In 2017, GDA secured a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to develop a trail plan for the Goodwood Tract. The Goodwood track lies at a key geographical junction point linking continuous trails from the shores of Lake Ontario through the Rouge National Urban...
Proposed Airport Flight Landing Routes (Blue)Removing land from agricultural use so it can be paved over for airport runways has huge ramifications beyond the airport lands themselves. Additionally, the lands adjacent to the airport will likely be converted for...
In 2019 GDA sponsored a 1-day chainsaw safety training day open to volunteers, with training offered by the Ontario Parks Association. In exchange, each participant has continued to volunteer with removal of trees which fall across the trails. Trail users get in touch...
In 2020 we installed a series of beautiful handmade benches throughout the East and West Duffins Headwaters properties. This project was organized by GDA member Rob Ferguson, who researched the best bench designs and coordinated the entire project. GDA member Ian...
In 2021 we purchased trail counters and partnered with TRCA to install them on the East Duffins Headwaters properties. We obtained an additional counter through Trans Canada Trail Foundation. The counters provide valuable data on the number of trail users, and of...
We developed a formal agreement with TRCA in 2019 to permit volunteers to help out on the trails. Our volunteers give hundreds of hours of their time each year to help with routine trail upkeep, removal of fallen trees, trail improvement projects and generally keep...
In 2016 we funded the construction of a parking lot for trail users to access a newly donated section of trails in the Wilder Forest. GDA provided 100% of the funding to create a 30 car parking lot accessible from the Brock Road and adjacent to a horseback riding...
We are working with other groups to create trail connections across privately owned lands that would provide safer routes for trail users between the popular trail networks of Durham Forest, Skyloft, TRCA Dagmar and the newly opened Trail Hub facility. Another area of...
About 1300 acres situated between the Town of Uxbridge and the extensive trail network south of Region Rd. #21 are owned by the Province of Ontario. These lands were acquired in 2003 as part of a land swap to settle a land dispute that arose when the Oak Ridges...
In 1999 GDA members provided substantial financial support to TRCA to acquire and rehabilitate an abandoned 96-acre aggregate pit. Other partners in the purchase and subsequent development efforts included the John and Pat McCutcheon Foundation, Charles Sauriol...