Waterfront Trail
Waterfront Trail | |
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Niagara-on-the-Lake, Quebec border (near Cornwall, Ontario ) | |
Use | Biking, hiking, inline skating |
Stretching over 3600 km (2236 miles) from Prince Township, west of
Expansion and future plans
In October 2013, Premier of Ontario
I want to ensure that all of the people of this province benefit from our investments in the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, because that is how we can grow as One Ontario. Extending our trails system and connecting more communities is a great way for the excitement of the Games to live on well beyond 2015.
- — Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, October 3, 2013[2]
The announcement ensures that "the province will work with First Nation and Métis communities and organizations to incorporate Aboriginal markers along the trails to honour the history and culture of Aboriginal communities in Ontario."
Trails will connect to four major Pan Am and Parapan Am Games venues – CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes' Village, CIBC Pan Am Park, CIBC Hamilton Soccer Stadium and Pan Am/Parapan Am Fields.
All consultations related to Pan Am/Parapan Am trails will address accessibility requirements under the
In November 2013, two waterfront-design firms were selected to reimagine the space at the former Ontario Place grounds in Toronto to incorporate a broader mandate for greenspace and parkland.[3]
Since 2013, the Trail has been growing radically, with expansions along the shores of Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Georgian Bay and Lake Huron's north channel, adding over 2000 km to its length.
Uses
The rising cost of automobiles and gasoline mean a heavier burden on the trail system from multiple uses.
Controversial decisions to limit some e-bike and mobility scooters have been underway along portions of the trail.[4]
Cities
Regional Municipalities connected by the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail
- Frontenac County
- Northumberland County
- Regional Municipality of Durham
- Region Of Peel
- Niagara Region
- Essex County
- Lambton County
- Huron County
- Bruce County
- Grey County
- Simcoe County
- Muskoka District
Notable waypoints
The rise of social travel and photography have parallelled with the rise of smaller wearable technological advancements that permits travelers along the trail a variety of activities and destinations.
Toronto Harbourfront
The jewel of the Waterfront Trail lies at the Toronto Islands Ferry Terminal where trail users can catch a ferry to the expansive Toronto Islands including Centre Island and Hanlon's Point Beach. In 2015, the Waterfront Trail is expected to connect to the huge underground Toronto PATH system. Cyclists and skaters are encouraged on the peaceful island where only utility vehicles are permitted.
Among the artistic touches of this portion of the trail include the architecturally renowned Wave Decks, designed by West8.[5]
The Beaches
Sugar Beach
Sugar Beach is a former parking lot located at Lower Jarvis Street and Queen's Quay—the park is now a non-swimming beach on the south-eastern edge of South Core, Toronto.
Port Credit
Spencer Smith Park
Spencer Smith Park at Burlington is a prime example of the evolution of mixed-use development and city planning in the Greater Toronto Area. In 2013, a new pier was opened by the City of Burlington that anchors the trail along the shores of the lake.
Spencer Smith Park hosts the annual
1000 Islands
The 1000 Islands Bikepath is a 37 kilometre trail running parallel to the Parkway between Gananoque and Brockville, forming a section of the Waterfront Trail.[6]
Ontario Place
In July 2014, the provincial government of Ontario announced a $100 million renovation plan that will see the transformation of Ontario Place from an entertainment venue into a huge mixed-use park that will anchor the trail in this section.[7]
Cycling on the trail
Not all sections of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail are off-road. The route is designated with existing infrastructure in place with the goal of future improvements, including a legacy goal of a completely off-road trail, as close to the water's edge as ecologically feasible. There is an effort by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, the charity leading the partnership of communities the Trail connects, to expand and improve the route. Their partnership with local, regional, and Provincial governments has yielded several successes, including the Ministry of Transportation's addition of paved shoulders on roughly 50km of Highway 17 between Sault Ste Marie and Greater Sudbury, where the route could use no other roads.
The Waterfront Regeneration Trail is focused on creating a cycling route around the Great Lakes, and has big expansion plans and dreams for the coming years to increase significantly its mileage. Some of the biggest deterrents for cycle tourists are poor road conditions that force cyclists into traffic and a lack of good signage.[8]
Facts and figures
Length
- Over 3000 km (2236 miles) designated (signed)
- 700 km (434 miles) undesignated on a 2018-2020 expansion route between Collingwood and Sudbury,
- Roughly 50km (31 miles) undesignated gaps in the route
Includes
- 155 communities
- 3 Great Lakes, touching a fourth, Lake Superior
- 520 waterfront parks and natural areas
- 42 Provincial Parks
- 6 National Parks and 23 national historical sites
- 239 beaches, including 21 Blue Flag Beaches
- 152 arts and culture heritage attractions
- 37 major annual waterfront festivals
- 170 marinas and yacht clubs
- 21 Bike Friendly Communities
- 50+ major connecting trails
See also
- Martin Goodman Trail
- Bruce Trail
- List of rail trails in Canada
Footnotes
- ^ Trail usage at WaterfrontTrail.org
- ^ Trail Expansion announcement. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ When completed in 2015, the new park will link to the existing Waterfront Trail.
"Design firm hired for Ontario Place urban park and waterfront trail". CityNews Toronto. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
- ^ "City seeking new ways to regulate Hamilton's E-Bike explosion". Retrieved 2014-07-22.
- ^ "Five signs of a revitalized Toronto waterfront". The Globe and Mail. 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ^ "1000 Islands Bikepath". Canada Trails. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ "Ontario Place to get $100 million make-over". Blog TO. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- ^ "Is Canada missing the boat on cycling tourists?". CBC News. 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2014-07-29.