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Ontario Trails News Blog - Trail News from all around Ontario's trails!

Popular cross-country trails now openSeaway News

CORNWALL, Ontario - All the trails at Summerstown Forest are now open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Cold conditions weeks ago ...

See all stories on this topic » ______________________________________________________________________ Home News Ice storm makes parts of Bruce Trail dangerous for...Caledon Enterprise The ice storm has made the Bruce Trail in the Iroquoia, Toronto and ... limbs and leaning trees have resulted in dangerous conditions along the trails. See all stories on this topic » ______________________________________________________________________ Notice to Hikers We regret to advise that due to the recent ice storm many parts of the Bruce Trail in the Iroquoia, Toronto and Caledon sections are currently unusable. Several Conservation Areas have been closed until further notice. Please note that some (or all) TBTC hikes on the Bruce Trail have been cancelled for the next few days due to trail conditions. Trail maintenance crews will be dealing with the problems but we anticipate that it will be quite some time until all parts of the trail are usable again. Please check local conditions before attempting a hike. Bob Humphreys advises that his New Year's Day hike HAS BEEN CANCELLED  due to local conditions. Hikers should contact their hike leader to see if their hike has been cancelled. John Grandy, Hiking Director From The Halton Hills Chapter Notice to Hikers:We regret to advise that due to the recent ice storm many parts of the Bruce Trail are currently unusable. Several Conservation Areas have been closed until further notice. Trail maintenance crews will be dealing with the problems but we anticipate that it will be quite some time until all parts of the trail are usable again. Scheduled hikes {Halton Chapter Hikes}are cancelled until further notice. If you are interested in joining one of the maintenance clean-up crews, please contact Rosemary Mitter at rosemary.mitter@sympatico.ca Any questions, contact me at mosmith@cogeco.ca Maureen Smith, Halton Hills Chapter ______________________________________________________________________ 'Walking is fundamental to our survival': Chief city planner aims to ...National Post Mr. Agarwal could be the poster child for Toronto Chief Planner Jennifer ...“Walking is fundamental to our survival,” she said in a public lecture last ... See all stories on this topic »

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Wolf Lake Ancient Forest Is Endangered Ecosystem
RedOrbit
New research from the University of Guelph, published Tuesday in the journal Biodiversity andConservation, says that allowing industrial extraction in a northern Ontario old-growth red pine forest – the largest remaining in the world – would ...
See all stories on this topic »

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New urban park, waterfront trail to be centrepiece of Ontario Place revitalization
National Post
The shuttered Ontario Place will get a new urban park and waterfront trail, Ontario's Minister of Tourism and Culture Michael Chan announced on Wednesday. Mr. Chan told a Wednesday morning press conference on the former tourist attraction's now-empty ...
See all stories on this topic »

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See and feel how good nature is for you by getting out at least once a day

Research has shown that early-morning cardio in a fasted state can burn up to 20 percent more calories; however hitting the grass versus the treadmill provides a number of further benefits that may just surprise you. Fitting in some nature, or vitamin N, may just be the secret to unlocking a better mood, faster metabolism and stronger memory.

1. Beat belly fatResearch shows that people who live near trees and parks have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva than those who live in a concrete jungle.

A Japanese study found that a forest walk can render a 12 percent decrease in cortisol levels, a seven percent decrease in sympathetic nerve activity (which would contribute to anxiety), a one percent decrease in blood pressure, and a five percent decrease in heart rate. The more you can get yourself into a green space, the better it is for your body composition — and sanity, for that matter.

2. Go green to beat the bluesForget retail therapy, try nature therapy. I recently saw an anonymous quote posted on my Facebook page that said, “There’s no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Whether you’re having a bad day, or a tough year, seeking out an area with a lot of greenery has been shown to improve both mood and memory in depressed individuals.

In one Michigan study, participants exhibited significant increases in memory span and mood after walks in nature versus urban walks. This is perhaps why many people battle the cottage traffic every Friday night to spend a couple of days in the great outdoors before heading back into the city for another week in the grind.

If you don’t have a cottage escape, look up some local trails. It’s an inexpensive, instantly gratifying and calorie-free way to lift your mood.

3. Combat brain fog
If you’re drawing a blank with a project at work, a study from Scotland suggests getting outside for a walk in the park.

Researchers took volunteers through three areas: a historic shopping district with old buildings and light traffic, a park-like setting and a busy commercial district with heavy traffic while they wore portable EEGs on their heads to relay their brain waves.

While the participants were in the commercial area they produced brain wave patterns conducive with frustration versus the parkland that showed patterns similar to meditation.

Bottom line: If you can get out for your lunch and head to a park for 20 minutes you may find yourself more productive the rest of the day.

4. Help nurture creativityBetween our iPhones, laptops and tablets we’re continuously plugged in. However, spending time away from battery-operated devices and in nature has been linked to a 50 percent increase in creativity, something scientists refer to as attentional restoration theory.

Bottom line: If you’re heading into a green space this long weekend, be sure to leave yourself unplugged for optimal health benefits.

5. Sleep more soundlyIf you find yourself doing everything right and still tossing and turning at night, head outdoors for a walk down your favourite nature trail.

Researchers found that forest walking improved actual sleep time, immobile minutes, self-rated depth of sleep and sleep quality. And for even better results, according to the study, you should aim to have this walk later in the day versus earlier.

Bottom line: With the longer summer days I recommend taking advantage of an after-dinner walk not just to influence your waistline, but also your bedtime.

6. Get green at homeIf you live in the city and you can only escape on the weekends, there are many benefits to adding a little greenery around the house and the office. According toresearchers at Kansas State University, adding plants to hospital rooms speeds recovery rates of surgical patients. Compared to patients in rooms without plants, patients in rooms with plants request less pain medication, have lower blood pressure, experience less stress, and are released from the hospital sooner.

Bottom line: Feeling stressed at work? Add a potted plant and you will find yourselffeeling healthier and taking less time off to battle the seasonal cold.

         Submitted by Peter Ochal via Sherri Ochal. Thanks guys. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT ORGANISED CLUB HIKES

The Toronto Bruce Trail Club runs an extensive hiking program, numbering in excess of 300 hikes each year. The hikes are described in the club's newsletter, "Footnotes", which is published quarterly and distributed to its members.  
All Club endorsed hikes are lead by hike leaders who are trained and certified by the Toronto Bruce Trail Club.
On all hikes, the hike leader will be collecting a voluntary donation to the Escarpment Fund. The suggested amount is $1.
https://media6.magma.ca/www.torontobrucetrailclub.org/indexhttps.php

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Local wineries honour war of 1812
Windsor Star
The STOWAWAY 1812 wines are considered limited edition collector's items. ... It's called the Coastal Trails: Sails to See Tall Ships Festival in Windsor, ...

Celebrate Canada Day with Fort York walking tour
insideTORONTO.com
A Fort York Historic District Walking Tour titled 'Building a Great Canadian City: Early Lakefront Development in Toronto' will explore the evolution and history of the Lake Ontario shoreline in the Fort York historic site area from the early British ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Trail Counts - Are you being Counted?

Ontario Trails - All of Ontario Outdoors on Ontario Trails

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Be sure to sign up for the weekly OTC Newsletter " Trailwise" 

You can sign up at the link through the picture to the left.

Or if you prefer download a recent copy from the OTC Website - Here  

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Trailhead Ontario 2013 Our Favourite Place, Peterborough

Our Plan for 2013 – We are working with the full support of  Our Favorite Place (RTO8), Peterborough and the Kawartha’s Tourism and a number of local trails groups to bring you the best Trailhead Ontario yet!. There are a lot of new trails and trail tourism partnerships in RTO8. The Ontario Trails “Trailhead Ontario 2013″ Committee is  is pleased to announce the Holiday Inn Waterfront Peterborough as the location of our conferencing. Site locations for our trail education program are being determined now.

New for 2013 -Regional Tourism development includes trails. Trail packages, trail experiences, trail destinations. This takes a blending of major destinations, natural topographies, parks, conservation, county forest and up to 18 different trail activities. What’s in your “Trail Mix”? What’s our plan for marketing this unique matrix of dynamic outdoor experiences so that the world can find the world’s best range of trail fun right here at home. 

Photo: Christine Painter @ RTO 8 assists with signs along TCT Trail! Photo Credit Northumberland News

Local News topics that make up our program - 

Cycling  
Metrolinx Noise Wall Meeting this Saturday! | Cycle Toronto
Concerns about plans to build five metre tall Noise Walls along the Georgetown South rail corridor have prompted the Provincial Government to undertake a ...
cycleto.ca/ward-update/metrolinx-noise-wall-meeting-saturday

Trail Maintenance
Snow removal on West Toronto Railpath subpar | Cycle Toronto
The West Toronto Railpath was still clogged with snow last night (29 Dec 2012). This area is around the Edwin Avenue entrance. Like the other entrances to the ...
cycleto.ca/ward.../snow-removal-west-toronto-railpath-subpar

Tourism Trails
Oxford County in Ontario issues cheese trail guide to 'Canada's ...
Brandon Sun
WOODSTOCK, Ont. - Oxford County in southwestern Ontario takes its milk and ... Local tourism officials have now issued "Oxford County's Cheese Trail," a ...

Pine River Watershed Network planning eco-tourism trail 0
Lucknow Sentinel
(SUBMITTED) A new trail is being set up by the old Pine River Cheese factory, with new trees to be established as part of a new agriculture and eco-tourism ...
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Trail updates on our Ontario Cross Country Trails Facebook Page!

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E-Notes, the E-mail newsletter of The Toronto Bruce Trail Club,
a member/volunteer club of the Bruce Trail Conservancy.

Editor, Grant Leigh 

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe Click Here

You are most welcome to forward E-Notes to a friend.
Please note that the forwarded message may drop pictures.

Click here for the PDF file in the E-Notes Archives. That file shows all pictures.




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First Nations man walking from Toronto to Ottawa in support of ...
TORONTO, Ont. — One First Nations man is walking from Toronto to Ottawa, to show solidarity with Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, who is now four weeks ...
m.1310news.com/.../first-nations-man-walking-from-toronto-t...
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Cross-country ski trails open in Naughton
The Sudbury Star
The Walden Cross-Country Fitness Club is sending seven athletes (ages 15-19) to compete at the Ontario Cup #1 in Thunder Bay this week. At the same time, ...

 

Haywood Noram World Trials Serve up Nordic Excitement
Net Newsledger
THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – The Haywood Noram World Trials served up an exciting day of racing at the Lappe Nordic Ski Centre. Andrea Lee and Andy Shields, ...

Top Cross Country Ski Racers Competing in Thunder Bay
Net Newsledger
... cross-country ski racers will be competing at the Lappe Nordic Ski Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario to take part in the Haywood Noram World Jr/U23 Trials, ... 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9BF1C95273F5CF65

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