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Waterfront Trail and Greenway News
An Ezine Produced by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust
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COIP*The waterfront municipalities of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, conservation authorities and community groups* MapArt* Dun-Map*Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee* The MMM Group* Heart and Strok Foundation* Mountain Equipment Co-op* Toronto Cyclists Union
October 2008
In this issue:
- Great Waterfront Trail Adventure - 2009 Route Announced
- Bike Train Wins 2 Tourism Awards
- Exciting Developments along Toronto’s Waterfront
- Rees and Simcoe Wavedecks
- Mimico Waterfront Park – Phase II
- Friends of Second Marsh Retain Legal Counsel to Oppose Proposed Ethanol Refinery in Oshawa
- A New Way to Vacation - Bateau Velo Combines Cycling and Boating
Upcoming Conferences and Community Events
- Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum 2009
- Christmas at Presqu’ile
GREAT WATERFRONT TRAIL ADVENTURE – 2009 ROUTE ANNOUNCED
The Trust is pleased to announce that the 2009 route for the Great Waterfront
Trail Adventure has been set. The route will be slightly different from
last year’s route to allow other Waterfront Trail communities to
participate. We are very excited to have Port Hope and Quinte West as
overnights stops this year and very pleased to be able to include the
City of Belleville in the tour.
2009 Route: July 4-11
Day 1: Niagara-on-the-Lake to Confederation Park, Hamilton
Day 2: Hamilton to Fort York, Toronto
Day 3: Toronto to Port Hope
Day 4: Port Hope to Trenton
Day 5: Trenton to Kingston
Day 6: Kingston to Grenville Campground, Johnstown
Day 7: Johnstown to Cornwall
Day 8: Cornwall to Quebec Border
Tour Director Ian Lobb has begun meeting with local partners to plan the
rest stops and meals and other activities for the Tour. Excitement is
building for the second annual GWTA!
Event Listing
Please find a short event listing attached in word format. You can help
support the tour by posting the following announcement in your event calendars/bulletin
boards. Feel free to shorten/edit if necessary. Your help in spreading
the word is much appreciated!
BIKE TRAIN WINS TWO PRESTIGIOUS ONTARIO TOURISM AWARDS
The Bike Train Initiative has won two awards for its contributions to
the Ontario tourism industry and its innovative approach to capturing
an emerging market. The Bike Train was honoured with the Ontario Tourism
Marketing Partnership Corporation's Best Tourism Marketing Partnership,
and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario's Excellence Award for
Tourism Innovation.
These awards recognize the successful development and launch of this collaborative
project, and the growing cycle tourism market opportunities and economic
benefits for the Province of Ontario.
Congratulations to everyone involved on their achievement and well-deserved
awards!
EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS ALONG TORONTO’S WATERFRONT
From Waterfront Toronto
Rees and Simcoe Wavedecks
With the successful opening of the Spadina Wavedeck last month, construction
is already underway on the next two wavedecks at the Rees and Simcoe slips.
Construction activities include hoarding installation, dockwall repairs,
structural pile drilling, decking and public realm improvements.
The designs for the wavedecks are quite spectacular – you can see
an image at http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/newsletter/viewnewsletter.php?id=48ef6cd226edf&template=5.
The Rees and Simcoe wavedecks are expected to be complete by summer 2009.
Mimico Waterfront Park – Phase II
Waterfront Toronto’s Board approved the implementation of phase
two of Mimico Waterfront Park at its September Board meeting. Phase two
builds on the initial phase of the park, which was opened by Waterfront
Toronto in July. Construction of the second phase, which will expand the
park from Superior Avenue to Humber Bay Park, is expected to start in
2010.
Phase two construction will involve the creation of 500 metres of Waterfront
Trail from Superior Avenue to Grand Harbour. Combined with the Phase I
trail, this new stretch will put the Waterfront Trail entirely off-road
from Humber Bay Park to Norris Cres, eliminating approximately half of
the current gap along Lakeshore Ave!
Construction will also involve the creation of terrestrial and aquatic
habitat enhancements and a cantilevered boardwalk along the shoreline.
It is expected to open in 2012.
For more information, please visit www.waterfrontoronto.ca.
FRIENDS OF SECOND MARSH RETAIN LEGAL COUNSEL TO OPPOSE PROPOSED
ETHANOL REFINERY IN OSHAWA
Friends of Second Marsh has retained the Canadian Environmental Law Association
(CELA) as counsel in the Friends’ ongoing battle against a controversial
application by FarmTech Energy Corporation to locate a heavy industrial
bio-ethanol refinery on Oshawa’s waterfront in close proximity to
the provincially significant Second Marsh.
For the full details, please read the attached press
release. Thanks to the Friends of Second Marsh for providing us with
this announcement.
A NEW WAY TO VACATION – “BATEAU VELO” COMBINES
CYCLING AND BOATING
An innovative new tourism company was launched in Quebec this summer,
which combines cycling and nautical tourism in one vacation. The “Bateau
Velo,” tours were developed by Latitude 45º Nord based on a similar
concept in the Netherlands. Cyclists ride their bikes during the day along
river bike trails and dine and overnight on a boat, which follows them
from location to location.
While the 2008 tours took place entirely in Quebec, there are possible
plans to expand into Ontario (1000 Islands) next summer. To find out more,
please visit http://www.latitude45n.com/en/bateau.asp.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS:
ONTARIO CYCLE TOURISM FORUM 2009
When: January 23, 2009
Where: Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto
The Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum will bring together leading
cycle tourism stakeholders to discuss business development opportunities
and challenges of this fast-growing tourism market segment in
Ontario.
The forum will feature presentations from world-leading cycle
tourism organizations and provide demographic profiles of cycle
tourists, successful tourist product examples, business development case
studies, best practices in infrastructure and signage, and evaluation
of regional growth opportunities.
Over 150 delegates are expected to attend from across Ontario
representing destination marketing organizations, tour operators, municipal
and provincial government, non-profit organizations, and established cycling
associations.
The forum will be critical for anyone wanting to learn why cycle tourism
is growing in Ontario, how to develop your own local market, and what
will be the next steps for establishing Ontario as leading cycle
tourism destination market in North America.
For further information, contact Justin Lafontaine at 416 392 1556 or
check out www.cycletourismforum.ca
coming Nov. 11.
CHRISTMAS AT PRESQU’ILE 2008
When: 10am-4pm, Nov 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
Where: Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Brighton
Join the Friends of Presqu’ile for the 17th Annual Christmas at
Presqu'ile. A Juried, Quality Arts and Crafts Show held at Presqu'ile
Provincial Park, Brighton.
Christmas at Presqu'ile features the work of over 120 of Eastern Ontario's
finest Artisans. All of their work is carefully displayed throughout our
Christmas house, one of the Park's Heritage Homes. After a visit to the
Christmas House, savour our famous Rum Cake, tea, coffee and cookies (all
home baked) at the Stonehedge Tearoom .... next door ... on the Lake.
Visiting local artists Linda Barber, Rose Brown and Doug Comeau are featured
at the Lighthouse Art Gallery. The Friends' Gift Shop is open for last
minute stocking stuffers.
Free entrance to Presqu'ile Provincial Park and our Show. Guided parking
by Friendly Elves.
More information? Contact the Friends at info@friendsofpresquile.on.ca
or call 613-475-1688.
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 Ontario Trillium Foundation
- The Heart and Stroke Foundation
- The Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion
- MapArt
- Dunmap
- Niagara Freewheelers Bicycle Touring Club
- Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee
- St. Lawrence Cement
- 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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