January 19/09 6:19 am - Second Annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour

Posted by Editor on 01/19/09
 

Second Annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour

The second annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour, a 730 km supported end-to-end cycling tour of the Ontario waterfront and greenways, passing through 41 Ontario communities in eight days, will launch this year on Saturday, July 4, 2009. Cyclists will travel from Niagara-on-the-Lake in the west to the Quebec border in the east, in a supported tour that will stretch along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, using the Waterfront Trail and Greenway.

Organized by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and its over 50 waterfront partners, including local municipalities, conservation authorities and community groups, the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure showcases waterfront communities such as Niagara-on-the-Lake, Grimsby, Hamilton, Toronto, Port Hope, Brighton, Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall, and promotes cycling, tourism, and active living in Ontario.

The waterfront communities are preparing celebrations for the cyclists and public to enjoy as the convoy rolls through. (Visit >www.waterfronttrail.org to view the map and for a complete listing of events to date in each community.) The cyclists will have an opportunity to see vibrant communities and beautiful parks, experience delicious local food and entertainment, learn fascinating history, visit the last remaining coastal wetlands, forests and beaches, and enjoy charming shops and unique local businesses.

Registration for the 2009 event is now open and will be limited to 250 end-to-end entrants. Participants are also welcome to join the tour for two or three days and to use personal support vehicles, with two participants taking turns driving and riding. Registration fees apply, based on the number of riding days. New this year is a family option entitled, The One Night Adventure, a 120 km tour which starts in Hamilton and includes two days of supported riding, plus four day passes to Ontario Place. For more information, or to register for the Second Annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour, visit to >www.waterfronttrail.org or call (416) 943-8080.

The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure launches on Saturday, July 4, 2009 at historic Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario with a breakfast for cyclists and dignitaries and ends on July 11, 2009 in Rivière Beaudette, Quebec with closing ceremonies where end-to-end participants receive a commemorative medallion marking their accomplishment.

The Waterfront Regeneration Trust is a registered charity that co-ordinates a partnership of waterfront communities, conservation authorities, community groups and corporations dedicated to the completion, enhancement and promotion of the Waterfront Trail and Greenway. The long-term goal for the Waterfront Trail is to create a dedicated path as close to the water’s edge as is environmentally feasible. The Trail itself is part of a broader strategy to regenerate the waterfront. For more information about the Waterfront Trail and about the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, visit their website at: www.waterfronttrail.org >www.waterfronttrail.org, or call (416) 943-8080.