The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a signed route of roads and trails in Ontario, Canada, running between

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie may refer to: People * Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a Native American tribe in Michigan Places * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada ** Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district), a Canadian federal electora ...

and the

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

border following the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

and

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...

. The trail connects over 150 communities and First Nations. It is a legacy project of th
Waterfront Regeneration Trust
and its community partners. Through Toronto, the trail is called the

Martin Goodman Trail The Martin Goodman Trail is a commuters Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...

in parts of Southern Ontario.

Expansion and future plans

In October 2013, Premier of Ontario

Kathleen Wynne Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario), member of provinci ...

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 3, 2013

The announcement ensures that "the province will work with First Nation and

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

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 The ''Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005'' (, AODA) is a statute enacted in 2005 by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Canada. Its purpose is to improve accessibility standards for Ontarians with physical and mental ...

. In November 2013, two waterfront-design firms were selected to reimagine the space at the former

Ontario Place Ontario Place was an entertainment venue, event venue, and park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The venue is located on three artificial landscaped islands just off-shore in Lake Ontario, south of Exhibition Place, and southwest of Downtown Toron ...

grounds in Toronto to incorporate a broader mandate for greenspace and parkland. 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. * Walking/Hiking *

Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...

Cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

Inline skating Inline skating is a multi-disciplinary sport and can refer to a number of activities practiced using inline skates. Inline skates typically have two to five polyurethane wheels depending on the style of practice, arranged in a single line by a ...

Skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...

Mobility scooter A mobility scooter is an electric personal transporter used as mobility aid for people with physical impairment, mostly auxiliary to a powered wheelchair but configured like a motorscooter. When motorized they function as micromobility de ...

s *

Mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

Controversial decisions to limit some e-bike and mobility scooters have been underway along portions of the trail.

Cities

Regional Municipalities connected by the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail *

Frontenac County Frontenac County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. The city of Kingston is in the Frontenac census division, but is separated from the County of Front ...

* Northumberland County *

Regional Municipality of Durham The Regional Municipality of Durham (), informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada. Located east of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York, it forms the east end of the Greater Toronto A ...

Region Of Peel The Regional Municipality of Peel (informally Peel Region or Region of Peel, also formerly Peel County) is a regional municipality in the Greater Toronto Area, Southern Ontario, Canada. It consists of three municipalities to the west and northwest ...

* Niagara Region * Essex County *

Lambton County Lambton County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which is drained by the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake Saint Cla ...

* Huron County *

Bruce County Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It has eight lower-tier municipalities with a total 2021 population of 73,396. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, the sixth Governor General of t ...

Grey County Grey County is a county in the province of Ontario. The county is located in the Southwestern Ontario region, and is a part of the Georgian Triangle. At the time of the 2021 Canadian census the population of the county was 100,905. Owen Sound is ...

Simcoe County Simcoe County is a county and census division located in the central region of Ontario, Canada. The county is located north of the Greater Toronto Area, and forms the north western edge of the Golden Horseshoe. The county seat is located in Mi ...

Muskoka District The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka or Muskoka, is a regional municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in th ...

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

: Location: 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.

The Beaches

: Location:

The Beaches A beach is a geological formation consisting of loose rock particles along the shoreline of a body of water. Beach, Beaches or beaching may also refer to: Geography Canada * Beaches (federal electoral district), a federal electoral district in ...

community in eastern Toronto is an important location on the trail, being one of the only neighbourhoods in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

with residential homes next to the lakeshore. The Beach itself is a popular destination, hosting games of

beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two to four players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side o ...

, 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 The Martin Goodman Trail is a Toronto waterfront The Toronto waterfront is the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the city of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west and the Rouge River (Ontario), Rouge River in the east. History L ...

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.

Sugar Beach

Sugar Beach Sugar Beach is an urban beach park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that opened in 2010. It is located across from Redpath Sugar Refinery in Toronto's eastern East Bayfront. Like HTO Park to the west, the beach is not meant for wading or swimming ...

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

: Location:

Port Credit Port Credit is a neighbourhood in the south-central part of the City of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Credit River on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Its main intersection is Hurontario Street and Lakeshore Road, a ...

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 The Adamson Estate, which forms the eastern boundary of the Port Credit, Ontario, Port Credit neighbourhood of Mississauga, Ontario, was purchased from the family of Agar Adamson by Credit Valley Conservation Authority in 1975 upon the urging of ...

Spencer Smith Park

Burlington Ontario lakefront walkway compass 16x9

: Location:

Spencer Smith Park Spencer Smith Park is a park in downtown Burlington, Ontario Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is a city and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halt ...

at Burlington is a prime example of the evolution of

mixed-use development Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...

and city planning in the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...

. 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

Sound Of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Set ...

festival, a longtime tradition and celebration for Halton and surrounding areas.

1000 Islands

: Location: 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.

Ontario Place

In July 2014, the provincial government of Ontario announced a $100 million renovation plan that will see the transformation of

from an entertainment venue into a huge mixed-use park that will anchor the trail in this section.

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 A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

'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.

Facts and figures

Length * Over 3000 km (2236 miles) designated (signed) * 700 km (434 miles) undesignated on
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 file:Ischigualasto provincial park.jpg, Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other coun ...

* 6

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

and 23 national historical sites * 239 beaches, including 21

Blue Flag Beaches The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit, non-g ...

* 152 arts and culture heritage attractions * 37 major annual waterfront

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

s * 170

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

s and yacht clubs * 21 Bike Friendly Communities * 50+ major connecting trails

Footnotes

External links

The Waterfront Trail Official Site
*
The Waterfront Trail Artists

Entry at Ontario Trails database

City of Toronto cycling map
* Entry at Waymarked Trails
based on OpenStreetMap data. {{Canadian Trails Bike paths in Ontario Hiking trails in Ontario Lake Ontario Niagara-on-the-Lake Tourist attractions in Toronto Transport in Algoma District Transport in Bracebridge, Ontario Transport in Bruce County Transport in Brockville Transport in Chatham-Kent Collingwood, Ontario Transport in Elgin County Transport in Essex County, Ontario Transport in Greater Sudbury Transport in Grey County Haldimand County Transport in Lambton County Transport in the District Municipality of Muskoka Transport in Norfolk County, Ontario Transport in Owen Sound Parry Sound, Ontario Transport in Parry Sound District Transport in Sarnia Transport in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Transport in Simcoe County Transport in Sudbury District St. Joseph Island (Ontario) Bike paths in Windsor, Ontario Transport in Windsor, Ontario

Expansion and future plans

Uses

Cities

Notable waypoints

Toronto Harbourfront

The Beaches

Sugar Beach

Port Credit

Spencer Smith Park

1000 Islands

Ontario Place

Cycling on the trail

Facts and figures

See also

Footnotes

External links