Trail Openings and EventsHealthy Hikes - May 1-31, 2013
Evergreen - Ride the Ravines
Pedal
your way to a greener city! Celebrate Bike Month on Sunday, June 16 on
our ride through Toronto’s ravines in partnership with Cycle Toronto and
support Evergreen’s work to green our city and promote active living!
Get started now. Online registration is
quick and easy. Space is limited so register now to ensure you get to
Ride the Ravines and support Evergreen’s work. Sign up as an individual
or a team and collect pledges for a chance to win amazing prizes!
Registration fee is $25 per rider, and all riders are encouraged to
fundraise a minimum of $75 to ride. Be sure to stick around after the
ride for refreshments and celebration, and to pick up any incentive
prizes you may have won! Our lead community partner, Cycle Toronto, is
offering its members a reduced registration rate of $20. Not a member of
Cycle Toronto? Join today and register to ride for $40! Questions?
Please contact Lauren North at lnorth@evergreen.ca or 416-596-1495 X
338.
Chatham Kent Trail Opening May 18th
Lang-Hastings Trail May 2, 2013
100's of trail stories posted each week!
Thousand Islands Trail ImprovementsGananoque, Ontario, Friday, April 26, 2013
– Representatives gathered in Gananoque today to announce funding for
improvements to one of the region's most popular outdoor attractions,
the Thousand Islands Recreational Trail.
"Tourism in this region is a driving force for economic growth
and job creation, and this initiative will ensure that the Thousand
Islands remain a place people want to visit year after year,"
said
Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for
Leeds-Grenville, on behalf of the
Honourable
Denis Lebel,
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and
Communities,
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for
the Regions of Quebec and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
"The
Government of Canada is proud to invest in these improvements that will
enhance the visitor experience while preserving this key outdoor
attraction and tourist destination."
"The new Ontario government is proud to provide access to safe
spaces to our visitors and citizens that allow them to enjoy the natural
beauty that is synonymous with Ontario,"
said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
"Our
investment in the Thousand Islands Recreational Trail supports active,
healthy living and provides one more great reason to visit eastern
Ontario. I encourage cyclists and pedestrians alike to visit the
Thousand Islands Recreational Trail this summer to explore and
experience the beautiful St. Lawrence River."
https://www.facebook.com/ontariocyclingtrails?ref=hl
Ontario Trails News - Spring MessageWATER - CHECK BEFORE YOU GO! At this time of Year - Please restrain Motorized and Equestrian use on Soft Soils. Thanks
Trail Questions1) Question: Hunting along rail trails.
In the Game and Fish Act...Section18 (10) and no such patentee, owner
or tenant shall prohibit any person from hunting or fishing on the
railway lands. Definition (11) “railway lands” includes all lands set
apart under any Act as a land subsidy or otherwise in aid of any railway
or of any works in connection therewith or of any works to be
established, maintained or carried on by any railway. R.S.O. 1990, c.
G.1, s. 18 (10, 11). So if its a trail and not a railway this "free
hunting access"doesn't apply?
Please e-mail me with your interpretation or how you manage this on your rail trail. execdir@ontariotrails.ca Thanks
2) Question: Road Trail Intersection Improvements. OTC
was contacted by Saugeen Rail Trail. They have been invited to present
at more Ministry of Transportation meetings. They want to know - when
two lane highways are re-developed, have any of you been able to secure
trailhead improvements at the crossings, by way of the re-development?
If so, what did you get? Please e-mail Jeff Hemming at jaycee@bmts.com
3) Deadline Extended! to May 31st, 2013 - Support a Great Lakes Guardian Fund Grant. Great
Lakes Guardian Fund applications due tomorrow. Last year OTC supported a
Town of Deseronto CIAF Grant Application and the town got an $80,000
grant to re-develop their waterfront park and the Waterfront trail. As
an OTC Member, Regional partner, or trail stakeholder would you consider
writing a letter in support. E-mail me for our letter template you can
use! Also please consider putting our OTC logo or OTC website as a link
on your website!
4) Capital Funding for Trails - Please
take a minute to complete the capital funding section of our survey. A s
many communities head into the budget cycle other communities want to
get an idea of the relative and comparative amounts communities of
similar size are investing in their trails. Please go to:
Trailhead Ontario - Updates
Program Snapshotclick image for all
"Kawartha Northumberland"-Trail Stories
Spelunking here we come! The conservation area takes its name from a
series of seven caves found in the park. The caves were formed
thousands of years ago at the end of the last ice age by the rushing
melt waters of a glacier that covered Ontario. All you need is a
flashlight or a headlamp to enjoy this natural underground jungle gym.
More information? Go to -
Trailhead Ontario Call Patrick at 1-877-668-7245 or Vanessa Twiddy at
905-373-8752 | www.rto8.com
Trails Education - Select a Program!We
have updated the program and our 14 module program is here for the
using. If you have staff to train, trails to manage or want a session in
your area on a particular topic let us know. We'll coordinate a session
or series on your behalf.
Trails Insurance Program AvailableOnce
again, members of the trails community find themselves seeking
alternative trails insurance. The volatility and unpredictability of
your insurance plan keeping you hopping? Wondering what you are getting,
curious if your agent or the underwriter understands trails?
If you want:
-
cost stability
-
product assurance
-
insurance perseverance
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a broker that understands trails
At OTC our mission is "trail preservation." See the note from Intercity Insurance, Mike King, below.
Further to our recent discussions, I wanted to let you know that we
have investigated various markets to get a sense of the appetite that
insurers have for coverage associated with trails. Our findings suggest
that coverage is available - but from a very limited number of carriers
and that the cost of insurance in this class is not heading down anytime
soon. The reality is that there have been losses associated with trails
in general and that the frequency and severity of claims is on the
rise.
On the positive side of the issue, we have had several specific
discussions of late with our current carriers at Lloyd's of London and
we are (collectively) very interested in ramping up our work with OTC to
connect with your associates who manage trails. We and the insurers we
represent are firm in our commitment to work collaboratively with the
OTC trail community to develop a comprehensive risk management strategy
that makes sense - and insurance is just one part of that strategy.
As for what trail insurance products we have "in the box” right now:
a) Commercial General Liability coverage —premium costs start at $1,000.00 for $2,000,000 coverage.
b) Directors and Officers liability coverage — premium costs
start at $200.00 for $I,000,000 coverage. We find that even the smallest
community group is seeing the importance of acquiring D and O coverage.
c) Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage - premiums start
at $250. 00 to cover the Officers, Directors, employees, members. The
limit of coverage is $100,000.
In the near future OTC will be bundling these products as a part of membership services and products.
Performance Measures - Trail Counts!
Low
maintenance - Using weatherproof decals our methods allow users to
quickly and easily provide you with information you need to assess,
improve, direct, re-direct, or provide information to the user - while
on the trail. Our proprietary method has been developed by over 140
trail users and with the input of The City of Thunder Bay and Norfolk
County Trail Managers.
Packages - OTC Member? - Take $25.00 off each package!
-
Blue - 4-10 trails: $300.00 plus HST and registration fees
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Maximum 20 sheets of decals
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Green - 10-20 trails: $500.00 plus HST and registration fees
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Maximum 40 sheets of decals
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Gold - 20 or more trails: Starting at $1,000 plus HST and registration fees
Go to
Trail Counts! to purchase. Thanks
Ontario Trails - Your Data Wanted
Since
2007 the Ontario Trails Council has collected trails data, and turned
that data into our award winning website, as mandated by the desires of
the trails community reflected in the Ontario Trails Strategy. Nearly
1,000,000 people a year turn to this information in order to find you
and your trails.
At this time we are working on the feasibility of collecting more
trail data for the MNR. This project money sustains the OTC, but the
money is only derived if there is data collected. This is where we need
your help. We need you and your trail to opt in before we start
collecting because the MNR wants to know which trails we are going to
collect data from.
Is your trail one we can collect? The characteristics we are looking for are:
1. Measurements
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Trailhead Longitude
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Trailhead Latitude
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Completion Time (hours)
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Elevation Change (m)
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Trailhead Elevation (m)
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Maximum Elevation (m)
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Cross Slope Average (%)
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Cross Slope Maximum (%)
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Minimum Trail Width (m)
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Average Trail Width (m)
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Maximum Grade (%)
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Average Grade (%)
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Trail Surface
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Trail Classification (Trail Group/Local Classification/Difficulty/ Rating eg: OFSC Trail Classes)
4. Prohibited Trail Uses
5. Trail Hazards (Poison Ivy, Steep Slopes)
6. Trail Fees (Day Pass, Donation, Parking etc.)
7. Seasons/Dates of Operation
8. Trail Amenities (Visitor Centre, Beach, Boat Launch etc.)
9. Trail Enforcement
10. Trail Permits
11. Trail Speed Limit
12. Trail Signage
13. Trail Environmental Concerns
14. Trail Permitted Use (Dogs on Leash)
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Date of Collection
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Data Collector
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Trail sensitivity (high /low)
So let us know if you are willing to support us by sharing data you already have.
execdir@ontariotrails.ca Thanks
