Waterfront Regeneration Trust Honours Leaders and Sets the Stage for the Next Decade of Lake Ontario's Regeneration

TORONTO - Today, David Crombie of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust called upon community leaders around Lake Ontario to renew their commitment to a regenerated waterfront at the launch of the Trust's newest publication, A Decade of Regeneration: Realizing A Vision for Lake Ontario's Waterfront.

Ten years since the release of Watershed - a groundbreaking report that articulated for the first time an ecosystem approach to waterfront revitalization - the Trust has documented lessons learned and the tools used to bring about the dramatic change in the Lake Ontario waterfront in A Decade of Regeneration. A Decade of Regeneration: Realizing a Vision for Lake Ontario's Waterfront is about our special relationship with Lake Ontario, and the remarkable progress that is being made by thousands of people dedicated to the Lake Ontario Greenway. It is richly illustrated with examples of projects, large and small, from around Lake Ontario, where trails have added measurable value to a community, where creative partnerships and funding have resolved gridlock, and where excellence in design has elevated a project into a piece of art and heritage.

A Decade of Regeneration also sets a new direction for the next decade of regeneration to capture the momentum and renew commitments. Acknowledging innovation and commitment, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust honoured eight community leaders for their dedication to making the waterfront a community priority:

Thomas DeSantis, City of Niagara Falls, NY
Larry Field, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Peter Huffman, Town of Port Hope
Maureen Kempston-Darkes, General Motors of Canada
Leonard Pennachetti, Cave Spring Cellars
Keith Richan, Town of Port Hope
Catherine Talbot, City of Burlington
Mark Wilson, Bring Back the Don and the Don Regeneration
Council

While much has been accomplished, David Crombie urged communities not to become complacent about the challenges that lay ahead. "Public priorities and expectations have become stronger and more urgent", he said, "The success of the Waterfront Trail has introduced many more people to the Lake Ontario waterfront, and inspired them with the possibilities that this area offers."

Decade of Regeneration will serve as a key education and development tool for community partners. The Toronto Community Foundation was a partner in the research and production, with support from the Great Lakes Environmental Collaborative. "We are very pleased to have supported this initiative and to share the publication with the other Community Foundations in the Great Lakes basin, to demonstrate regeneration in action", says Karen Cairney, Vice President, Philanthropic Services.

The Waterfront Regeneration Trust is an independent non-profit charitable organization. The 350 km Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail continues as a focus for the non-profit, and a key vehicle for delivering the Trust's mandate of bringing together people, ideas, and resources for waterfront regeneration.

Recognizing the important work of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, CIBC entered into a $1 million partnership in 1997. As major partner of the Trust, CIBC joins local and provincial governments, conservation authorities, service clubs, and community groups in responding to the challenges and opportunities presented by the waterfront and its communities.

"At CIBC, we are strong supporters of the communities where we work and live", said Bob Waite, CIBC Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. "We believe that our partnership with the Waterfront Regeneration Trust is an important aspect of our commitment to community development."

A Decade of Regeneration was supported in part by generous contributions from CIBC, Toronto Community Foundation, Harbourfront Centre, and AMEC.

For more information:
Marlaine Koehler, Project Director (416)695-1573

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