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Ontario Trails Makes Changes! - - ImportantAt the Ontario Trails Council Board meeting on January 25th, the OTC started to make some strategic changes to our organization that reflect some of the feedback from our Strategic Planning process currently underway.
The Board welcomed Denise Erikson from the OFATV for the remainder of the term of Wayne Daub who moved to All-Terrain Quad Council of Canada.
Additionally, the Board welcomed Shane Taylor, OALA, CSAL from the City of Cambridge who is representing Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and Ontario Parks Association issues to the trails community.
Also the Board wished to express its condolences to OTC Board Member Brad Fateaux and his family on the passing of his brother. Our thoughts are with you and yours.
Importantly, the OTC made some starting changes to its mission and membership categories as well as completing the process for individual trails to be recognized as a "Trillium Recreational Trail"
Watch for this posting, the criteria and the ability to sign up for the designation starting February 15th, 2018. Forms will be posted for downloading on-line completion will be available.
The Mission Statement now reads -
The Ontario Trails Council (OTC) - Conseil des Sentiers de l'Ontario – is a charity that promotes the development, preservation, management and use of recreational trails and trail based activity in Ontario.
Additionally, the OTC Board approved some improvements to membership.
The OTC Board recognizes the importance of members and the OTC Board knows that many members have been longstanding, supported our work, go to our conferences, have taken our courses, attend provincial level meetings and make a difference in the local and regional reality of outdoor recreation in their communities. In fact, our members are different, they are Ontario Trails Professionals.
Therefore, effective with 2018 Memberships our Membership Certificate will read:
" The Ontario Trails Council recognizes [Name] as an Ontario Trails Professional."
Bob Payne, Chair of the Membership Committee also presented two other overarching changes to OTC Membership. One is a new category for Tourism Development and Marketing Organizations.
N.B. As memberships for renewals have already gone out these categorizations do not apply to renewing members fees, however, you can bundle the fee options provided.
The categorizations are a go forward structure for new organizations seeking the support of the Ontario Trails Council through membership. You will be able to align yourself according to this configuration immediately by phone only, all categories will be live online February 15th, 2018.
1. Trail Development or Management Organization (TDMO) Rate
- Dues: $500 + 65.00 HST Trail Development or Management Organizations (TDMO's) involved in 3 or more counties - includes Regional Tourism Organizations or trail management groups.
2. Membership Bundling Options
- National Organizations taking out an $850.00 Membership + HST have $200.00 applied to a Canadian Trail Federation Membership, should they desire.
- Small sized cities, towns, first nations and townships <10,000 persons taking out a $250.00 + HST have the option of adding one more city or town department, of lesser size, but of importance to their work as a member; i.e. Town of Kapuskasing Park and Rec, add Economic Development and Tourism; at n/c each additional dept. is $50.00 + HST per department.
- Medium-sized cities 10,000-50,000 can take out a membership for $250.00 + HST and add a department of equal value for $123.47; i.e. the City of Belleville Park and Rec can add Tourism $123.47; add another Health Unit $75, and then Eco Dev for $50 per year. 5 or more departments is 850.00 + HST
- Regional Trail Committees or Active Transportation and Trail Committees taking out a $250+HST membership can add one department at no charge, a third for an additional $75.00 + HST;
- Conservation Areas stay at $308.69, but they can add one other land management organization they work with for an additional $75.00 +HST; a second strategic partner $50.00+HST.
- Provincial Parks -
Singular park of 100,000 or more visitors - $908.25
Medium Parks 50,000 to 100,000 $565.00
Small Parks <50,000 $123.47
Provincial Park Authorities with Multiple Sites - $308.69
Friends of Parks Assocaitons remain at $123.47 - Provincial User Federations:
$908.26, or $25.00 per club of all total clubs, or single member as determined by those federations to be a chapter, club, or organizational member; or the lesser of the two.
The OTC thanks all its members for their ongoing support!
Ontario Trails sponsors Dan Andrew's Session at OPA.
OPA'S 62ND ANNUAL PARKS EDUCATION FORUM | |
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Hear from presenter Dan Andrews as he provides a sneak peek into the draft Ontario Trails Classification System. This is an opportunity to understand how the draft was developed, the benefits of the system and to provide input before it’s completed.
Dan is a Land and Resource Planning Technician with the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority. He has more than 20 years of combined professional experience in the recreational trail and conservation sectors. He’s been an advocate of accessible trail information and participated in the creation of International Trails Day, the Canadian Trails Federation, Ontario’s regional trail committee model and the Path of the Paddle.
While coordinating the Trans Canada Trail connection across Ontario for nearly a decade and adding more than 1,200km to the route, Dan was an advisor to and provided input on the Ontario Trails Strategy and Trails Act. Collaboration is in his bones and he continues to support trail development at the provincial, regional and local levels as a board member of the Ontario Trails Council.
His family will tell you he has a passion for the outdoors and sport. He’s slept in a tent more than 365 times, can paddle a canoe solo-backwards while instructing new canoeists and has walked, hiked and cycled more than 200 trails across Canada and in the Northeast US. When winter hits you can find him in at an arena coaching hockey or on a ski hill with his family carving up the slopes. His four favourite words are plan, discover, share and repeat.
Ontario Trails Council Strategic Business Plan Survey
Your Feedback is Important to Us
The Board reviewed your feedback to date and preliminary analysis of your comments is underway. As we provide content and summaries these will be shared back to the trails community. Thanks for taking the time to make us better!
As you are aware the Ontario Trails Council is developing a new strategic plan and as part of this process, we are seeking feedback from key stakeholders involved in trails across Ontario. Your feedback will help the Ontario Trails Council identify the critical issues and opportunities for trails in the next few years.
There are 6 questions in this short survey, and it should take about 5-10 minutes to complete.
Your feedback is very important to us and essential in helping us determine the highest priorities for trails and the best role for the Ontario Trails Council in its capacity as the not-for-profit provincial association representing all Ontario member trails associations and stakeholders.
Thank you for participating in this survey.
Snowmobiling Conditions Improving!
Latest dump a boon to students looking to avoid class, and to snowmobilers wanting to ride re-opened trails
The snowfall was expected to have a significant impact on the afternoon commute and followed the cancellation of school buses earlier in the day. It was the eighth time during the winter of 2017-18 that Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario cancelled buses because of inclement weather — or in anticipation of forecasted slippery roads.
The current snowfall is the result of a Texas Low on its way through to New England, according to Environment Canada.
The flurries have heartened local snowmobilers, who have seen some of the region’s trails re-open on a limited basis.
“We groomed and have marked our north trails as limited,” says Graham Duke of the Nation Valley Snowmobile Association. “Our south trails lack snow to warrant grooming until after today’s 15cm snowfall. We will be out tomorrow and friday regrooming this fresh snow and hope to move trail status to Available (green). This would include the south trails. Just in time for Mountain Trail Blazers Sweetheart Rally on Saturday.”
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Be Sure to Add your Event!
With over 700 trail-related events Ontario Trails is your place to get connected to trail-based activities! Ontario Trails Events
Enjoy the winter through your favourite on trail activity!
Be sure to share these links with your friends and colleagues. Search the OTC Website by your favourite activity type and simply add event - "snowshoe event"
GO MOBILE
MANY THANKS to our RENEWING MEMBERS!!
As we say - every day, somewhere in Ontario, Ontario Trails makes a difference in trails. Membership renewals were e-mailed at the end of November - we wrote - Your support enables Ontario Trails to make a difference by maintaining an office and helping the 200+ communities that turn to us for help, in your area and everywhere in Ontario.
Memberships run from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 each calendar year. This is why you are being invoiced now.
The Ontario Trails Council hosts an award-winning website promoting all of Ontario's trails, including trails in your area!
Or via more traditional means:
Print the attached invoice and send a cheque to:
OTC 500 Main St. Deseronto, ON. K0K 1X0
Download the Membership Form, complete and send back with an invoice to the address above. The OTC is more though -
- we offer college-level certificate courses in practical trails
- we host and organize regional trail symposiums - Trailhead Canada, Trailhead Hastings, Trailhead Headwaters, for example
- we open trails, Oshawa trail for example
- we help open parks with trails, Point Grondine Park
- we write grants - Horses Help Canada
- we speak to national issues, Canadian Trails Federation
- we organized Canada's first national celebration of trails - Trailhead Canada.
- we publish a bi-monthly trails newsletter - Trailwise
Ontario Trails Members 2018 - Renewals!
Ontario Parks Association
Kincardine Trails Association
Ontario Trails All Year Long!
Add an Ontario Trail Logo to your website!
Watch for it on our social media, our facebook page and on our twitter feed.
Tell us all about your trail event and join us as we celebrate Ontario's Trails!
1. Log in Your Event - Event spreadsheet.
2. Add your event to our event calendar - add it here.
3. Post your personalized decal on your Trail - we have one for every group on our list. (see #5 below)
4. Add your trail user survey to any of your trail pages - we've made one of our members and regions. Get your decal here -
4. Add your trail user survey to any of your trail pages - we've made one of our members and regions. Get your decal here -
We've checked the links if something isn't working simply give us a call - 613-484-1140. We'll be adding these links to the various relevant trail pages in your regions and RTO's/DMO's over the upcoming year!
5. Send us your Trails video - we'll be posting content online at https://goo.gl/Fy2bIL and we'd be happy to add to our trails tube - https://www.youtube.com/user/ontrails
Missing? You may want to talk to us about OTC Membership. 613-484-1140 We'd be happy to connect with you.
