Ontario’s Waterfront Trail is expanding from 780 to 1,400 kilometres and will now run to Lakeshore.
Waterfront Regeneration Trust unveiled the 620 km expansion of the signed route across Lake Erie. The trail helps market the route as a tourism destination, while helping to protect the regions that it runs through.
The existing 780 km signed route provides a marked path along the waterfront from the Quebec border to Niagara-on-the-Lake and will now extend to Lakeshore.

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Waterfront trail
Cyclists celebrate the extension of the Ontario Waterfront Trail in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013. (Sacha Long / CTV Windsor)
The announcement was made at the Windsor trailhead of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, an annual seven day cycling tour.
“We are celebrating the expansion by holding the Adventure for the first time on the Lake Erie portion of the Trail,” says Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust. “We sold out two months in advance and have people participating from Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California, Idaho, Maryland and Ohio.”
Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Michael Chan MPP said in a news release the waterfront trail has proven to be a vital asset for visitors and residents.
“With today’s expansion, 21 new communities will welcome tourists into diverse and distinct regions that showcase our history and culture while encouraging people to engage in active transportation,” says Chan.
CAA is launching a new Ontario Bike Assist app to help tourists and residents explore the trail. It features routes and trails that have been deemed scenic and approved as safe to travel by CAA’s mapping and research specialists.