Ontario Trails News - Trailwise - January 12, 2017

• Trail Management • Trailhead Events • Membership Drive    • Donate to Trails Today • Member News • Activity Updates

Ontario Trails Adds More Trails! The Ontario Trails Council is pleased to be continually updating its website with more trails, this week we are adding  Thanks to all the great folks that continue to add trails to our inventory for everybody to access! Colonel Smith Trail - TorontoThis park is located along a stretch of wooded shoreline in the Kipling and Lakeshore area. It is home to a variety of plants, trees, birds and other wildlife, as well as a network of paths and the city's first ice skating trail (in a figure-eight shape). The pleasure ice skating trail is located next to the Power House Recreation Centre (65 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Road). The park also features a dog off-leash area. Special Features SCENIC VIEW - Great place to watch a sunrise. WILDLIFE - Designated Toronto Bird Sanctuary and listed as a top spot to see birds in the City's Birds of Toronto Biodiversity Series booklet. Also known as a good spot for fishing. 3145 Lake Shore Blvd W  http://www1.toronto.ca/parks/prd/facilities/complex/466/ Richmond Green Skate Trail Status: Now open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call 905-771-5490 for ice conditions. The Richmond Green Skate Trail has a number of features including: Trail through 250 m of natural space Lights for evening skating Heated washroom and change room Parking Open for inline skating from April 1 to November 1 The trail is open for ice skating weather permitting from December to March. It is located at:1300 Elgin Mills Road East Richmond Hill, ON L4S 1M5 Information and photo provided by https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/things-to-do/Outdoor-Skating.aspx Valens Lake Skate Trail Valens Lake Conservation Area's skating trail opens Saturday at 9 a.m. and will remain open until February. The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle or admission is free for skaters with a Hamilton Conservation Authority membership pass. See the full article at CBC - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/valens-lake-skating-trail-opens-1.3909572 Information from Hamilton Conservation Authority https://conservationhamilton.ca/winter-at-hca-plus-new-skating-loop-at-valens-lake/ Dresden Trillium Trail This 5.8km trail was constructed by the Dresden Horticulture Society as an exercise venue and a connecting link between the towns tourism, recreation, shopping, education and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Explore Dresden’s early development and historic ties to the Great Lakes Marine History and the Underground Railroad. Click here to download the Chatham-Kent Trail Map, featuring maps of  44 unique trails located across Chatham-Kent. Pick up a paper copy at your nearest library or municipal centre. Pick up a paper copy at your nearest library or municipal centre. Click on the map below to view an interactive map of some of Chatham-Kent's most popular trails. Dow Canada Employee Trail This trail which follows Running Creek was sponsored by DOW Canada in recognition of their employees and retirees. It is a family-friendly trail suitable for everyone. Recently reconstructed by the municipality in 2016 The .72km long granular trail can be easily travelled. Click here to download the Chatham-Kent Trail Map, featuring maps of  44 unique trails located across Chatham-Kent. Pick up a paper copy at your nearest library or municipal centre. http://www.chatham-kent.ca/CommunityParks/Trails/Pages/Trails.aspx Penetanguishene Skate TrailThis is a brand new 2 km SKATE TRAIL through the historic site. Open from January 13th through to March 12th - Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6pm - 9pm and on Saturday and Sunday through the day from 1pm - 4pm. Lots of activities for everyone. Join us. WEATHER PERMITTING. Admission is $8 per person Children 5 & under FREE. All visitors must sign a waiver to skate on the trail. Helmets are recommended for children under 12 years of age. We recommend helmets for all of our visitors though. http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trails/view/penentanguishene-discovery-harbour-skate-trail Algonquin College Trail Education Program - Trail Planning Module Begins ! Trailhead Hastings! Join us at Trailhead Hastings to ask and get answers to questions such as: What’s the capitalization on value of Hastings Trails? Is Hastings generating its portion of the trails economy relative to the rest of the province? Are we keeping pace with other places? Are we ahead or behind?, are we generating our fair share of investment? Where is the trail travel dollar going? – Belleville, Centre Hastings, North Hastings, Bancroft -or out of the county? How are we, and who is, measuring and supporting this economy? Ontario Trails Council leads the way in Ontario and Nationally in making communities work though trails. We’ve led the way in communities learning and understanding the benefit of building complete trail systems. In Ontario there are roughly 108 projects each year, worth $21M of capital investment, improvement and trail revitalization. What amount of this economy happens in Hastings? Wellington County RTC Underway! A collaborative trails initiative in Wellington CountyThe Wellington Trails Committee was first conceived in the summer of 2016 with the ground-swell of demand for trail information. Potential users, both locals and visitors, are increasingly requesting trail maps from local shops and tourism information centres, but a lack of organized trail-related data means it is difficult for these front-line businesses and agencies to service their clients. While surveying local trail organizations to see what data was available, it quickly became evident that there is no central resource for trail information, but there is a strong desire to increase communication, pool resources and work together to further what has become our common trail-related goals and objectives. In its current form, the committee is an ad-hoc group of stakeholders meeting monthly to share resources, help bring key organizations and individuals into the fold, and guide the growth and development of the committee to best serve what we have identified as the group’s Mission, goals and objectives. Mission To serve as a communication, information and resource hub dedicated to promoting, developing and sustaining the region’s recreational trails in order to spur economic growth, conserve our ecological resources, and promote public health. Goals and Objectives Create a cohesive regional trail strategy to develop trails/routes and gather resources for all user groups Form a unified voice for trails in the region capable of advocating for the largest possible population/user/voter base to funding agencies and policy makers Facilitate communication, data/information and resource sharing between regional trail stakeholders Promote responsible and sustainable trail-based outdoor recreation as forms of regional tourism, economic development, and public health initiatives Support active transportation planning, connectivity and development initiatives Aid in new both local and regional trail/route planning and development Bring to the forefront and address common issues from trail groups in the region If you are interested in becoming involved, please visit the following link and let us know a little more about you: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeb-yceO2H_AJcOJ5fPdmAHtzUabiFnlO56NsHcVlEgvTpMEw/viewform MTCS Community Recreation Grant FundingOntario is now accepting applications for the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund (OSRCF) 2017–18. OSRCF is a grant program that supports the government’s vision to enable people in communities across Ontario to lead healthy, active lives. The fund increases opportunities for participation in sport and recreation, supports implementation of physical literacy as a foundation for lifelong physical activity and strengthens the community sport and recreation sector. The deadline to apply for the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund 2017–18 is February 1, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Full details, including who’s eligible and how to apply, are available through Grants Ontario, the providers in your area. Federal Student Experience Grant FundingThe 2017 Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) application period for employers is now open. Apply before January 20, 2017! Canada Summer Jobs is a Government of Canada initiative. It provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees to create summer jobs for students between the ages of 15 and 30. The application form as well as the applicant guide is currently available at www.canada.ca/canada-summer-jobs. You can submit your application online, by mail or in person at any Service Canada Centre. For a better understanding of the Canada Summer Jobs program including key tips to apply, please watch this YouTube video: https://youtube/SfMoLhkgjU8 We encourage you to submit your 2017 application online. By doing so, you will benefit from a fast, easy-to-use, and secure way of applying as you will: have access to the Canada Summer Jobs application 24/7, from any location, allowing you to complete it at your convenience; ensure your application is received immediately by Service Canada; receive an instant acknowledgement confirming that your application has been received; and, avoid postal delays.  There are two systems available to enable you to apply online: Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS): If you already have a GCOS account, please use this online platform to submit an online application; or CSJ online application form. For more information: Click: www.canada.ca/canada-summer-jobs Call: 1-800-935-5555 (ATS: 1-800-926-9105) Visit: a Service Canada Centre CSJ presentation: https://youtube/SfMoLhkgjU8 Use the OFSC Trail Guide this season! Use the trail guide for the best accuracy in open and closed trails this season. Trailhead Canada - Save the date! Trails Tourism Integration Underway Based on your feedback we are making improvments, areas include such things as: having an event map self directed trail or event edits mapping and maps guided services listings improved weather reporting improved trip planning with printout adding trails for folks with pets to cater to the traveler with pets add trekking and other unique experiences re-brand off-road cycling as mountain biking, add fat-biking as a specialty space for local content improved site search functionality more links across RTO's improved forms with additional categories more support route content like Wine or Arts Routes event to trail linkages on trail content pages cms capability to red flag broken links more! trails! We appreciate the feedback from all the marketing and branding staffs we have worked with and all the suggestions for improvement. Thank- you Membership Renewals - Thank-you for your Support!We wish to thank the following organizations that have already completed their membership for 2017. We couldn't do our work without your continued support. Many thanks! Renew Today! Ontario Equestrian Federation Penetanguishene Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Hamilton Region Conservation AuthorityHamilton Conservation Authority, located at the western end of Lake Ontario, is the area's largest environmental management agency, and is dedicated to the conservation and enjoyment of watershed lands and water resources. Get outdoors and explore the many great trails in the City of Hamilton. These pathways provide important links to natural areas, valley lands, the Niagara Escarpment, Lake Ontario, and neighboring municipalities. They also offer some of the best opportunities for recreation and nature appreciation - key components in the campaign to secure a healthy, sustainable community for future generations. Membership Benefits INFORMATION AND FUNDING OTC Trails and Event page representation Representation on OTC trails maps Social Media represents you to 60,000+ people Fund Development through grant writing, grant support ACCESS AND INFLUENCE Connectivity to the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport Leadership at the Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee Office services and networking support BEST PRACTICES Partnership Support and Knowledge exchange Access to Professional Development sessions Tourism Practices, Trails Tort Reform, Trail Workshops TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS Access to Trail Insurance Broker Option on registration in Trillium Trail Network Local, regional or provincial User conflict resolution 2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM - PDF     2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM - WORD DOC CATEGORIES Become a "Friend of Trails" Savings on conference/seminar registration Monthly e-bulletins Access to OTC trails database Great gift price! Savings on trail literature/maps $26.52 + $3.45 = $29.97 (includes 13% HST) Benefits to Student Editions of the OTC newsletter Trailwise Access to OTC trails information Conference and selected literature savings * must provide student verification $21.21 + $2.75 = $23.96 (includes 13% HST) Our members include municipalities, conservation authorities, parks, trail management groups, trail clubs, trail user groups, health units and other trail-related supporting organizations. Base HST Total Small Non-profit, Small Organizations $109.27 $14.20 $123.47 Conservation Authorities, Medium Municipalities, Counties, Regional Tourism Organizations $273.18 $35.51 $308.69 Municipalities, Provincial Level Organizations >5000 users $819.54 $106.54 $926.0