July 14/16 12:52 pm - Peterborough & Kawarthas Partners with Greenbelt on New Cycle Route (Ontario)

Posted by Editoress on 07/14/16
 

The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation has partnered with Ontario By Bike, Feast ON, and regional tourism offices across Ontario's protected Greenbelt, including Peterborough & the Kawarthas, to showcase world-class cycle tourism experiences connected to the Greenbelt Route.

Cyclists will now be encouraged to ride the new Oak Ridges to Lake Loop, which utilizes a portion of Route 3A (Hills, Views & Pastries) of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Classics Road Cycling Routes. The new loop explores communities in the Township of Cavan-Monaghan, the City of Peterborough and the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan.

The Greenbelt Route, launched in 2015, connects communities from Northumberland to Niagara on a signed cycling route through the countryside, highlighting bike-friendly destinations and supporting local economies.

New this year, as a substantial cycle-tourism asset for the region, the updated Greenbelt Route has multiple connecting routes to the Waterfront Trail and thousands of points of interest riders can add to their route to customize their experience to their taste. Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, the area's official Destination Marketing Organization, and a division of Peterborough Economic Development, has partnered with this group on the creation of this loop as one of the nine new cycling loops. The complete itinerary curated to include a number of local partners is available on the newly updated www.greenbelt.ca/route.

"The landscapes of Peterborough and the Kawarthas are the perfect backdrop for this three-day cycling trip," said Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. "With the Greenbelt Route, we look for partners taking leadership in cycle tourism and Peterborough Economic Development has shown a strong commitment to promoting not only the region, but also healthy, active recreation."

The Greenbelt Route brings together the local cycling opportunities from across the Greenbelt onto a unified platform, promoting interconnected cycling adventures through Ontario's world-renowned, protected Greenbelt.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for Peterborough & the Kawarthas to be included in this collaborative initiative. In addition to the successful launch of the region's first signed cycling routes in 2015, we now have the opportunity to be connected to rural destinations from Northumberland to Niagara, encouraging increased visitation and spending in the region, which is vital to the health of our local economy and the growth of tourism in the region," said Rhonda Keenan, President & CEO of Peterborough Economic Development.

The Route is bringing new visitors to the countryside, which is essential to economic vitality of rural communities, such as Peterborough & the Kawarthas. The small-town character of the destinations along the Greenbelt Route offer unique and authentic experiences for cyclists from across Ontario and abroad.

For more information about cycling in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, visit www.thekawarthas.ca/cycling and for information on the new Oak Ridges to Lake Loop, go Here.