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Waterfront Trail and Greenway News
An Ezine Produced by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust
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The waterfront municipalities
of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, Conservation Authorities and
community groups* MapArt* DunMap* Niagara Region Integrated Community
Planning Department* MMM Group* Heart and Stroke Foundation*
Holcium (formerly St. Lawrence Cement)
May/June 2010
In this issue:
1. Larry Field Retires from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority
2. Great Waterfront Trail 2010 Updates:•Registrant Statistics (age groups, where they come from, how they heard about the GWTA)
•Mayors Invited
•Mark Richardson of the Toronto Star Cycling end to end in the GWTA
•GWTA in the News--Links to Canadian Geographic Traveller story and Toronto Star article
•Final Year of pilot program3. Collaborative Communications Program 2011-2013 Consultations
4. New on the Trail for 2010--16 new trail enhancements constructed by Waterfront Partners
5. Conferences--Greening our Blue Border (June 16-18) and Trailhead on Ontario (June 21 to 24)
LARRY FIELD RETIRES FROM THE TORONTO REGION CONSERVATION
Last month, after decades of service and accomplishment, Larry celebrated his retirement from the TRCA. Over 200 people attended a party hosted by the TRCA at Bluffers Restaurant to pay tribute to Larry's tremendous contributions to waterfront regeneration. Among them, the Board of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, recognizes the important role Larry played in securing connected route from Mississauga to Ajax on the waterfront through his insight, persistence and effectiveness both with the community and senior orders of government. Larry accepted our invitation to enjoy this achievement by riding the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure this July to see first hand how beautifully the route works. Thank you so much Larry for your years of service.
Larry cycles Port Hope's Waterfront Trail in 2009
GREAT WATERFRONT TRAIL ADVENTURE (GWTA) UPDATES
Registration Statistics--As of May 31st we have 240 participants ranging in age from 7 to 79 (a new record!). They are coming from the Northwest Territories, Alberta, California, Vermont, Tennesee, Quebec and New Zealand. Ontarian participants come from 54 different cities—including Wawa, and Sudbury and Parry Sound. Thirteen more cities are represented from Alberta, Quebec, the US and New Zealand.
• 204 registered for end to end
• 36 registered for 2 to 4 day options or Family Day
• 42% aged 45 to 54
• 18% aged 19 and under
• 48% come from the GTA
• 52% come from outside the GTA
Letters inviting Mayors and Councils to participate in the GWTA have been emailed. We have already heard back from several who plan to meet with Mayor of South Glengarry Jim McDonell, the Honourary Tour Director.
As many of you will know, this is the third and final year of the pilot program funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. We have learned a great deal during the three years of organizing the GWTA. We have reached out to many new community partners and local businesses along the Trail. And we have polled our participants extensively. We expect that 2011 will see some changes to the GWTA format in response to this input.
Welcome Toronto Star-Mark Richardson, the Wheels editor will be riding the entire GWTA with his wife this year. On Saturday he went public in a wonderful column speaking to the urgency of cyclists and motorists doing better to share the road.
Media-Articles promoting the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure appeared in Canadian Geographic Travel (May 2010), titled Zoom with a View, and in the Toronto Star Wheels Section (Saturday May 29th), Cyclists aren't leaving and add the Editor to the ranks. On Monday, May 31st, a second Event Listing was distributed to Ontario press.
COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM 2011-2013
We have begun to consult with community partners regarding the next phase of the Collaborative Communications Program. Launched in 2002, the CCP pools resources from waterfront partners to create a modest budget from which to:
•Develop promotional material for the Waterfront Trail. Material focuses on Trail-wide (provincial in scope) messages and distribution to complement local and regional promotional initiatives;
•Raise the profile of the Trail to attract investment and increase use; and
•Coordinate and expand waterfront partnership
The CCP has allowed the Trust to complete a number of important projects including: trail-wide signage audit with extensive reports for each municipality, created and managed an award-winning website featuring the Trail and its communities, published a mapbook and organize the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure. The CCP is funded by the waterfront partnership of municipalities, conservation authorities, regional governments and provincial agencies. The Trust leverages these modest but essential contributions to secure additional corporate and foundation financial support. Our consultation involves reconfirming the financial commitment as well as discussing the 2011-2013 Work Plan.
WATERFRONT TRAIL PROJECTS 2010
By the conclusion of 2010 there will be sixteen new improvements and enhancements to the Waterfront Trail. People are so excited about the additions that they are sending photos to the Trust. A special congratulations to Cobourg Town Council and the Fullerton Family for reaching an exciting agreement setting the stage for a extension of the Trail at the water's edge. This year, we will focus media attention on these improvements and acknowledging local commitment and leadership in making them happen.
| 1. Grimsby Peace Park | ||
| 2. Pedestrian Bridge over QEW in Hamilton (connecting Waterfront Trail to Red Hill Valley Trail) | ||
| 3. Lakeside Park Restoration, Mississauga | ||
| 4. Trail Resurfacing through JC Saddington Park, Mississauga | ||
| 5. Waterfront Trail improvements at Ontario Place, Toronto | ||
| 6. Wave Decks, Toronto | ||
| 7. Sugar Beach, Toronto | ||
| 8. Sherbourne Park, Toronto | ||
9. Signed Route through Eastern Toronto (Scarborough) 10. First Nation's Gateway, Pickering 11. Carruthers Marsh Pavilion, Ajax 12. Resurfacing of Trail from Anstead Crescent to Pickering Beach Road, Ajax |
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13. Lakefront West Park, Oshawa (Photos right) 14. Expansion of the waterfront boardwalk west to Hibernia Street, Cobourg 15. Frontenac Arch Biosphere receives Geotourism Charter from National Geographic Society’s Centre for Sustainable Destinations. 16. Improvements to Charlottenburgh Park, Township of South Glengarry |
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"We checked out the new Oshawa section of the WFT on Sunday and all the paving is done. It has some spectacular views of the lake and the Toronto skyline is visible for most of the new section. This is a great addition for our area". Photo Credit: Jim Boate |
PRIORITY PROJECTS
With all the improvements listed above, there remain critical priorities for the Waterfront Trail. Establishing an active transportation route to connect Belleville and Trenton, resurfacing the Murray Canal, resurfacing the St. Lawrence Bikeway, and perhaps above all--rerouting the Waterfront Trail through Lynde Shores CA and off the treacherous Bayly/Victoria Road. The Trust continues to in bring these priorities to the attention of senior government for consideration.
Upcoming Conferences
Greening our Blue Border: 2010 Conference Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
When: June 16-18
Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Info: www.glslci2010milwaukee.org
Conference sessions will address themes of: the economy-environment synergy as a way to strengthen and improve both the economy and environment in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River region; regional tourism opportunities to promote the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River as a prime tourism destination; the latest on the status of the Asian Carp algae and ballast water invasion in the Great Lakes; and progress on the Canada Ontario Agreement Memorandum of Cooperation, Beaches and Cities Initiative’s Water Conservation Framework.
The Trust is participating on the Tourism panel to share what we have learned through the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure.
Trailhead Ontario Conference
When: June 21 to June 24 2010
Where: Don Valley Hotel; 1250 Eglinton Avenue East (at the Don Valley Parkway) Toronto, Ontario
A focus on Ontario’s trail economy, the growth of trail tourism, building out our trail infrastructure and regional economic development, organized by the Ontario Trails Council. The Trust is participating on a panel on regional branding. http://www.trailheadontario.ca/
Cheers!
Marlaine Koehler, Executive Director;
Vicki Barron, Director of Administration and Special Projects;
Ian Lobb, Tour Director, Great Waterfront Trail Adventure
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
- MapArt
- Dunmap
- Niagara Freewheelers Bicycle Touring Club
- Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee
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