Ontario Trail News - Trail Wise - news from the trails and communities that make them in Ontario and Across Canada

 

Ontario Trails Council - a provincial charity working for the development, use, management and preservation of trails and trail based activity. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

ONTARIO TRAILS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER - March 30, 2026 • National Trail Summit - Go Fund Us - • Provincial Budget Affects Recreation • • Seasonal Activity on Ontario Trails • Trail Projects • Updates • Member Services • Ontario Trails Council is a charity, led by a volunteer board of directors, that promotes the use, management, development, and preservation of trails and trail-based activities in Ontario.  Please consider supporting us through a donation or a membership. Thanks.   TOP TRAIL NEWS The 2026 Ontario budget impacts recreational trails by investing $300 million over six years into the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund to repair, upgrade, and build new facilities. This funding boosts local tourism, improves safety, and helps municipalities expand trail networks for public use.  Key Impacts on Recreational Trails: Increased Infrastructure Funding: The Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund total is raised to $500 million to support community sport and recreation facility improvements, which includes trails.   Northern Ontario Support: The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) provides specific funding to improve trails, such as recent investments in snowmobile trail systems.   Safety and Maintenance: Funding supports the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) in maintaining and upgrading thousands of kilometres of trails, ensuring safe and reliable access for users.   Tourism Development: Investments are linked to strengthening tourism infrastructure, encouraging visitors to enjoy outdoor activities in both rural and Northern Ontario.   Accessibility: The funding aims to improve access to nature and keep residents active, bolstering local economies and promoting healthy lifestyles.  Ontario budget projects $13.8B deficit, delays balance again - Barrie News Barrie Today Ontario is projecting a deficit of $13.8 billion for the coming year and pushing back its target date for balancing the budget by another year, ...   Here is how Ontario's 2026 budget will impact Toronto - CP24 CP24 Those projects will serve as a preview for an even bigger slate of projects ... trails and parks when its complete. The province has said work at ...   North Bay considers allowing ATVs on more municipal roads - CTV News CTV News Since 2015, the city has allowed the vehicles to use some roads, allowing riders to link to existing ATV trails that lead to Mattawa and other areas.   Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus Opposes Alto High-Speed Rail Project In Its Current Form Kawartha 411 ... trails, and environmentally sensitive areas, and with no long-term economic benefits; and the closure and/or dead-ending of roads will have ... The Waterfall Strategy: How Hamilton is Fighting Overtourism to Save Its Natural Wonders Travel And Tour World ... trails,” says Sarah, a volunteer trail ... Tags: Bruce Trail Conservancy, Hamilton Waterfalls, Overtourism Ontario, Spencer Gorge, sustainable tourism ...   Ski season still going strong - CTV News CTV News “This has been an exceptional year for cross-country skiing,” said Houben. “This far into March, usually we start closing some trails down but the ...   Musher from northwestern Ontario wins Rookie of the Year title at Iditarod Sled Dog Race CBC Terry said he had some challenging times out on the trail, including low moments where he was missing his family and thinking about his kids. Jesse ...   Local Army Cadet Conquers Winter Expedition at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park The Owen Sound Current She also completed two days of cross-country skiing and two days of fat-tire biking on slippery, technical trails. Owen Sound Current is the city's ...   Exploring Ontario Digitally This Winter 2026 - PelhamToday.ca PelhamToday.ca The Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario ... Interactive maps, park websites, and regional travel guides allow you to research hiking trails, ...   Got 10 minutes? Here's what to do with it. - Montreal Gazette Montreal Gazette ParticipACTION is urging Canadians to sneak 10 minutes of physical activity into their work day. Claiming that 64 percent of Canadians believe ...   Ontario Nature permanently protects Sauble Dunes North - The Brock Press The Brock Press The acquisition was supported by funding from the Government of Canada's Natural Heritage Conservation Program through the Land Trust Conservation ...   Man missing for 2 months found dead in conservation area near Owen Sound Yahoo News Canada ... conservation area, provincial police said Friday ... Canada · World · Business · Entertainment · Weather · Videos · Sports · Science · Terms ...   Bradford Greenhouses gears up for a busy weekend with the Great Canadian Outdoors Show Barrie 360 A two‑day, family‑friendly event celebrating everything from camping and fishing to wildlife demos and outdoor education.   Ontario's Trails Are Rural Recreation in 85% of Ontario. Patrick Connor Writes - "I'm Proud to be a Board Member with Kim Goodman on this initiative." https://www.facebook.com/ruralrecreationassociation/     OTC President’s Corner  March 2026 As many of us now say, “It’s been a minute” since we last connected and so it has. As a Canadian it would be strange of me not to inject something about the weather – so however you experienced winter in Ontario this season, I’m hoping you found a way to enjoy it outdoors on a trail! Spring is near and we all can feel the sun’s warmth again. It is beginning to feel like a new day in more ways than a seasonal change. I’ll give you a simple example. Since the summer of 2000, the Ontario Trails Council (OTC) and the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) decided it was in their best interest to each take a different “fork in the trail”. The trail each agency followed diverged but were never out of sight and often not out of step with each other’s forward direction. Time passed, trail leaders moved on, history faded and those two forks in the trail, found their way back to a single, more established pathway. If you heard it from someone else, this should help make it clear: the Ontario Trails Council is once again working with the Trans Canada Trail on trail related challenges to find solutions and improve trail operations and the user experience here in Ontario. We need each other – we always have. Starting this week, the OTC is engaging with local trail champions in Durham Region, near Uxbridge – Trails Capital of Canada to knit together a solution that will stabilize the management of the Beaver River Wetland Trail – a 22km TCT section, in collaboration and with the support of the Trans Canada Trail. As an OTC member, trail manager and/or trail enthusiast you may have questions about what changed? What took you so long? How do we tap into this kind of OTC/TCT assistance? What I can tell you here is that this renewed arrangement was long in the making, fostered by many over many years and I’d be happy to share more about how it came to be in several ways. First, I’d like to thank Patrick Connor (OTC Executive Director) and Kim Goodman (OTC Board Member) for their resilience, openness and aim to support this renewed relationship with the Trans Canada Trail team. Now as for the options to connect and learn more see below: Option 1: reach out and email me president@ontariotrails.ca. If my inbox is overwhelmed by your questions, that’ll be a happy problem because we’ll get to meet each other. Option 2: reach out to Patrick Connor (Executive Director) and ask about membership renewal, assistance and support – he’d love to get in touch. execdir@ontariotrails.ca Option 3: Consider attending the Canadian Trail Summit in Winnipeg June 16-19 https://canadiantrailsummit.ca/ being hosted by Trans Canada Trail. This is a great chance to catch up, connect, talk trail challenges and solutions. Also, The Forks in Winnipeg is an iconic destination in Canada, especially in June – not to be missed.   Can’t make the Summit but would still like to support it? We have an OTC GoFundMe account set up below, the aim is to use the funds raised to offset the costs of 10 Ontario attendees to the conference. We’d love the support, but even better is to have 10 reps from Ontario attend and bring back the learning here.   Safe, accessible and enjoyable trails to all of you, Dan   Join Ontario Trails Council We thank all those that join and support our work, individuals play a significant role locally and work with us to make change provincially! Thank-you. RENEWAL - Township of Cavan-Monaghan - Thank - you! The Township of Cavan Monaghan has a number of parks and playgrounds throughout the Township.  All parks, parkland and trails, with the exception of Whitfield Landing shall be considered non-operational from Thanksgiving Monday of each year, until the Friday prior to Victoria Day of each subsequent year. Whitfield Landing will be considered non-operational from the Monday following the 3rd weekend in November, each year to the Friday prior to Victoria Day each subsequent year. During these periods, the Township of Cavan Monaghan will perform no maintenance and only complete minimal inspections. Parks, parkland and trails will have signs erected indicating open season and clearly stating that there is no maintenance when closed. This measure must be taken to protect the safety of persons using park facilities and equipment during a time when environmental conditions may promote or increase the potential for personal injury. Payment Methods: or call 613-484-1140 to Pay by Credit Card. Thank-you!   CANADIAN TRAILS SUMMIT   2026 Canadian Trail Summit – Funding support is available to help individuals and members of non-profit organizations cover costs of attending the summit. Join us in Winnipeg June 16 to 19, 2026, to help shape the future of Canada’s trails!     Learn more + Register here    Please Help send Ontario Trails Council to the National Trail Summit   Ontario Trails Council is revitalizing our partnership with the Trans Canada Trail. Recent talks have gone exceedingly well between the OTC Board and leadership of the TCT. We thank the TCT for the opportunity to support our presence at the national event.   Go Fund Us Unfortunately due to a lack of resources we missed the World Trail Conference 2 years ago. We wish to have a presence in Winnipeg in support of those OTC members that Support the Trans Canada Trail in their communities. With your help we can help shape a better future for trails in Canada. Please donate to get us there. Thank you.

Ontario Trail aevents - Halobirton Highlands and Ontario By Bike Engagements, and More!

 

ONTARIO TRAIL NEWS 

Go Fund Us

You can Help send 10 Ontario Trails Leaders to the National Trail Summit
 

Ontario Trails Council is revitalizing our partnership with the Trans Canada Trail. Recent talks have gone exceedingly well between the OTC Board and leadership of the TCT. We thank the TCT for the opportunity to support our presence at the national event.

Unfortunately due to a lack of resources we missed the World Trail Conference 2 years ago. We wish to have a presence in Winnipeg in support of those OTC members that Support the Trans Canada Trail in their communities.

With your help we can help shape a better future for trails in Canada. Please donate to get us there. Thank you.
 

 

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ONTARIO TRAIL PROJECTS AND FUNDING
 

Apply Now: Canada Fund for Local Initiatives for Local Projects (Malaysia) - fundsforNGOs fundsforNGOs Canadian organizations implementing local development initiatives in Malaysia ... conservation in the Pelagos Sanctuary". Apply Now: BLUNEW Accelerator ...

 

$24K grant helps equip cross country ski club - SNNewsWatch.com SNNewsWatch.com The Northern Trails Ski Club purchased a new snow machine, groomer and trail drag with a $24,500 capital grant from the Ontario Trillium ...

 

Preferred design unveiled for Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge in Toronto's Port Lands Ontario Construction News ... cycling bridge linking the central waterfront ... Ontario Ltd. Ontario Construction News. en English fr French. en. web analytics. Notifications.

 

Ontario Equine Industry Drives Rural Economy - Farms.com Farms.com It covers horse racing, competitive sports, recreational riding, therapy programs, tourism, education, and training services. These diverse activities ...

  

Grand Trails Cycling Route   The Grand Watershed Trails Network is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to connect people and communities through heritage, cultural and outdoor experiences in the Grand River Watershed.   One of our signature projects has been to create a connected cycling route from Dundalk, where the headwaters of the Grand River arise, to Lake Erie.   We have written to the Ontario Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, requesting that our route be added to the Province-wide Cycling Network as it provides additional connectivity to the network.   Please see the attached letter, which provides additional information about the Grand Trails cycling route.         GRAND WATERSHED TRAILS NETWORK www.grandtrails.ca     EXPLORE THE GRAND TRAILS HERE!

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ONTARIO TRAILS EDUCATION

Trails Risk Management - Level 3 Presented in Partnership with Ontario Trails Council

2 DAY TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

This in-person training course combines classroom discussion with on the ground trail assessment exercises and evaluation of existing trail risk factors and requirements. Risk assessment for multi use or activity optimized trail networks is the core process that identifies risk management needs. This applied training prepares participants as trail inspectors and risk assessors. This is the third training in the trail risk management progression.

The on-the-ground training covers:

This in-person training is taught by Jeff Jackson, Ph.D., a recognized expert in trail risk management and long-time facilitator of the OTC’s risk management training. His experience ranges from provincial level trail policy development, expert opinion in trail-based legal proceedings, publishing a number of risk management chapters in trail related publications, and work as a risk consultant, trail builder and manager in both winter and summer.

Participants are to bring footwear, rain jacket and water bottle, plus their existing inspection forms or inspection documentation.

Pre-requisite: OPA’s Trail Risk Management – level 1 & 2 online webinar

NOTE: this 16 hour training course is delivered in-person, in class and outdoors.

Course Date: June 22,  23, 2026

Course Time: 8:00am-4:00pm

Course Location: Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr, Port Hope On. L1A 3Z7

This course is being delivered in partnership with Ontario Trails Council and counts as 1 credit towards your Parks Practitioner Designation.

Please register online, an invoice will be sent to you within 24hrs of registering. Payment can then be made online through the invoice you will receive or via cheque (made payable to Ontario Parks Association).

Show details

• 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
• Location - Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr, Port Hope On. 
• Trail inspection and risk assessment process and procedures 
• Risk assessment tied to trail management objectives
• Objective versus subjective assessment criteria
• Inspection forms and documentation
• Show details

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In all these cases a group like Ontario Trails can guide you to trail certification in Trail Stewardship, Planning or Management through our in class or on-line learning through Confederation College. Or a use federation can get you the training you need to use trails and your machine in a safe way. This page highlights some of these ways.

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ONTARIO TRAIL TOURISM, MARKETING AND MEDIA
 

Canada's Great Lakes Shore Is 'Ontario's Unofficial Beach Capital' Less Than 2 Hours From Toronto Islands Just south of Niagara Falls, Niagara's South Coast features sandy Lake Erie beaches, waterfront trails, and lakeside towns near Toronto.

 

History lives at Crysler's Farm - Cornwall Seaway News Cornwall Seaway News JASON SETNYK. Crysler's Farm Battlefield, a National Historic Site near Morrisburg, remains one of the most defining locations in the War of 1812.

 

Book reveals new Lake Superior hiking trails - Duluth News Tribune Duluth News Tribune A green water inlet along the growing Group of Seven Trail, near Marathon, Ontario. Contributed / Rudi Hargesheimer. The book's first coastal trail is ...

 

 

Readers say his dreamy park with silky beaches is the best place they've visited in Ontario Yahoo News Canada You can spend your days swimming in pristine waters, strolling along soft beaches, hiking scenic trails, and venturing to the edge of Canada for an ...

 

Tucked Between Montreal And Ottawa Is Canada's Scenic Riverside Park With Beaches ... - Islands Islands Voyageur Provincial Park is on the Ottawa River, which forms the border between the two provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Paddling the safe bays ...

 

Sweet season returns at Mountsberg sugar bush - The Hamilton Spectator The Hamilton Spectator Vanzelle Wong, Matthias Antiri and Zeph Shuker enjoy maple butter in the Candy Cabin at Mountsberg Conservation Area. ... 100% Canadian Owned.

 

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Tourism Stakeholder Session – Haliburton Highlands

Tourism operators and partners are invited to join an upcoming Tourism Stakeholder Session for the Haliburton Highlands — an opportunity to connect, share insights, and stay informed on regional initiatives. Participants will receive updates on tourism marketing and upcoming plans, learn about the new Municipal Services Corporation, and have time to network and engage in discussion with fellow operators. Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Location: Pinestone Resort, Haliburton Whether you operate accommodations, attractions, restaurants, retail, or tourism services, your voice and participation are valuable as we work together to strengthen tourism across the region. For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact aingram@haliburtoncounty.ca.

Ontario Trail News - Trail Wise - This week's round up of Ontario recreational trail news and events.

 

Ontario Trails Council - a provincial charity working for the development, use, management and preservation of trails and trail based activity. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

ONTARIO TRAILS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER - March 23, 2026 • National Trail Conference Go Fund Us - Send 10 Ontario Reps to Winnipeg! • • Winter Activity on Ontario Trails • Trail Projects • Updates • Member Services • Ontario Trails Council is a charity, led by a volunteer board of directors, that promotes the use, management, development, and preservation of trails and trail-based activities in Ontario.  Please consider supporting us through a donation or a membership. Thanks.   TOP TRAIL NEWS March 10, 2026  PRESS RELEASE ON ADJUSTMENT OF CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES - ONTARIO December 21, 2025  A RESPONSE TO CONSERVATION AUTHORITY AMALGAMATION BY ONTARIO TRAILS COUNCIL   Measuring What Matters: Rethinking Impact Evaluation - CICP-PCPOB - Carleton University Carleton University In Canada's charitable sector, “impact” has become a buzzword. It is ... Imagine Canada's 2018 State of Evaluation report. The question, then ...   New study crowns Barrie as a top city in the country to live in Canada CTV News ... Ontario. Barrie is a year-round destination with beaches, ski slopes, hiking trails and cycling routes. Tourism Barrie says it has some advantages ...   Why millions escape to Muskoka—Canada's 'cottage country'—every summer National Geographic The hiking trail at Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm leads visitors through ... Parks Canada offers guided hikes through the park, as well as a ...   Blue Mountain night skiing to wrap up for season - CTV News CTV News Closer to Barrie, Horseshoe Valley Resort is still operating at near-full capacity, with the resort reporting that trails are still in 'good' ...   Algonquin Joins Driftwood, Killarney, Sandbanks, and Esker Lakes in Ontario for Spring and ... Travel And Tour World The park is famous for the 80-kilometer La Cloche-Silhouette Trail, one of Ontario's most iconic hiking trails. The George Lake Campground ...   Winter Camping in the Spring Thaw - Paddle and Portage Paddle and Portage Editor's Note: Emily Morrison is a 30-year-old from Ontario, Canada. An avid camper, paddler, and winter camper, she spends much of her free time ...   You may be able to bring your own booze to outdoor events in Ontario this year - blogTO blogTO Forget sneaking drinks into events — the Ford government is about to make it totally legal to bring your own booze to festivities in Ontario.   New rules could soon be coming for e-bike riders - Toronto Life Toronto Life ... trails and even sidewalks with the silent, swift vehicles. An enforcement blitz last September saw Toronto police write 3,500 tickets to e-bike ...   Is your trail impacted by the potential Alto High Speed rail project? The friends of the Cataraqui Trail write to OTC: We have become aware of the possible use of the Cataraqui Trail as part of the future Alto Train route. You can see where the proposed southern Alto train route traverses the trail via Alto’s interactive map: https://en.consultation.altotrain.ca/shaping-the-canada-of-tomorrow-with-high-speed-rail/places/interact-map The Friends are of course concerned and passed the motion below.  Motion: That the Friends of the Cataraqui Trail express opposition to the location of the ALTO High Speed Rail system along any section of the Cataraqui Trail and encourage members of the Friends of the Trail to express their own opinions to ALTO.  Alto is encouraging feedback via a brief. If your organizations are interested. Here is the link to submit a brief: https://en.consultation.altotrain.ca/shaping-the-canada-of-tomorrow-with-high-speed-rail/surveys/upload-brief The OTC will be sending in its own brief, we encourage OTC members impacted by the railway to also write their own brief. Ontario's Trails Are Rural Recreation in 85% of Ontario. Patrick Connor Writes - "I'm Proud to be a Board Member with Kim Goodman on this initiative." https://www.facebook.com/ruralrecreationassociation/     OTC President’s Corner  March 2026 As many of us now say, “It’s been a minute” since we last connected and so it has. As a Canadian it would be strange of me not to inject something about the weather – so however you experienced winter in Ontario this season, I’m hoping you found a way to enjoy it outdoors on a trail! Spring is near and we all can feel the sun’s warmth again. It is beginning to feel like a new day in more ways than a seasonal change. I’ll give you a simple example. Since the summer of 2000, the Ontario Trails Council (OTC) and the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) decided it was in their best interest to each take a different “fork in the trail”. The trail each agency followed diverged but were never out of sight and often not out of step with each other’s forward direction. Time passed, trail leaders moved on, history faded and those two forks in the trail, found their way back to a single, more established pathway. If you heard it from someone else, this should help make it clear: the Ontario Trails Council is once again working with the Trans Canada Trail on trail related challenges to find solutions and improve trail operations and the user experience here in Ontario. We need each other – we always have. Starting this week, the OTC is engaging with local trail champions in Durham Region, near Uxbridge – Trails Capital of Canada to knit together a solution that will stabilize the management of the Beaver River Wetland Trail – a 22km TCT section, in collaboration and with the support of the Trans Canada Trail. As an OTC member, trail manager and/or trail enthusiast you may have questions about what changed? What took you so long? How do we tap into this kind of OTC/TCT assistance? What I can tell you here is that this renewed arrangement was long in the making, fostered by many over many years and I’d be happy to share more about how it came to be in several ways. First, I’d like to thank Patrick Connor (OTC Executive Director) and Kim Goodman (OTC Board Member) for their resilience, openness and aim to support this renewed relationship with the Trans Canada Trail team. Now as for the options to connect and learn more see below: Option 1: reach out and email me president@ontariotrails.ca. If my inbox is overwhelmed by your questions, that’ll be a happy problem because we’ll get to meet each other. Option 2: reach out to Patrick Connor (Executive Director) and ask about membership renewal, assistance and support – he’d love to get in touch. execdir@ontariotrails.ca Option 3: Consider attending the Canadian Trail Summit in Winnipeg June 16-19 https://canadiantrailsummit.ca/ being hosted by Trans Canada Trail. This is a great chance to catch up, connect, talk trail challenges and solutions. Also, The Forks in Winnipeg is an iconic destination in Canada, especially in June – not to be missed.   Can’t make the Summit but would still like to support it? We have an OTC GoFundMe account set up below, the aim is to use the funds raised to offset the costs of 10 Ontario attendees to the conference. We’d love the support, but even better is to have 10 reps from Ontario attend and bring back the learning here.   Safe, accessible and enjoyable trails to all of you, Dan   Ontario Parks Ontario Parks part of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, has released the Background Information Document to support developing a management plan for Monarch Point Conservation Reserve.   Please see the attached notice for more information.   The document and supporting material are available on the Environmental Registry of Ontario at ero.ontario.ca under bulletin 025-0959.   __________________________________________________________   Southeast Zone – Ontario Parks 300 Water Street, 4th Floor N, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 3C7 W: OntarioParks.com Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks