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

May 2008

In this Issue:

• Great Waterfront Trail Adventure – Last Weekend to Register
• Dupont Donates Waterfront Lands to Whitby
• Making the Connections:
  • GO-by-Bike to Ajax
  • New Cycling/Transit links in GTA and Hamilton

Upcoming Conferences and Community Events:

• Clarington Country B&B Open House and Garden Tour

GREAT WATERFRONT TRAIL ADVENTURE – Last weekend to register

If you haven’t yet registered for the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour, this weekend is your last chance! Please be advised that registration closes at midnight on June 1st.

While there are still some spots left, registration has exceeded all of our expectations. To date, over 160 people have signed up from all across Canada and the US (our goal was to reach 100!), with participants ranging in age from 9 to 87.

Community Meetings

The final round of community meetings for the Tour took place in May and we want to thank everyone who took part, and all of those who have been working so hard to date to make this event a success. Local participation has been outstanding and we know that the Tour participants are going to be blown away by the hospitality they’ll experience and by all of the great things the communities have planned. Even as the last details are being put in place we’re still receiving calls from businesses and community groups that want to take part in the celebrations.

For the latest updates and info about the tour, stay tuned to our website http://www.waterfronttrail.org/gwta_web.


DUPONT DONATES WATERFRONT LANDS TO WHITBY

On May 27th, an official ceremony was held to celebrate DuPont’s donation of 21 acres of waterfront land to the Town of Whitby. This was the second land donation in Whitby by DuPont. The first was during the 1990s and involved the strip of land that runs along the lakeshore, beside the newly dedicated parcel.

“Today’s generous donation by DuPont provides a critical piece of our continuous waterfront open space,” said Whitby Mayor Pat Perkins. “The vesting of this property with the Town of Whitby ensures its preservation for future generations of Whitby residents and our visitors to enjoy.”

The Waterfront Trail in Whitby is a great way to enjoy the waterfront, with over 10 km of off-road trail and lots of beautiful natural areas to enjoy. With the exception of 0.7 kilometers, the Town of Whitby’s entire waterfront is owned or leased by public agencies, which ensures public access to and enjoyment of this open space.


MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

It’s exciting to see the number initiatives underway which are creating easy and accessible connections between cycling and other forms of transportation. The launch of the Bike Train last summer showed how these links can help promote cycling tourism and active recreation. The Bike Train provides convenient transportation for cyclists and their bikes between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Two more initiatives have just been launched that will tap into the enormous potential of cycling as a tourism option and as a key component in a sustainable transportation plan:

GO-by-Bike to Ajax

On May 28th, the Trust along with several other GTA organizations and project founder Donald Wiedman celebrated the launch of “Go-by-Bike to Ajax,” a tourism and awareness project aimed at promoting connections between cycling and transit.

“There is an abundance of naturally spectacular, safe, on and off road cycling routes to enjoy across the GTA,” says Donald Wiedman. “And you can easily get to many with your bike from select GTA GO Train and TTC subway stations.”

Any Sunday this summer, cyclists are invited to take their bikes on the GO Train to the Ajax station, and explore the amazing trails in the Durham Region and GTA. A suggested ride takes you down to the Waterfront Trail where you can head west to see first hand where Duffins Creek, Petticoat Creek, Highland Creek and Rouge watersheds meet Lake Ontario.

Only 30 bikes fit per train (2-4 per car) - so people planning to go for a ride are encouraged to RSVP in "The GO-by-Bike Club" on Facebook or at www.GO-by-Bike.ca. If a return train is looking a little crowded, cyclists will be asked to wait for the next one, and enjoy the beach at nearby Rouge Park or explore Scarborough’s Port Union revitalized lakefront.

For more information please visit www.GO-by-Bike.ca.

New Cycling/Transit links in GTA and Hamilton

Metrolinx has just announced the launch of a new BikeLinx program, which will make it easier for cyclists in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to connect with transit. The program will involve the installation of bicycle racks on all buses within the GTHA as well as the provision of secure and sheltered bike storage at major transit stops.

The new racks and parking facilities will make it easier for people to combine the use of bikes and transit on the same trip, and encourage more people to choose these options when planning their outings.

For more information, visit www.metrolinx.com.


UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS:

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.