MANITOULIN—The dream of a 1,000-plus-kilometre cycling route that would circumnavigate around (and through) Georgian Bay and its communities has entered the implementation stage and the Island originators couldn’t be more pleased.
“The Georgian Bay Cycle Route (GBCR) was basically started right here on Manitoulin,” said Maja Mielonen, who noted that although the concept began when members of Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates (MICA) attended a bike summit in Sault Ste. Marie, she was very pleased to hear that the Waterfront Regeneration Trust had agreed to undertake the implementation phase of the route. “We met the people from the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and found them to be kindred spirits,” she said. “They are very passionate about cycling. They are exactly the partners you want.”
“So although the GBCR was given birth on Manitoulin and MICA did 80 percent of the work, we are very pleased that the WRT has taken this on,” she said. “We are thrilled that it has been born.”
Ms. Mielonen noted that MICA has very limited financial resources and that the WRT has the resources through its foundation to be able see the project to fruition.
“There is lots to do yet,” she said. “I hope that ground zero for the idea will be one of the trailheads established for the route.” She noted that there are a couple of spots along the proposed route that will require political will to put in place, but that their length is actually quite nominal compared to the length of the route and its benefits to communities along the way.
“The feasibility study has been an effective way to test the concept for the route,” said John Foster of LAMBAC, who chaired the GBCR steering committee, in a press release announcing the implementation phase. “With 800-kilometres suitable for implementation, we are closer to developing a cross-regional new tourism product than we realized.”
“Implementation will require finding a sustainable home for the project—the Waterfront Regeneration Trust’s mandate, partnership model and experience make it an ideal organization to take over the initiative from the Steering Committee,” he said. “They are already working with communities along the North Shore of Lake Huron to bring the Waterfront Trail from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury, so adding the Georgian Bay Cycling Route is a natural fit for the Trust. We are very pleased and excited that they accepted the challenge.”
The GBCR steering committee was established last summer to oversee a feasibility study for the Georgian Bay Cycle Route concept. The committee was comprised of representatives from six organizations, including the province’s Regional Tourism Organizations, Sudbury Cyclists Union, Waterfront Regeneration Trust and route founders, Denis Baldwin and the Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates. LAMBAC chaired the steering committee and administered funding for the study, which was received from FedNor, the province’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
“The Waterfront Trail has gone through six major expansions since its launch in 1995,” said Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust in the same release. “Each expansion was spearheaded by visionary community leaders with a great idea—such as the Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates. Successful, sustainable implementation, however, depends on a establishing a partnership of communities committed to creating and promoting the route.”
The proposed route follows existing trails and roads as close to Georgian Bay as possible with views and access to the shoreline, farmland, forest and the rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield. The GBCR connects the culture, heritage and lifestyles of 35-plus communities around Georgian Bay with two UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves, two national parks, 15 provincial parks and includes the MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry crossing onto Manitoulin Island.
Over 58 communities and organizations provided letters of support for the Georgian Bay Cycling Route concept giving the Waterfront Regeneration Trust a good foundation on which to expand the partnership.
The WRT currently co-ordinates a partnership comprised of 70-plus communities along the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Last year, as part of a trail-wide strategic planning process, the WRT’s partners overwhelmingly endorsed a Great Lakes vision for the Waterfront Trail and partnership. An expansion of the trail and partnership to include Georgian Bay is consistent with this mandate.
Transportation Options and The Resource Management Consulting Group conducted the feasibility study. Representatives of municipalities, tourism organizations, health units and cycling clubs participated in workshops on the route held in Little Current, Sudbury, Parry Sound, Gravenhurst, Midland, Collingwood, Owen Sound and Wiarton. Staff from the Ministry of Transportation, northeastern region and the Sustainable and Innovative Transportation Office provided insight regarding issues pertaining the provincial highways and secondary roads, as well as perspective regarding the CycleOn Strategy.
A summary of the GBCR route and findings from the study can be found at: www.waterfronttrail.org/partner-resource-center/georgian-bay-cycling-route-project.
