March 16, 2023, Toronto, ON — With funding from the Government of Canada, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) recently completed trail project within the Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve (ORCCR) is helping turn the area into a regional destination, while continuing to protect local ecology.
Gathered on a section of one of the trails in the conservation reserve, Leah Taylor Roy, Member of Parliament for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill, and TRCA Chief Executive Officer John MacKenzie announced today that over $235,000 in funding from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) was invested to support the completion of TRCA’s Oak Ridges Lake to Lake Trail Project.
Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve is a 175-hectares-plus property in northern Richmond Hill. It is an important ecological area dominated by mature forests, wetlands, meadows, and kettle lakes.
The Oak Ridges Lake to Lake Trail Project is a 630-metre-long multi-use trail connection within the conservation reserve that was recently completed in partnership with York Region, through their Pedestrian and Cycling Partnership Program, in addition to CCRF.
The project helped complete 10% of the remaining Lake to Lake Trail left to be built in Richmond Hill.
The extensive trail system now provides an additional entry point into the conservation reserve and functions as part of the Region’s active transportation network by facilitating off-road connectivity to transit and improving community access to outdoor recreation and facilities such as the Oak Ridges Community Centre and Pool, Lake St. George Field Centre, and Swan Lake Outdoor Education Centre.
The increase in access and activities is allowing residents and visitors to enjoy our valuable natural lands and local community services while protecting the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem.
Building on this effort, TRCA is also working in partnership with the City of Richmond Hill to further develop the trail system in the ORCCR.
Learn more about the Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve and our projects.
The Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) is a two-year, $500 million national infrastructure program to revitalize communities across Canada. The fund supports projects that aim to revitalize downtown cores and main streets, reinvent outdoor spaces, create green infrastructure, and increase the accessibility of community spaces.
Quotes:
“TRCA’s Oak Ridges Lake to Lake Trail Project is a valuable initiative that is helping to improve access to natural spaces, recreation and community services for residents and visitors to enjoy. We are thankful to the Government of Canada, as well as York Region and the City of Richmond Hill, for their investment, which has enabled us to complete this project and support the Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve in becoming a regional destination.”
— John MacKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, TRCA
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
Crystal Lee
Communications and Media Relations Specialist
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
crystal.lee@trca.ca