Do More on the Shore Ezine

An Ezine Produced by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust

CIBC* COIP*The waterfront municipalities of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, conservation authorities and community groups*The Eastern Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Waterfront Working Group* MapArt* Dunmap*Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion* Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee* St. Lawrence Cement* Tilley Endurables

July 2007

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Featured Route - Toronto Niagara
• Featured Attraction – Upper Canada Village
• Geocaching
• Trail Tale
• Trail Ahead Conference
• Upcoming Events
• Web-Cam
• Trail Closings

FEATURED ROUTE – Toronto to Niagara

The Toronto-Niagara Bike Train is launching this month offering more options in traveling with your bike and staying out of the frustrations of traffic. Operating on select week-ends this summer, tickets may be purchased at www.biketrain.ca and day trips, overnight trips, or one-way are available; which means you could ride the Waterfront Trail for 145km from Balmy Beach in Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake and take the train back, or vice versa. There are several places to stop along the Waterfront Trail should you wish to do shorter rides or stop and explore other communities such as Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, or Grimsby.

Maps of the Waterfront Trail may be found at www.waterfronttrail.org, as well as information on attractions and accommodations, just click on “Profiles” on the left hand side of the home page.


FEATURED ATTRACTION – Upper Canada Village

Over 40 heritage buildings including mills, trade shops, farms, churches, homes, factories, and a school from the 1860s are available for exploration at Upper Canada Village. There are also unique experiences to be had, such as a military re-enactment, overnight stays for youth or adults, horse drawn wagon, and boat rides. The Village is situated in Morrisburg, where the Waterfront Trail meanders along the stunning St. Lawrence River, a great place to visit and explore by foot or bike.


GEOCACHING

Anyone with a GPS can participate in the growing sport of geocaching, and several treasures exist along the Waterfront Trail. Geocaching involves searching for caches that may be landmarks or small plastic containers that house small items. The coordinates regarding the hidden cache are publicized, and geocachers search for the sites using their GPS, maps, and clues. When the treasure is found, they may take a few of the items and leave a few different ones behind for future players.

The Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation will be hosting training sessions to help introduce you to geocaching or to brush up on your skills before participating in one or all 7 of the Northumberland GPS Treasure Hunt 2007 challenges in August. The dates for the training sessions are:
July 23: Brighton Legion Hall, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
July 24: Port Hope Public Library, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
July 25: Trent Hills Public Library, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
July 26: Cobourg Public Library, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
To find out more information, including the dates of the events, log on to: http://www.northcfdc.ca/geocaching.htm

Other web-sites with information on geocaching are:
www.geocachingontario.com - click on Active Caches for 2007 locations.
www.geocaching.com
http://www.porthope.ca/departments/visiting/outdoors.htm


TRAIL TALE by Jay Singer

Last week, as part of my life-project to cyclotour all five Great Lakes, I cycled the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail (except for the parts that aren't paved or include steps that I couldn't traverse.) I started at the Lewiston, NY KOA and crossed into Canada on the Queenston, ON bridge. Then, over five days I camped at Confederation Park in Hamilton, the Super 8 Motel in Ajax (since there's no camping available on route in that area,) Presqu'ile Provincial Park, and on Quinte Island near Picton before crossing back into the USA via Kingston and Wolf Island and returning to Lewiston in four more days. The section around Newcastle was particularly enjoyable but the route through Toronto was unexpectedly easy and stress-free. I especially enjoyed the all too infrequent signs illustrating the Trail. The route is echoed in Harvey Botnik's book, 'Round Lake Ontario: A Cyclotour, which you might want to check out! Thank you for doing this good work!


THE TRAIL AHEAD CONFERENCE

International perspectives on global trends in waterfront regeneration will be presented in an exciting and inspiring discussion, lead by diverse presenters on September 19th. The following day an inaugural ride from Mississauga to Pickering will commemorate Waterfront Trail and Greenway Day on September 20th, offering a unique opportunity to experience the Waterfront Trail first hand.

For more information log on to http://www.waterfronttrail.org/wn-conference.html, call the Waterfront Regeneration Trust at 416-943-8080 or email Marlaine Koehler at mk@wrtrust.com.

Register Today at http://www.canurb.com/events/register/register1.php?id=185

The Waterfront Regeneration Trust is very pleased to be working with the
Canadian Urban Institute on this project.

UPCOMING EVENTS

There are a large variety of events happening on the Waterfront Trail this month. From live music, to chess, chile cook-off, to water skiing shows, there is an event that is sure to wet your taste buds. Listed below are some of the waterfront festivals taking place this month. For a full listing of events, log on to: http://www.waterfronttrail.org/trail-ev2007july.html

Belleville Waterfront and Ethnic Festival

Enjoy fun for the whole family with entertainment, arts and crafts, beach volleyball and much more!
Date: July 12th to 15th, 2007
Location: Zwicks Park, Victoria Park and Meyer's Pier
Admission Charge: Yes
Phone: 613-969-1980
Website: www.bellevillewaterfrontfestival.com

Taste of Kingston

Join us for a most appetizing affair! The Canadian Diabetes Association and the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area are pleased to present the Ninth Annual Taste of Kingston outdoor food festival on July 21.
Date: July 21st, 2007
Location: Confederation Park Admission Charge: Yes
Phone: 613-384-9374
Website: www.whatsonkingston.com

Whitby Harbour Days

A celebration of Whitby Harbour. Activities include children's activities, live music, climbing wall, marine displays, professional waterski shows, and fireworks.
Date: July 28th, 2007
Location: Port Whitby Marina
Admission: Free
Phone: 905-668-1900
Website: www.whitby.ca


WEB-CAM

The Ontario Investment and Trade Services building in Toronto has a live web-came looking out toward Lake Ontario. Check out the link: http://www.2ontario.com/webcam/

TRAIL CLOSING

• WILMOT CREEK - Clarington

The stretch of off-road Trail between Bennet Road and Cobbledick Rd in Clarington is under construction as is the stretch along Toronto St to Lakebreeze Dr. They are expected to be reopened in July 2007. To avoid this construction, Trail users can follow Bennet up to Hwy 2 and return south on Cobbledick (roughly 5 km).
If you have any questions or would like to contribute to this Ezine, please contact Petrina at:

pt@wrtrust.com
416-943-8080
372 Richmond Street West, Suite 308
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 1X6

WARNING: The information and suggestions in this newsletter have been developed to assist Trail users in planning both their recreational and commuting trips along the Waterfront Trail. It mentions signed routes of the Trail, as well as possible routes and connections in areas where routes have not yet been designated as part of the Waterfront Trail. The possible routes and connections have been identified in consultation with the municipalities and Conservation Authorities of Lake Ontario and from Trail users. Some of these possible routes and connections may not be ideal for cycling, in-line skating, or hiking. They may be unsuitable for some Trail users because of the close proximity to vehicular traffic or unsuitable trail surface. Whenever possible, indicators have been placed on the maps to warn of caution areas. However, be prepared to make your own evaluation of traffic, trail and road conditions, and plan routes appropriate to your riding, in line skating, and hiking skills and your comfort level. This newsletter is not intended as a guide for children.

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.