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...
GDA members and others have worked closely with Lafarge to install and monitor a number of bluebird boxes on one of their large end-use pits. Volunteers visit the site several times each birding season to conduct bird counts and report that the houses are a big hit!...
We were instrumental in the negotiations that led to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority acquiring the properties known as the Pleasure Valley and Wilder Forest lands, and the Skyloft property. GDA made a substantial donation of time and funds to help these...
We assist TRCA with trail maintenance on the 200+ km. of trails in the East and West Duffins Headwaters properties. Since 2007 we have supported the TRCA with approximately $15,000 yearly towards the cost of routine trail maintenance such as mowing. Until 2021 we...
In 2016, GDA commissioned Chrismar Mapping Services to develop a set of printed, waterproof trail maps for the area between Lakeridge Road and Brock Road, south of Reg. Rd. 21 and north of Durham Road #5. Uxbridge had claimed the title “Trail Capital of Canada” yet...
Online maps for many of the trails in this area can be downloaded using the app, Avenza. Maps include: Durham Regional Forest Main Tract, East Duffins Headwaters, Dagmar Forest, Clubine Forest, Secord Forest and Wildlife Area, and Goodwood Resource Management Tract....
Many of the trails have navigation posts which have maps and numbers, so trail users always know where they are standing even if they do not have a cell phone or cell coverage. The tops of the posts slope to the north to further aid in navigation. GDA collaborates...
We have been involved with the Federal airport lands issue since they were first expropriated. Some of our early members lost their homes to this huge expropriation of land. Over the years since, we have reviewed studies released by Transport Canada and others and...
Our members were centrally involved in a project to refurbish a high, and historic heritage bridge along the rail line in the town of Uxbridge. The project was completed in 2015 with financial support from OTF, the Trans Canada Trail, local service clubs, private...