Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail News

An Ezine Produced by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust

CIBC* COIP*The Lake Ontario waterfront municipalities, conservation authorities and community groups*The Eastern Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Waterfront Working Group MapArt* Niagara Freewheelers Bicycle Touring Club* Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee St. Lawrence Cement* Tilley Endurables

February 2007

In this issue:

• Join Us at the Toronto International Bike Show, March 2-4
• Trust and Steve Bauer Tours Unveil Guided Cycling Tours of Trail
• Toronto-Niagara Bike Train Initiative
• Cataraqui Region CA Plans Land Acquisition

Upcoming Conferences and Community Events:

• Get Active Now- Trails for Life Workshop
• Downtown West Multi-Unit Solar Energy Project
• Walk21 Toronto 2007 – Call for Papers
• Great Lakes Underwater Conference 2007
  
  

JOIN US AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BIKE SHOW, MARCH 2-4

The Trust is pleased to be participating again at the Toronto Bike Show at the Direct Energy Centre (formerly the National Trade Centre), Hall A. This year, we’ll be using the opportunity to unveil our new brochure “The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure,” aimed at introducing children and families to some of the exciting attractions and events that the Waterfront Trail has to offer.

We’ll also be introducing two guided cycling trips along the Trail, developed by the Trust in partnership with Steve Bauer Tours. A more detailed description of these trips can be found in the section below.

In addition, we’ll be promoting our new Waterfront Trail and Greenway Mapbook, which contains over 90 full-colour maps as well as 8 suggested itineraries for family-friendly trips along the Waterfront Trail. Please note that these mapbooks are also available online at www.dunmap.com/people-order-wt-mapbook.html.

As always, we look forward to connecting with Trail users to discuss the Trail and issues related to the waterfront. Hope to see you there!

For more information on the Bike Show go to: www.bicycleshowtoronto.com.


TRUST AND STEVE BAUER TOURS UNVEIL GUIDED CYCLING TOURS OF TRAIL

The Trust and Steve Bauer Tours are excited to announce the launch of two guided cycling tours along the Trail for 2007. This summer, take a vacation on the Waterfront Trail and discover what Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence have to offer.

1 . Cornwall to Montreal: May 29 to June 3, 2007
We’re going to the World's Biggest Bike Fest in Montreal!

Package includes:

• Experienced tour guides, fully supported
• Three nights in two or three-star accommodation (double occupancy)
• Two nights in four-star accommodation (double occupancy) in Montreal
• 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 evening meals; fruit & snack.
• Cost = $1,400.00 Cdn + GST

2. Niagara: Selected dates starting in June
One and two night fully-supported, all inclusive, guided trips in Niagara, starting at $599!

Package includes:

• Private winery tours, tasting and fine dining.
• Accommodations.
• Transportation to Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Bike Train
• Fresh fruit, bottled water and snacks enroute.
• Transportation of personal belongings and purchased goods.

Click here to view a pdf version of the flyer.

Space is limited! To secure your spot, contact Vicki at (416) 943-8080 or vb@wrtrust.com.


TORONTO-NIAGARA BIKE TRAIN INITIATIVE

June 2007 will see the official launch of the Toronto-Niagara Bike Train. This exciting new initiative will involve the introduction of bike racks onboard selected Via Rail trains running between the City of Toronto and the Niagara Region. The bike train service will provide cyclists with a convenient and sustainable transportation option for travel between the two regions.

The Trust is taking advantage of this great new transportation option by including a ride on the Bike Train as part of its Steve Bauer guided tour package for the Niagara Region. For more details, see section above.

For more info about the Bike Train or to book your trip, visit www.biketrain.ca.


CRCA PLANS LAND ACQUISITION

The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) has announced plans to raise $1 million by March 31 to buy a substantial portion of the Bayview Wetland, west of Kingston. The CRCA will buy 700 acres with help from its fund-raising arm, the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation, and community partners including Loyalist Township. This is a highly desirable property acquisition since it is located along an inland corridor linking Parrott’s Bay to Collins Bay/Lemoine Point. The CRCA is hopeful that a trail loop might someday link the Bayview property to the Waterfront Trail, along Lake Ontario.

Donations may be sent to the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation c/o the CRCA. For more information, please visit www.cataraquiregion.on.ca.

Thanks to Steve Knechtel, General Manager for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority for providing us with this update.


UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS

GET ACTIVE NOW- TRAILS FOR LIFE WORKSHOP

Thanks to Frank Prospero from Get Active Now for providing us with the following announcement:

Get Active Now and PRO (Parks and Recreation Ontario) are joining together to lead an initiative to increase trail awareness and usage for Ontarians with disabilities. We want to create an inclusive and accessible trail system in Ontario that will ensure that anyone interested in walking or hiking as an active living opportunity can Get Active Now.

The workshop will include:

• Updates on the current Ontario Trails Strategy
• Information from the most recent Trails for All Ontarians Collaborative Project
• Get Active Now’s Knowing Before You Go campaign.
• Finally we are encouraging local communities to provide feedback, sharing best practices, resources and information on how their community – and their trails – are unique.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday March 6th, 2007 from 1pm-4pm at the Outdoor Centre at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (Division Street, North of Highway 401).
No registration fee is required.

For more information, contact Get Active Now at (519) 568-7083 or 1-800-311-9565.


DOWNTOWN WEST MULTI-UNIT SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT

Tim Grant, co-chair, Downtown West Multi-Unit Solar Energy Project has kindly provided us with the following announcement:

Solar Energy Meeting: March 21st

When 50 people from multi-unit residential buildings attended a late September meeting at the Harbourfront Community Centre, it confirmed that there is great interest among many in seeing solar water heating and solar electricity-generating projects sprout on the rooftops of downtown condos, co-ops and rental buildings. Since then, a group of volunteers have examined the barriers and researched the best ways of financing large solar projects.

Known as the Downtown West Multi-Unit Solar Energy Project, this working group has decided to launch a pilot project that will involve large solar installations on one condominium and one co-operative. Eventually, we will share the information we’ve gathered and the lessons learned with those living in all other downtown multi-unit buildings, so that it will be easier for everyone else to bring the benefits of solar energy to their buildings.

You can learn more by attending the next meeting on March 21st that is being held at 7:30pm at Windward Co-operative at 34 Little Norway Crescent (near the Island Airport), or by contacting Tim Grant at (416) 960-1244 or via tim@greenteacher.com.

WALK21 TORONTO 2007 – CALL FOR PAPERS

Thanks to Matthew Cowley for providing us with the following announcement:

Walk21 TORONTO 2007 - PUTTING PEDESTRIANS FIRST
8th Annual International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities
October 1st to 4th, 2007
Toronto, Canada

Call for papers

The City of Toronto and Green Communities Canada will host Walk21 Toronto 2007 - Putting Pedestrians First - from October 1st to 4th, 2007. This exciting conference will bring together hundreds of delegates from around the world all with the goal of making walkable communities. Leaders and advocates from government, academia, planning, engineering, community groups, health, environment, design, and business are all expected to attend.

Please join in this important event by submitting a paper to the conference. Share your research, your experiences, your successes, your challenges, your plans, and your actions with colleagues and meet others who are working towards the same goals. Walk21 Toronto 2007 will feature workshops, walkshops, plenary sessions, special forums, and social events.

To view the Call for Papers and for more information on Walk21 Toronto 2007, please visit the conference website at www.toronto.ca/walk21. You may also contact walk21@toronto.ca or call +1-416-392-7200. Don't forget, the deadline to submit is FRIDAY MARCH 23, 2007.

GREAT LAKES UNDERWATER CONFERENCE 2007

Explore an underwater Revolutionary War battlefield… Experience the age of fighting under sail on the Great Lakes… Military shipwrecks of the Great Lakes is the theme of the 2007 Great Lakes Underwater conference set for March 10 in Oswego, NY.

Topics include:

• Fighting Under Sail on the Great Lakes
• Mapping an Underwater Revolutionary War Battlefield
• Discovery of the Milan
• How to Make a National Historic Register Nomination
• NYS Underwater Blueway Trail
• His Majesty’s Schooner Anson a.k.a. Iroquoise

Registration is $25 ($20 for students) payable to Cornell University. For more information, contact New York Sea Grant, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, 315-312-3042 before March 2.


Cheers!

Marlaine Koehler, Executive Director;
Vicki Barron, Director of Administration and Special Projects;
Petrina Tulissi, Manager of Promotions and Events;
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.