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Current ProjectsThe next Great Lake - 1400km from Windsor to Quebec!Stretching 720km along the Canadian shores of Lake Ontario and the provincial shores of the St. Lawrence River, the Waterfront Trail connects 41 communities and over 182 parks and natural features. In 2013 the Waterfront Trail will expand westwards along Lake Erie, adding a second Great Lake and 27 new waterfront communities along a signed, mostly on-road route. This work has been accomplished in partnership with communities in south west Ontario, Carolinian Canada Coalition, Transportation Options and Share the Road. In further enhances the vibrant and diverse Waterfront Trail and offers another 620km of wonderful Ontario waterfront to enjoy. Click to see the trail highlights. Celebrate the opening of the new section of trail in 2013 by riding the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure - Lake Erie Edition. The GWTA is a fully supported recreational bike ride passing through the 27 communities along Lake Erie, Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. Details to be announced soon. Regeneration In Action!Ontario’s Great Lakes StrategyThe strategy is designed to guide Ontario’s future actions to protect the Great Lakes and recognizes the contribution of the Waterfront Trail in connecting people to their Great Lakes.The document describes current challenges and opportunities facing our Great Lakes. Read the Strategy At the same time, the province introduced a proposed Great Lakes Protection Act to restore and protect our Great Lakes to keep them drinkable, swimmable and fishable. Learn more about this important piece of legislation. PRIORITY PROJECTS With all the improvements on the waterfront, 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 bring these priorities to the attention of senior government for consideration. While the past decade saw hundreds of large and small transformations of the water's edge, the next will witness local communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River taking bold steps to improve their waterfronts. Here are some of the initiatives to improve Lake Ontario's waterfront. Rouge Park UpdateWaterfront Trail thrilled to be part of Canada's First National Urban ParkThe Waterfront Regeneration Trust is very excited to welcome the addition of the Canada's first National Urban Park to the Waterfront Trail. This achievement is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by many people, especially the former Rouge Alliance. WRT board member Pauline Browse served on the Alliance and has been fighting for the Rouge since the beginning.
The innovative concept for an urban park represents input from thousands of people who have participated in extensive consultation process. The creation of the Rouge National Urban Park will see the current park boundaries expand by 20%. According to Parks Canada's:
The park will further the Trust's goal of waterfront regeneration in a number of ways: "habitat links between terrestrial and aquatic habitat in the Rouge Valley will be maintained to foster connection between Lake Ontario and the Oak Ridge Moraine." (Highlights from the Rouge National Urban Park Update, Parks Canada website). The David Suzuki Foundation is "keen to help establish Canada's first urban National Park in the Rouge River watershed. The Rouge is a surprisingly intact chunk of forests, fields, and waterways with a rich ecological, cultural and agricultural heritage. The Rouge is poised to become the urban jewel of the National Parks system and will be one of the largest urban parks in the world, 18 times bigger than New York's Central Park." (David Suzuki Foundation) More information can be found the Parks Canada website at parkscanada.gc.ca/rouge
CornwallLEED Gold certified attraction now in CornwallOntario Power Generation’s St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre has been awarded Gold LEED classification by the Canada Green Building Council. Read more in the Cornwall Profile Page.
KINGSTONLAKE ONTARIO PARK--$4.5 M project that will make the park more of an year-round attraction thanks to the addition of an outdoor skating rink, which will serve as a splash pad in the summertime. Work is expected to take about two years, and has been staged to keep the park open for people. Other improvements include new pathways, shoreline and beach improvements, plus a canoe rental business and extended fishing platforms. January 2012 MISSISSAUGAINSPIRATION LAKEVIEW (FEB 2011) On February 17, 2011 the City of Mississauaga unveiled the exciting results of its visioning exercise for the 250 acres site formerly occupied by the Lakeview Generating Station. The vision is based on eight guiding principles that recall the nine waterfront principles published in Regeneration. Guided by experts from here and abroad, it is clear that participants unleased their imagination to dream boldly for the future of the site. They call for the creation of a sustainable community that will serve as a model internationally. The Waterfront Trail moves to the water's edge and deep into the vastness of the lake on a refurbished pier. A series of canals offer a variety of shelter boating experiences in warm months and skating in winter. The massive, almost indestructible foundation for the Generating Station remains on site and is the location for a series of temporary art exhibits. It is re-christened the Art Generating Station. For more information about the City's Waterfront Strategy visit: http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/inspirationlakeview TORONTOWaterfront Toronto is leading work that is redefining Toronto's waterfront bringing award-winning designs and new environmental function to an urban waterfront. Mimico Waterfront Park
Queen's Quay Boulevard Water's edge promenade from Sugar Beach to Sherborne Common Port Union Waterfront Trail Sherborne Common AjaxSHORELINE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY--BRINGING SWIMMING BACK TO AJAX
BELLEVILLE
TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH DUNDAS--MORRISBURG AND IROQUOISThe Morrisburg Waterfront Advisory Committee presented their conceptual plan for the waterfront in June 2012, which Montreal-based landscape architect Wendy Graham says “sets out a vision” for the waterfront. The Committee will report to Township Council in the Fall. Elements in the concept plan include getting small boats on the water with the help of a breakwater, more dockside food options, and a lit pathway for walking and biking.
The Morrisburg Waterfront Committee was established by the Council of the Township of South Dundas in June 2011 to investigate and determine a plan for the development of the Morrisburg Waterfront. The Iroquois Waterfront Committee will report its findings in the future. For more information and the presentation to Council visit the Committee's website. [http://www.windowontheriver.com/] WATERFRONT TRAIL PROJECTS 2010By 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. 1. Grimsby Peace Park St CatharinesWATERFRONT TRAIL EXTENSION ALONG PORT WELLER SPIT--COMPLETE!
HamiltonHAMILTON RECEIVES FUNDING FOR BRIDGE OVER QEW
One of the most significant gaps in the Waterfront Trail just got a whole lot smaller. As you know the long-term goal for the Waterfront Trail is to create a dedicated route as close to the water’s edge as is environmentally feasible. In Scarborough, such an alignment is decades away, necessitating the creation of a street-based interim route that connects Toronto and Durham. Thanks to Councillor Paul Ainslie and the City of Toronto’s Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure Department, Waterfront Trail signs have been installed from Bellamy Road to the Rouge River Park this June (2008). The route offers cyclists and walkers a lovely tour of residential streets, avoiding Kingston Road, and links them to the wonderful Port Union Waterfront Trail-Phase One, which was completed by Toronto Region Conservation in 2006. Phase Two began earlier this year and once completed (2011) will establish a waterfront trail from the Port Union GO station to the mouth of the Rouge River. In addition and thinking more long-term, the Toronto Region Conservation
Authority is leading a public consultation process to create a plan for
the Scarborough waterfront. The Trust has participated in stakeholder
consultations to date and looks forward to working with the TRCA on the
Scarborough Section of Waterfront Trail.
WhitbyIMPROVEMENTS ON THE WAY FOR BAYLY STREET Major improvements are on the way for the notorious stretch of Trail along Bayly Rd in Whitby. This stretch along Bayly Street has been a long-standing area of concern for the Trust and Waterfront Trail users due to the high vehicle speeds, narrow shoulders and dangerous bridge crossing. The Region of Durham is moving forward in its plans to widen Bayly Street between Ajax and Whitby, including a 3m wide off-road trail on the south side of Bayly which will connect to the existing Waterfront Trail at Halls Road in the West and to Whitby Shores Greenway in the east. These improvements, which also include a viewing platform on the south side of the bridge overlooking the Lynde Shores Conservation Area, will improve the quality, safety and comfort of this stretch for Trail users. LoyalistCRCA PLANS LAND ACQUISITION The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) has announced plans to raise $1 million 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.
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Last July the Trust announced funding from the Ministry of Tourism to install trail signage and construct a welcome kiosk at the border of Ontario and Quebec. The Township of South Glengarry has completed construction of the kiosk and trailhead signs will be installed in the structure in the spring. The funding also included the installation of blue tourism signs promoting both the Waterfront Trail and la Route verte on the road at the border of Ontario and Quebec. Click here for more info. |
Together the two projects —the kiosk and the installation of the
bike lanes will provide trail users with a well marked, safe and welcoming
eastern gateway to Ontario’s Waterfront Trail.
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