Ontario Trails News - News on fatbikes, from Trailhead North

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The organizers of Trailhead North are pleased to announce a significant outcome expected from the two day symposium on trails taking place in Thunder Bay, April 17, 18 2015.

A fat bike etiquette. Fat bikes are those larger tire all season all terrain human powered bicycles that are emerging as a winter riding option for road cyclists and mountain bikers in the winter.

The Ontario Trails Council, the provincial trails association and co-organizer of the symposium was approached by the cycling community to come up with guidelines on use of fat bikes on trails.

"Fatbikes are becoming more and more popular, there are many cross country and other types of trails that fatbikers can use, but that aren;t necessarily designed for their use - we want to work with the FB community to develop and etiquette for users so they can expect and respect other users on trails," states Patrick Connor Executive Director of Ontario Trails Council.

Co-organizer, Kirsten Spence of Quercwood Consulting, adds, "Multi-use trails often have complicated numbers of people using a variety of equipment to do their recreation. This means bicycles now with fatbikes, snowmobiles, cross-country, snowshoers, winter hikers etc. So having an etiquette will educate all users what to expect and how to interact safely on recreational trails."

Through the Trailhead North development process the event has secured support from various groups and organizations. These included the City of Thunder Bay, The Active transportation Committee in the City, The Kinghorn Rail Trail, Trans Canada Trail through Path of the Paddle, City of Marathon Economic development - all of these groups want groups like OTC and Trailhead North to produce outcomes from meetings.

The creation of a fatbike committee will be such an outcome and should produce a guideline before the summer is out in time for the next riding season.

With a membership of over 200 organizations that stretches all over Ontario, including Trans Canada Trail, Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, and over 80,000 km of trails the OTC will carry this northern fatbike etiquette to all other Ontario trail communities.

Trailhead North is taking place April 17, 18 at the Nor'wester Best Western. More information can be found at trailheadnorth.com

Ontario Trails News - Active transportation AND trails, thanks Mississippi Mills

Learn more about Ontario's Cycling and Hiking trails

Enthusiastic response to Active Transportation Workshop

POSTED BY THE MILLSTONE ON DECEMBER 6, 2014 IN FEATURES

 by Neil Carleton

In the context of municipal planning, active transportation refers to all human-powered forms of transportation, in particular walking and cycling.  It includes the use of mobility aids such as wheel chairs, and can also encompass other human-powered devices such as in-line skating, skateboarding, cross-country skiing, canoeing and kayaking.

Healthy living includes being physically active.  Many people enjoy biking, a form of active transportation.  Birders on Bikes, for the novice and expert alike, has been a popular June event each year in Mississippi Mills during Bicycle Month

Walking in town or exploring woodland trails are other good ways of being active.  A Monday morning hiking group posed for this photo in September.

The promotion of active transportation is based primarily on the issues of health and economics.  Being physically active on a regular basis is good for our health.  The benefits can range from increasing flexibility and muscle strength to lowering blood pressure.  As individuals, we save money by walking or biking instead of driving.  Investments for residents and visitors in trails and pathways, connecting corridors and people friendly routes, produce economic benefits for the community.

The creation of an active transportation plan for Mississippi Mills was initiated in June when our municipality awarded Dillon Consulting the contract to undertake a transportation master plan.  This work, to study the Town’s transportation needs for the next 20 years, must include active transportation.  This, according to Ontario Ministry of Transportation guidelines, includes “sidewalks, on-road bicycle lanes and routes, multi-use pathways, bike parking, effective signage, and pedestrian crossings, as well as human-scaled and pedestrian-oriented development patterns.”

The award of the contract was preceded by the Eastern Ontario Active Transportation Summit, held at the Almonte Old Town Hall on May 29-30. http://millstonenews.com/2014/06/health-and-economic-benefits-of-active-transportation-promoted-at-almonte-summit.html.  There was much forward thinking on both days of the Summit about supporting healthy living through active transportation.  This was of particular interest to Mississippi Mills as both had been identified as important economic drivers in our town’s strategic plan for economic development.

• Prior to the Workshop, a variety of positive developments had been reported.
• Lanark County is now adding paved shoulders to many County roads for cyclists.
• Mississippi Mills intends to “harden” part of the road shoulder when paving or repaving rural roads where a wide enough gravel margin already exists.
• Earlier in the year a bilingual cycling map of the Town was released by Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month.
•  Last year a group of mountain bikers completed a single-track cycling and ski trail from Almonte to the Mill of Kintail across private land.
•  Two counties, Lanark and Renfrew, plus the Township of Papineau-Cameron, are negotiating with Canadian Pacific to purchase the abandoned rail bed that runs from Smith Falls to Mattawa, with the intent to make a trail

Daily Ontario Trails News from the Ontario Trails Council

BIXI Toronto in financial trouble, city wants to restructure deal
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Just two years after its launch, BIXI Toronto has hit financial trouble and city staff are recommending council restructure its relationship with the public bicycle program to protect its $4.8-million loan guarantee. But BIXI says it's being set up to ...
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Cycle Toronto calls on City Hall to Purchase & Expand BIXI Toronto ...
"BIXI Toronto is an important part of our transit system," said Jared Kolb, Executive Director of Cycle Toronto. "Public bike systems fill the gap between trips too ...
cycleto.ca/.../cycle-toronto-calls-city-hall-purchase-expand-bix...

Bixi: Think of bike-sharing as transit, advocates say, and the way forward is ...
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The same philosophy — bike-sharing as public transit — should drive the future of Bixi in Toronto, says Jared Kolb, executive director of Cycle Toronto. “The thing about bike-sharing as public transit is that it won't pick you up and drop you right ...
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Toronto will 'absolutely not' subsidize BIXI bike share system, says Mayor Rob ...
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The bike share system that has been a downtown Toronto fixture for two years is struggling to cover its operating costs because of debt payments, leading city officials to suggest “restructuring” a deal that currently has the municipality backstopping ...
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Bike-friendly business puts Pelham on the map
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For cyclists looking for more information about places to cycle, maps and a list of bicycle-friendly businesses, the Welcome Cyclists Network is the go-to source. The network is a program that certifies and promotes bicycle tourism across Ontario and ...
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Toronto Social Bicycle Meetup (Road, Mountain, Trail) (Toronto, ON ...
This is an Active Meetup group for those who love to bike. We will have events for : - Road Bikers (80km+ rides) and Ride for Heart, Cancer Rides - Mountain ...
www.meetup.com/Toronto-Biking/

MS Bike – Toronto
Town Crier Newspapers
As the largest cycling series in North America, MS Bike includes six one- or two-day tours across Ontario between July 7 and September 8, 2013. Visit msbike.ca or contact Candice Hamel at msbiketoronto@mssociety.ca or 416-967-3038 to register today.
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Ultimate summer ride guide: three ways to enjoy two wheelsNational Post
For example, Ontario's 780-km Waterfront Trial is beginner friendly (read: no hills) and you can start anywhere from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Cornwall. You can take VIA's new bike train to Ontario's wine region, which makes it easy to hop on and off with ...
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Walkonomics App Rates Toronto's Most Walkable Streets
Techvibes (blog)
Davies told me that they chose Toronto as the first Canadian city based on its size as well as its reputation for being walking-friendly but most importantly because of its wide selection of open data. He intends to rollout additional Canadian cities ...
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Fireworks return to Kayak Challenge
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For the second year in a row, the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge was named one of Ontario's Top 100 Festivals and Events for 2013 by Festivals and Events ...

Ontario, Manitoba agree to manage natural hertiage area - SooToday.com
SooToday.comMARIE - David Orazietti, MPP was joined today in Thunder Bay by Manitoba's Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship, Gord Mackintosh, to announce that the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba are working together to protect and manage the ...
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Ontario Trails Council Appreciates the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation

 
 

Ontario Trails - Paddle, Camp, Climb or Search Ontario's Trails

Bike-Sharing Updates from Around the World

CleanTechnica
Toronto bIXI celebrates if first anniversary with over 550000 trips. Toronto has the distinction of being the only North American bike-sharing system north of the 43rd parallel to remain open through the winter months. It also has the distinction of ...
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June is Bike Month across Canada | dandyhorse magazine
TORONTO — Toronto's Bike Month has evolved from a single Bike to Work Day in 1998 to become one of the largest events of its kind in the country. Bike Month ...
dandyhorsemagazine.com/.../june-is-bike-month-across-canad...

Bike plan blazes trails instead of lanes NOW Magazine Andrea Garcia, director of advocacy for Cycle Toronto, said paths through city parks will do little for the thousands of riders who take their bikes to work or school every day and consider cycling an important form of transport. See all stories on this topic » Trails Education Courses 2012 Trail Education Courses -  23 Sessions and Counting We have it all - 14 modules - and soon On-Line! Book Today. Course Calendar  - click the link on the course name to download the flyer for that course! Course Descriptions  Register - click on your choice, register on-line Website Facebook Courses are for information and knowledge exchange purposes only. All courses are offered on a first come first serve basis. Instructors reserve the right to limit class sizes. Courses may be offered more than once in the calendar year. Some minimum student levels are necessary to run certain courses, so offered courses may change without notice. Great Trails - Great People - June 17-20, 2012 Cycle Trans Canada: Toronto youths on a 3000 km journey to raise ... Elliott Simpson and Jarett Pichler, two intrepid young men from Toronto, ON began a journey home on May 1st – by bike, from St. John's, Newfoundland, along ... tctrail.ca/blog/?p=4784&language=en MNR Licensing Automation Service raises concerns

MarketWatch (press release)
Ontario anglers and hunters who have renewed their Outdoors Card, purchased a game license or entered a game draw through the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in recent months are familiar with the province's new Licensing Automation Service (LAS).
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YorkRegion Article: Greenbelt brings $1.7B to region: report
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Paddlers wanted for historical re-enactment
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An exciting twist to this paddling expedition is the creation of an Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayak Association accredited 'Voyageur Canoe' training course. “Sault Ste. Marie has been a hub for local and transcontinental canoe travel for hundreds ...
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Canoe club off to competitive start

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NORTH BAY-The North Bay Canoe Club is proud to report the results of the first ... NBCC sent a small contingent of paddlers to the Eastern Ontario Division ...

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The Ottawa River Canoe Club is welcoming residents to dive into their open ... Laura Tierney, a University of Western Ontario student, says some of her ...

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Another came away from the April event with a shotgun as a prize. ... north of Turkey Point and leased it from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

ATV riders driven to build trails
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The Quad Niagara ATV Club operates under the same standards as the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs and it requires trails to have proper signage and ...

We appreciate Ontario Trillium Foundation financial assistance.

Wolfpak howls in Ontario Cup
The Sudbury Star
By Star staff Crystal Sabel of the Walden Mountain Bike Club's Wolfpak Racing team won her second straight race at an Ontario Cup Series event near Uxbridge, Ont., on the weekend. Competing in the senior sport female 19-29 division, Sabel beat the ...
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The top 5 running trails in Toronto
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Tough Mudder is looking for an Ontario Venue

We have an event execution team with an excellent track record, every single event to date has been a huge success for the both parties, in fact we are returning to a number of our 2010 and 2011 venues this year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, my number is 718-285-7861. I have attached a couple useful documents introducing Tough Mudder and the benefits of hosting our event. Contact John Curran, Venue Scout.