Marlaine Koehler
March 2022
Waterfront Regeneration Trust
Waterfront Regeneration Trust
Protect, Connect, Celebrate and Regenerate Canada’s Great Lakes
• Established in 1988 as Royal Commission àWaterfront Regeneration TrustProvincial Agency 1992-99àRegistered Charity since 1999
• Stewards of a vision for a regenerated waterfront as a Charity our focus has been on the creation of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail
•
Co-ordinate a partnership of 155+ communities and First Nations to create a 3600 km Great Lakes Waterfront Trail
• Promote the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail as a provincial recreational, fitness and tourism asset of national significance and key part of a strategy to protect, connect and celebrate Canada’s Great Lakes
• Leverage membership to attract additional resources and funding
Legacy Vision
Dedicated route as close to the water’s edge as ecologically feasible
Integral part of each ecosystem
Enhancing the environment, economy, community
Celebrating our natural and cultural heritage
Connecting people to and engaging them in the legacy and all that it represents
Duluth
GLWT / TCT Lake Superior Expansion
• Feasibility Study completed
• Secured funding for signage plan and mapping phase (DNO, TCT, CAA, 2 DMOs)
• Secured additional funding through FedNor for inaugural signage (Tourism Relief Fund)
• Thunder Bay to use Trail to leverage their waterfront trail/regeneration plans
• Exploring connection to
MN
Muskoka to Sudbury Expansion
• Applied to Federal Active Transportation Fund for implementation phase of expansion for Muskoka to Sudbury, Manitoulin Island and St. Joseph Island
Simcoe County Expansion
• Wayfinding completed, 2022.
Binational Trails
• MOU signed between WRT, TCT, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources and Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
• Jointly developing Great Lakes Tourism Destination -- 2024
Wayfinding Excellence
Program – GTA & Niagara
• Leading program in Niagara and GTA
• Renews signage on 139km of GLWT + Trans Canada Trail
• Established GLWT wayfinding on Niagara Parkway
4 Kingsville South Glengarry Iroquois Morrisburg Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Desbarats Iron Bridge Lucknow discoveryroutes.ca greenbelt.ca Bay eld Wolfe Island Howe Island Lion’s Head Meaford Essex Lakeshore Tecumseh Waaseyaagami-wiikwed Gichigami-zitbi Gichi-ziibi Lake/Lac St. Clair Waawiyaataan (U.S.A.) (U.S.A.) (U.S.A.) West Nipissing Alban Pointe au Baril MacTier Honey Harbour Tay Coldwater Tiny Orillia Orono Petawawa Uxbridge Newmarket Georgetown Rosseau Port Carling Bracebridge Gravenhurst Grundy Lake Provincial Park Schomberg GLWT Signed Signature Loop Lake/Lac Ontario Niigani-gichigami Lake/Lac Erie Waabishkiigoo-gichigami Lake/Lac Huron Naadowewi-gichigami Lake/Lac Michigan Ininwewi-gichigami Lake/Lac Superior Anishinaabewi-gichigami Lake/Lac Nipissing Gichi-nibiinsing-zaaga’igan Lake/Lac Simcoe Zhooniyaang-zaaga’igan (U.S.A.) WISCONSIN (U.S.A.) MINNESOTA Pigeon River Neebing Shuniah Dorion Nipigon Schreiber Terrace Bay Marathon White River Wawa Thunder Bay Nearing 3600km, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a signed route of paths and roadways. It connects communities including First Nations along the Canadian shores of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, the world’s largest group of fresh A Registered Charity
Duluth,
Lake Superior Current
Lake
2017-2019
3200 km, signed route (400km ongoing)
170 partner communities and First Nations
Nearing 3600km, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a signed route of paths and roadways. It connects communities including First Nations along the Canadian shores of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, the world’s largest group of fresh
• 4 UNESCO Biospheres, 40 Provincial Parks, 700+ parks, beaches, conservation areas, 100s heritage attractions
• The Trail contributes to ecological health, community renewal and economic vitality
Kingsville South Glengarry Iroquois Morrisburg Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Desbarats Iron Bridge Lucknow discoveryroutes.ca greenbelt.ca Bay eld Wolfe Island Lion’s Head Meaford Essex Lakeshore Tecumseh Waaseyaagami-wiikwed Gichi-ziibi Lake/Lac St. Clair Waawiyaataan (U.S.A.) (U.S.A.) (U.S.A.) West Nipissing Alban Pointe au Baril MacTier Honey Harbour Tay Tiny Orono Petawawa Uxbridge Newmarket Georgetown Rosseau Grundy Lake Provincial Park Schomberg GLWT Signed Signature Loop Lake/Lac Ontario Niigani-gichigami Lake/Lac Erie Waabishkiigoo-gichigami Lake/Lac Huron Naadowewi-gichigami Lake/Lac Michigan Ininwewi-gichigami Lake/Lac Nipissing Gichi-nibiinsing-zaaga’igan (U.S.A.) WISCONSIN Shuniah Dorion Nipigon Schreiber Terrace Bay Marathon White River Wawa
A Registered Charity •
• Combination of
Signed
• 3 Great
•
trails and roads •
connections to Greenbelt Route and 13 GO Transit stations
Lakes, 5 bi-national rivers
County to Espanola and Collingwood
2018 Huron
Huron North Channel
to Sudbury
2018 To Come
Collingwood
Frontenac Islands
Greenbelt Route & Lake Ontario
Watershed Network Growth & Promotion
- 4 new cycling connectors established. 3 underway.
- Connects 14 Greenbelt and Shoreline communities.
- Adds over 140km of cycling route.
- Once implemented, Guelph connector will create the first fully signed cycling corridor between Lake Ontario and Lake Huron, anchored by GLWT
- Hosted 2 Farm Fresh Tours
- -Installed 10 bike racks at businesses and parks
Lake Ontario Watershed Network
Recommendations
• Complete interactive and downloadable map resources
• Conduct a signage review and develop a comprehensive signage
• Develop itineraries and content to promote and support the phased implementation of the linear route to appeal to drive and ride, longdistance recreational and ultra-long-distance cycle
• Work with US partners to support implementation of USBR 41 (North Star Bicycle Route) as part of a bi-national experience—from Duluth to Grand Portage, Neebing , Thunder Bay
Lake Superior Expansion
Once Complete
● 1,000 kilometers of Trail in Canada
● 17 km of off-road
● 80 km secondary local roads;
● 150 km of secondary highways (eg. 587, 614);
● 630 km of expanded and hardened shoulders on TransCanada Highway 17
● Spurs and/or local cycling loops in 9 communities.
● ~250km international connection to Duluth, MN (binational cycling experience)
● 40% completed 2024
● 70% completed by 2027
● 30% TBD-need a construction schedule for 17% to fully realize route.
Wayfinding - Signage Audit
Binational Great Lakes Tourism Experience
• MOU signed by 4 partners to create
• Binational Great Lakes tourism destination opportunity by 2024
• Coincide with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge
• Create active cross-border trail tourism experiences promoting greenways, waterways and communities of Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, the border cities on the Detroit River
• Trails: the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (3,600 km), a part of the Trans Canada Trail (+5,200 km in Ontario) to the Iron Belle Trail in Michigan (+3,200 km) and the Great Lakes Way (+500 km)
• Connect natural heritage assets on both sides of the border and the forthcoming Ojibway National Urban Park, Essex County, Lambton County
42% participated in the tour for the first time--2013
83% said they would return for a visit-2013
96% enjoyed the Point Pelee National Park to Grand Bend tour with a night on Pelee Island- 2016
Thank you. Questions? Marlaine Koehler David Meyer Executive Director Programs Director mk@wrtrust.com projects@wrtrust.com The Waterfront Trail serves as a ribbon of progress and partnership along the shores of the Great Lakes, tying together exciting waterfront projects while connecting communities and individuals to their natural world. Hon. David Crombie
