Ontario Trail News - Trailwise April 25, 2013

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.

	DESCRIPTION
COURSE TITLE
Volunteer Management	View PDF
Business Planning and Budgetting	View PDF
Regulation and Legislation	View PDF
Ecosystem and Natural Heritage	View PDF
Wilderness First Aid	View PDF
Food and Nutrition	View PDF
Marketing and Promotion	View PDF
Health and Safety	View PDF
Technology for Trails - Level 1	View PDF
Trail Design (2 days)	View PDF
Trail Risk Management	View PDF
Trail Committee Development	Manual
Trail Steward- On Line Learning	Program
Trail Planning - On Line	Program

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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
• a broker that understands trails

At OTC our mission is "trail preservation." See the note from Intercity Insurance, Mike King, below.

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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.

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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.

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Packages - OTC Member? - Take $25.00 off each package!

• Blue - 4-10 trails:  $300.00 plus HST and registration fees
  • Maximum 20 sheets of decals
• Green - 10-20 trails: $500.00 plus HST and registration fees
  • Maximum 40 sheets of decals
• Gold - 20 or more trails: Starting at $1,000 plus HST and registration fees
  • TBD

Go to Trail Counts! to purchase. Thanks

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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

1. Trailhead Longitude
2. Trailhead Latitude
3. Completion Time (hours)
4. Elevation Change (m)
5. Trailhead Elevation (m)
6. Maximum Elevation (m)
7. Cross Slope Average (%)
8. Cross Slope Maximum (%)
9. Minimum Trail Width (m)
10. Average Trail Width (m)
11. Maximum Grade (%)
12. Average Grade (%)
13. Trail Surface
14. 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)

1. Date of Collection
2. Data Collector
3. 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

Ontario Trails Council News - check out http://ontariotrails.on.ca

Ontario Trails NewsTrails 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
• 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.

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Congratulations to OTC Member - Headwaters Communities in Action

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2013 Call for Applications Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund
Ontario is providing grants to help communities take action to protect and restore their corner of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.
This is the second call for applications under the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund. Grants are available for projects that take place in Ontario within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. The basin includes: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, the St. Lawrence River, the Ottawa River, their connecting channels, and their watersheds. Examples of projects that could qualify include:

• Planting trees to restore stream banks
• Protecting and restoring sensitive and degraded natural habitats by managing the flow of storm water runoff
• Protecting traditional harvesting areas from invasive species by using traditional ecological knowledge

You can receive a grant of up to $25,000 grant for your project. Smaller projects are also encouraged. Applications for funding will be accepted until April 26, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. Information on the fund, including the application guide, form, frequently asked questions and 2012 grant recipients, is available at ontario.ca/GreatLakesFund.

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Trailhead Ontario - Updates

June 9-12, 2013 - Peterborough

Early Bird Special on Now!
 

Join trail advocates, organizations, speakers, builders, use groups, volunteers, planners and regulators as we discuss, learn and improve Ontario's Trails

 

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.

General Membership AGM!

The Ontario Trails Council is providing notice to membership and guests that the OTC Annual General Meeting is at Noon June 10, 2013. In accordance with the OTC By-Laws, Notice of Nominations for the Board of Directors is hereby served. Download the nomination letter and forms here.

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.

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Program Snapshotclick image for all

Ontario Trails Council Trail News - Trail Insurance Program

If you want:

• cost stability
• product assurance
• insurance perseverance
• 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.

---

Congratulations to OTC Member - Headwaters Communities in Action

---

2013 Call for Applications Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund
Ontario is providing grants to help communities take action to protect and restore their corner of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.
This is the second call for applications under the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund. Grants are available for projects that take place in Ontario within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. The basin includes: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, the St. Lawrence River, the Ottawa River, their connecting channels, and their watersheds. Examples of projects that could qualify include:

• Planting trees to restore stream banks
• Protecting and restoring sensitive and degraded natural habitats by managing the flow of storm water runoff
• Protecting traditional harvesting areas from invasive species by using traditional ecological knowledge

You can receive a grant of up to $25,000 grant for your project. Smaller projects are also encouraged. Applications for funding will be accepted until April 26, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. E.D.T. Information on the fund, including the application guide, form, frequently asked questions and 2012 grant recipients, is available at ontario.ca/GreatLakesFund.