Waterfront Trail

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Waterfront Trail

A sign demarcating The Waterfront Trail in Toronto, Canada
Location Southern Ontario
Trailheads Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Brockville, Ontario
Use Biking, hiking, inline skating


Logo of The Waterfront Trail
The Waterfront Trail refers to an interconnected series of trails along the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, currently beginning in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and extending to Brockville, Ontario, with an extension along Former Highway 2, to the Quebec provincial border. Through Toronto, the trail is called the Martin Goodman Trail. The Waterfront Trail is also used by commuters in parts of Southern Ontario.[1]

Expansion and future plans

In October of 2013, Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne announced government support for expansion of the trail system to better connect the 2015 Pan Am Games venues and community.

"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 3rd, 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 Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

In November of 2014, 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]

Uses

Cities

The Waterfront Trail as it passes Budapest Park in Toronto.
The Humber Bay Arch Bridge carries the waterfront trail over the Humber River in Toronto

This is a list of cities that the Waterfront Trail passes through, starting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and terminating in Brockville. major centers are listed here

Notable Waypoints

The Beaches

The Beaches community in eastern Toronto is an important location on the trail, being one of the only neighbourhoods in Toronto with residential homes next to the lakeshore. The Beach itself is a popular destination, hosting games of beach volleyball, and attracting many cyclists and rollerbladers. North of the waterfront are many small stores and restaurants along Queen Street and The Danforth. From the Beaches, the trail, called the Martin Goodman Trail, runs west along the Toronto waterfront for its entire length, with only a few sections on city streets. Currently, there isn't any path running east along the waterfront from the Beaches.

Port Credit

Port Credit straddles the Credit River with a mix of residential and commercial development along the trail. Most of the trail is separated from traffic with the exception of some residential streets at the east end near the Adamson Estate.

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 2006, the park became a symbol of the ongoing effort to reclaim the Lake Ontario shoreline after the latest phase of redevelopment featured the opening of Spencer's, an upscale restaurant on grounds once occupied by the Mohawk Canoe Club.

Individuals and groups can sometimes be seen performing yoga, T'ai chi and other arts at the public gazebo here. In addition, Spencer Smith Park hosts the annual Sound Of Music festival, a longtime tradition and celebration for Halton and surrounding areas.

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.[4]

Facts and figures

Length

  • 450 km (280 miles) designated (signed)
  • 290 km (180 miles) undesignated (signage yet to be installed and/or gaps in alignment)

Includes

  • 31 communities
  • 182 parks and natural areas
  • 152 arts and culture heritage attractions
  • 37 major annual waterfront festivals
  • 170 marinas and yacht clubs

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Trail usage at WaterfrontTrail.org
  2. ↑ Trail Expansion announcement. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
  3. ↑ 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. 
  4. ↑ "1000 Islands Bikepath". Canada Trails. Retrieved 2008-02-12. 

External links

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