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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
January 2005
In this issue:
- The Trust Supports CELA’s Response to Proposed Drinking Water Source Protection Act
- Ontario Trails Strategy
- Waterfront Trail Updates
- MapArt Products Covering the Waterfront Trail
- Upcoming Events:
o Friends of Second Marsh’s Wetland Stomp, February 4th, 2005
o 40th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research
o Trail Accessibility Training Sessions
The Trust Supports CELA’s Response to Proposed Drinking Water Source Protection Act
In the June 2003 ezine we informed readers that the Government of Ontario had been presented with a report called 'Protecting Ontario's Drinking Water: Toward a Watershed Based Source Protection Planning Framework'. The report was prepared by an expert Advisory Panel in response to one of the most important recommendations made by Justice O'Connor in the Walkerton Report. We included a draft letter of support (to view the letter click here) and encouraged anyone who supported the recommendations to send the letter of support to the appropriate officials.
Since then the McGuinty government has developed a draft of its new Drinking Water Source Protection Act. Twenty-two citizen and environmental groups headed by CELA (Canadian Environmental Law Association) have come together to prepare an analysis and list of recommendations on this new legislation. The Trust is one of the organizations partnering with CELA on their response. Vicki Barron, Executive Director of the Waterfront Trust wrote a letter on behalf of the Trust in support of CELA’s recommendations. To read her letter: click here.
CELA’s recommendations are reflected in the Ontario government’s two committee reports that have recently been released for comment. The reports provide direction for the Honorable Minister Leona Donbrowsky and the Ministry of the Environment as they amend the draft Drinking Water Source Protection Act.
1. Technical Experts Committee Report – outlines technically feasible steps necessary for Ontario to safeguard water: www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/024326ex.htm
2. Implementation Committee Report – identifies ways source protection can be implemented and yield results: www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/024324ex.htm.
CELA issued a press release on December 14th, 2004 urging the government to pass strong legislation that protects source water. We urge you to send in letters of support for these initiatives – “everything is connected to everything else” - the protection of upstream source water will greatly assist in the protection of Lake Ontario’s water quality.
To comment on the committee reports see: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/env_reg/ebr/english/ebr_info/Right_to_comment.htm or call CELA at 416-960-2284 x 224 or email water@cela.ca.
For excellent information about source water protection visit CELA’s site at www.cela.ca or go to the WaterHole at www.theWaterHole.ca – a grassroots water protection website.
Ontario Trails Strategy
The Waterfront Trust along with a number of other stakeholders has been
invited to join the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Trails recently
created by the Ontario government to help develop an Ontario Trails Strategy,
which will provide strategic directions and set priorities for trails
in Ontario. Tim Peterson, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism
and Recreation,
chairs the new committee.
The development of an Ontario Trails Strategy is part of the ministry's ACTIVE 2010 initiative, a new strategy to increase participation in sport and physical activity throughout Ontario. Its goal is to achieve higher physical activity rates and increased sport participation to improve the health of Ontarians and their quality of life.
The committee will advise the Minister on trail issues such as:
- economic sustainability;
- landowner concerns;
- safety;
- road rights-of-way;
- active living;
- environmental and cultural heritage impacts; and
- tourism development.
Based on input from the Committee and a series of Stakeholder Consultations, the Ministry will prepare for an extensive round of community consultations throughout the Province. This is the trail community’s opportunity to help the government understand how it can support the expanding network of trails in the Province and better promote this valuable amenity to all residents and visitors.
The Trust supports this provincial initiative as it will provide a provincial policy context for all of the trail initiatives and should result in future provincial support through existing provincial programs (MTO road widenings) and new/modifications to existing funding programs.
The Waterfront Trail itself is the result of public hearings held by
the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront back in the
late 1980s. At that time the public spoke with a clear and passionate
voice about the values it wanted reflected in the way we developed Lake
Ontario’s waterfront. We encourage you to participate in this process
to make sure that public policy reflects your vision for trails in Ontario.
For more information on the Trails Strategy contact David Oved, Minister's
Office, (416) 314-1400 or for the Active 2010 initiative go to: www.active2010.ca
Waterfront Trail Updates
Progress at Port Union
Last December staff members of the Waterfront Trust were treated to a
tour of the Port Union section of Waterfront Trail led by Larry Field,
Waterfront Specialist for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
This new section of multi-use Trail, once complete, will cover an area
of approximately 3.6 km from Highland Creek to Port Union in the former
City of Scarborough. In keeping with environmental regulations, fill has
been added along the shoreline to create four headlands that will afford
impressive views of the lake along the Trail. Interpretive signage will
also be installed detailing the history of the area as an active wharf.
For increased accessibility Trail users will be able to access this part
of the Trail via the Rouge Hill GO Station as plans are underway to construct
a tunnel under the station providing a direct route to the Trail.
Phase I of the project (Highland Creek to Chesterton Shores) is slated for completion by spring 2006. Phase II (Chesterton Shores to Rouge Park) will be completed in 2008. This project is part of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation’s $25 million in funding to revitalize Toronto’s waterfront outside of the downtown core. To view pictures of the construction site click here.
Pickering’s Western Gateway
John McMullen, Coordinator of Landscape and Parks Development for the
City of Pickering recently gave Waterfront Trust staff members a tour
of the western gateway of Pickering’s Waterfront Trail section.
Pending Council approval, the City of Pickering will begin this year to
construct an asphalt connection of the Waterfront Trail from Bella Road
to the Rouge Hill Bridge making the Trail wheelchair accessible on both
sides of the bridge. In addition to the paved path, construction will
also include hand-rails and new stairs. Pickering will also be building
an octagonal overlook across the mouth of the Rouge River, creating a
unique entry point into the Pickering section of the Waterfront Trail.
MapArt Products Covering the Waterfront Trail
In addition to providing digital base maps to the Trust for the development of our webmaps and trailhead signs, MapArt www.mapart.com, a long-time supporter of the Waterfront Trail, has incorporated the Waterfront Trail alignment and logo in all its mapping products as part of its partnership with the Trust. To view a list of their mapping products that cover the Waterfront Trail click here.
Friends of Second Marsh’s Wetland Stomp, February 4th, 2005
Mark your calendars for Friday February 4th to join the Friends of Second Marsh for dinner, dancing and live entertainment. It’s a wetland theme of coarse – be sure to wear your safari clothes! The Honorable Ed Broadbent, M.P. will be on hand to honour Friends of Second Marsh founder Jim Richards. All proceeds from the event will be in support of the Great Lakes Wetland Centre, an exciting new attraction and learning centre for Lake Ontario.
For more details contact Marilyn Cole at 905-723-5459 or campaign.secondmarsh@rogers.com.
40th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research
February 14th and 15th, Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario.
This year’s symposium will feature new session themes designed to
assess the health of our aquatic environment and to evaluate remediation
technology based on the ecosystem approach. Plenary leader Dr. Don Mackay
will address the topic of Environmental Modelling. Other symposium themes
include: fish and wildlife health in the Great Lakes Area of Concern,
emerging contaminants issues, and environmental biotechnology.
For more information on the symposium and to register go to: www.cawq.ca/conferences-lien1.html#CENTRAL
Trail Accessibility Training Sessions
Listed below are three upcoming training opportunities related to making trails accessible to people of all abilities:
Monday March 21, 2005 - Universal Park Design for the 21st Century,
hosted
by the Design Exchange, www.dx.org/ud.
Friday May 27, 2005 - Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access, hosted
by
the Oak Ridges Trail Association, www.interlog.com/~orta/about.htm.
Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29, 2005 - Universal Trail Assessment
Process
Coordinator Workshop, hosted by the Oak Ridges Trail Association, www.interlog.com/~orta/about.htm.
Cheers!
Vicki Barron, Executive Director;
Marlaine Koehler, Program Director;
and Nikki Rendle, 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: nr@wrtrust.com
www.waterfronttrail.org
Purchase your copy of the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail Mapbook at Mountain Equipment Co-op (400 King Street West) and Sporting Life Stores in Toronto (1-877-772-2262 to find a store location near you).
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.
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