Great Waterfront Trail Adventure 2018
We made it!
After six long, incredible days of cycling from Ajax, we arrived at the Québec border! The 11th Annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure was a celebration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, with goals of connecting communities and protecting the land and water.
We cycled hundreds of kilometres through communities, farmlands, cities, villages, waterways, marinas, harbours, islands, pastures, fields, highways, country roads, forests, wetlands, conservation projects, provincial and municipal parks, boardwalks, and beaches along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Every community welcomed us with open arms and tables of food and drinks. We built fantastic friendships and bonded like one big family.
I am so grateful to have been sponsored as the youth ambassador of the ride this year. My role before, during, and after the GWTA 2018 is to engage the next generation of cyclists who will be advocating and raising awareness for protecting, healing, and caring for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. We, as youth, need to be empowered to take action for, with, and in our communities. We are not just future leaders, but we are current leaders, and we have a lot to contribute. Thanks to Waterfront Regeneration Trust, Waterlution, Toronto Conservation Authority, CAA, and the other generous sponsors of the GWTA 2018, I was able to join the ride for my second time and share my experiences of this remarkable project and trip!
Before departing for the epic adventure, I was interviewed on CBC News - Fresh Air Radio hosted by Karen Gordon to discuss the goals of the GWTA 2018, and what it means to advocate for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
Along our journey, I asked cyclists, councillors, and mayors to describe (in 10 seconds or less) what the Waterfront Trail means to them. I braided these interviews with video clips from my GoPro, which was mounted on my helmet for the entire trip. (See video below).
During the tour, I was also interviewed on Kingston Radio "The Breakfast Club" by Ange and Brian to bring awareness to the cyclists coming through the area.
Since the ride has finished, I have been working hard to create a video that illustrates what the Waterfront Trail and Great Waterfront Trail Adventure means to the individuals and communities connected to the land and water. Every single person I talked to showed a strong awareness of their responsibilities to protect, heal, and care for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. It was inspiring and uplifting to hear their words and see their actions carried through the path along the waterfront. Their stories and experiences demonstrate the power of the Waterfront Trail to connect people to water.
You can watch, listen, and feel those powerful words about the beautiful landscapes and spectacular peoples for yourself:
Connecting Communities
“I see the waterfront trail as a mix. It’s a cocktail. So, you add a little bit of cycling, you add a lot of interesting communities by the waterfront, and out of that comes a refreshing increase in tourism, a refreshing increase in the number of people who use bicycles too as a mode of active transportation, enhancing themselves and enhancing the communities, and by the virtue of using it, it grows, flowers and becomes something wonderful.”
“To have this diverse people to come together for the same goal to work on the water.”
“It brings cyclists together in community.”
“The opportunity to enjoy the communities and the beauty of our great landscape.”
“The Waterfront Trail is a unique trail that connects our communities with our shared experiences, and shared environments and it enables a lot of conversations and experiences with each other.”
“Connecting communities.”
“Our municipality of South of Dundas is pleased to welcome once again the Waterfront Trail bikers. This is an awesome ride and we are so pleased to meet and greet them!”
Celebration and Beauty
“Opportunity to showcase Ontario around the Great Lakes.”
“Discovering the backyard beauty of Ontario.”
“An opportunity to rediscover what is great about Ontario.”
“So much more to see of Ontario than the 401!”
“The trail is amazing! I come up here from Boston because it’s like going to heaven and it’s kind and the people are great and the exchange rate rocks!”
“A soul-searching ride.”
“It’s about seeing all the places that we never see from the highway because right now we are on the water and you see it up close and personal, you smell it, you can feel it, it even makes you need to go to the bathroom!”
“Accessibility for everybody and small-town beauty.”
“I love the Waterfront Trail, it’s just beautiful this year, the weather was just terrific, couldn’t be better!”
“Amazing views while riding!”
“The Waterfront Trail has a calming effect on me, it’s just beautiful, it takes me to another world.”
Friends and Family
“Friendship that becomes a family!”
“Comrade!”
“A lot of friendship and a lot of great riding with friendly people!”
“A family reunion.”
“It’s an amazing experience, such comrade, such great exercise, you feel such a sense of accomplishment, tons of fun!”
“Companionship”
“Bringing awareness to cycling and making lots of great friends!”
“Comrade!”
“Friends, getting to know all the places between Grand Bend and the Québec Border, and healthy exercise and challenge.”
Challenging Adventure
“Personal challenge, quality time with my friends!”
“100km day after day after day after day!”
“A challenge!”
“This is a bucket list trip for me, I am turning 65 and I am a breast cancer survivor. So, I made it, and I’m doing it, and I’m going to finish!”
“Appreciate the accomplishment!”
“A challenging, awe-inspiring adventure!”
“Safety”
“The waterfront trail leads you to the adventures that are waiting for you to find them!”
Food and Fun
“I didn’t know what the Waterfront Trail was, it’s not as much trail as it is country roads, but that’s okay when you are riding a bike. It’s a lot of fun, I have met a lot of great people.”
“Awesome!”
“Fun!”
“Awesome!”
“Fun!”
“Awesome fun!”
“Food tour!!”
“Woohoo!”
“Bike, bike, bike, eat, eat, eat, drink, drink, drink, repeat!”
“Fullfilling”
“Freedom to explore.”
“I find the Waterfront Trail totally liberating!”
“The Waterfront Trail for me means escaping from my normal day to day life”
Protecting the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River
“Connection, protection, and celebration!”
“As a solo cyclist, that sign represented a beacon. Every time I see the bird, leaf and the fish, I smile to myself.”
“Access for all!”
“I think the Waterfront Trail is a great way to put emphasis on the waterfront, from all the waterfronts on the Great Lakes, and it’s also great to emphasize keeping active and keeping fit.”
“It means home and it means conservation.”
“For me the Waterfront Trail is experiencing the restored Great Lakes”
“Great Lakes for all”
“Lots of conservation, great ideas, a great trail to pull it all together.”
“World peace!”