June 13, 2023, Toronto, ON — Nearly 1,000 participants of Bike the Creek 2023 inspired their community in Peel Region on Saturday June 10 to get out and enjoy cycling, while educating residents about the many benefits of active transportation.
Established in 2014, Bike the Creek is a free, annual event that raises awareness about the benefits of cycling and the importance of active transportation in building a healthy and sustainable community. It attracts cycling enthusiasts of all ages and engages more than 50 volunteers from the community.
Bike the Creek 2023 participants registered for one of six route bike ride options: Family 6 km; Family 12 km; Nature 26 km; Brampton City Ride 50 km; Caledon Town Ride 44 km – 66 km; and Brampton-Mississauga Ride 61 km.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is grateful for the opportunity to partner with various local groups and municipalities for Saturday’s Bike the Creek event, including the City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, the Town of Caledon, and BikeBrampton.
Bike the Creek 2023 also provided an opportunity to increase awareness to our communities of new major regional trail connections being constructed by TRCA and its partners, which support the delivery of TRCA’s Trail Strategy for the Greater Toronto Region.
The vision for the Greater Toronto Region Trail Network sees a complete regional trail network in greenspace and along the Lake Ontario shoreline and Greenbelt that connects our growing communities to nature, to culture, and to each other, contributing to active living and to enhancing our conservation legacy.
Connecting people to recreational and active transportation opportunities in greenspace supports mentally and physically healthy lifestyles and appreciation for natural ecosystems such as Etobicoke Creek. Greater active transportation is a key resiliency strategy that supports climate change adaptation and mitigation for our region by helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
TRCA recreational trails are open year-round and offer opportunities for people to walk, hike, bike, cross-country ski, snowshoe, or ride a horse.
Become a “people power” champion by supporting efforts to get kids moving to and from school in healthy and active ways! To make an impact with a donation to active transportation education in Peel schools, donate here.
Quick Facts:
- Etobicoke Creek Trail is part of the 1,000 km regional trail network in TRCA’s Trail Strategy for the Greater Toronto Region.
- For more than 10,000 years, trails have woven through the forests, valleys, and meadows of what is now known as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). They were used by traders, hunters, and fishers during the migration of Indigenous people, and later by waves of settlers and immigrants. In the process, trails have become a defining feature of our urban and rural landscapes.
- Trails connect residents to nature and to each other, and provide opportunities for community, recreation, active transportation, and healthy living. They form a network for movement, linking neighbourhoods in the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and the Greenbelt to the growing suburban and urban centres that frame Lake Ontario.
- Over 163,000 people commute to work every day using active transportation (walking, cycling) in TRCA’s partner regional municipalities (Durham, Peel, Toronto, York).
- Highlights of TRCA’s Trail strategy include:
- The soon-to-open Claireville Conservation Park Multi-Use Trail: construction in partnership with the City of Brampton is nearly complete for a 3.8 km multi-use trail system through the northern section of the Conservation Park.
- Expansion of the Humber Trail in Bolton: this includes the creation of a connection to the Humber Trail through Bolton Resource Management Tract, making 2.8 km of trail open to the public.
- TRCA continues to maintain and improve more than 160 km of trail across our Conservation parks and Lands in Peel Region so that our communities have clean, safe, and enjoyable experiences.
- TRCA has improved wayfinding and trail conditions in Heart Lake Conservation Park through the Canada Communities Revitalization Fund.
- TRCA has worked with the Albion Hills Trails Advisory Committee and other trail partners to maintain and improve the existing trail network in Albion Hills Conservation Park.
- TRCA continues to improve the secondary trail network through Claireville Conservation Park so that the trail conditions remain optimal with increased visitation.
For more information, please view TRCA’s Trail Strategy for the Greater Toronto Region.
Quote:
“Bike the Creek 2023 is the perfect opportunity to celebrate Etobicoke Creek, our trail systems in Peel Region, and our natural environment. Bike the Creek inspires the community to get out and enjoy cycling in the Etobicoke Creek watershed and raises awareness of the many benefits of cycling and active transportation, and the role they play in building a healthier, more climate resilient, and sustainable communities.”
— Paul Ainslie, Chair of TRCA’s Board of Directors and Councillor for City of Toronto
About Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Since 1957, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), as enabled through the provincial Conservation Authorities Act, has taken action to enhance our region’s natural environment and protect our land, water, and communities from the impacts of flooding and increasingly extreme weather events – Ontario’s leading cause of public emergencies.
As the region’s first line of defence against natural hazards, TRCA maintains vital infrastructure and provides programs and services that promote public health and safety, protecting people and property.
TRCA mobilizes a science-based approach to provide sound policy advice, leveraging its position as a not-for-profit operating in the broader public sector to achieve collective impacts within our communities and across all levels of government.
TRCA’s jurisdiction includes nine watersheds and their Lake Ontario shorelines, spanning six upper-tier and fifteen lower-tier municipalities and representing almost five million people, approximately 10% of Canada’s population.
To learn more about TRCA, visit trca.ca.
Media Contact
Bobbi Martellacci
Communications Specialist
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
bobbi.martellacci@trca.ca