tractor & Car Shows, Art, Quilts & Antiques,
Midway, Spelling Bee, Soap Box Derby, Irish Road Bowling & More.
ROSENEATH SPRING FESTIVAL
When: May 24, 2008, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Where: Alnwick-Haldimand Civic Centre & Fairgrounds in Roseneath
No admission fee. Nominal fees for food, face painting, etc
Fun for all. Pancake Breakfast, Food Concession, Soccer Exhibition Games,
Art Exhibition, Local Music Groups, the Carousel, Nature Conservation
exhibits, and more!!
BIKE FOR BETTY
When: May 25, 2008
Where: various rides throughout the GTA including 30 km ride along Waterfront
Trail
Come participate in the first ever Bike4Betty non-competitive bike ride
and help the Betty Wallace Women's Health Centre fight breast cancer and
osteoporosis. Aside from great exercise and time with your family, you’ll
enjoy live entertainment, healthy snacks, great give-away items, face-painting
and clowns for the children and the chance to win lots of great prizes!
Visit http://www.bike4betty.com/
for more info.
CLARINGTON COUNTRY B&B OPEN HOUSE AND GARDEN TOUR
When: Sunday June 8, 2008 10am-5pm
Free self-guided tour of about twenty unique attractions in the countryside
including six Bed and Breakfasts. Each location has local talent that
day, i.e. crafts people, artists, musicians, and other creative showcases.
Stop for lunch at Willow Pond Country B&B the day of the Tour and
enjoy live guitar music outside on the patio overlooking the grounds.
Contact Lynn at 1-866-261-7494 for more info or visit www.claringtoncountrybedandbreakfasts.com.
Cheers!
Marlaine Koehler, Executive Director;
Vicki Barron, Director of Administration and Special Projects;
Petrina Tulissi, Manager of Promotions and Events;
Ian Lobb, Tour Director, Great Waterfront Trail Adventure
Tour; and
and David Arcus, Project Coordinator, Editor Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail
News
The Waterfront Regeneration Trust
372 Richmond Street West, Suite 308
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 1X6
Tel: 416-943-8080
Fax: 416-943-8068
Email: info@wrtrust.com
Visit http://www.waterfronttrail.org
to download 77 online colour maps of the Waterfront Trail, from Niagara-on-the-Lake
to Brockville!
Thank You to our Supporters!:
- CIBC
- The Lake Ontario waterfront municipalities, conservation authorities and community groups
- The Eastern Lake OntarioSt.Lawrence Waterfront Working Group
- MapArt
- Niagara Freewheelers Bicycle Touring Club
- Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee
- St. Lawrence Cement
- Tilley Endurables
- The Trust would also like to thank the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program (COIP) for its generous support of the 51 projects that comprise the Lake Ontario Waterfront Investment Program.
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