Ontario Trails News - Trailwise - Week of January 5, 2017

• Trail Management • Trailhead Events • Membership Drive    • Donate to Trails Today • Member News • Activity Updates

Ontario Trails Adds More Events! Here's how one member did. About the Ganaraska Forest The 12,000 acre Ganaraska Forest is one of the largest blocks of forested land in southern Ontario. Today the forest is a living example of how the principles of integrated resource management can be used to balance many different uses of forested lands on a sustainable and ecologically sound basis. The forest is home to the Ganaraska Forest Outdoor Education Centre, a weekend canteen, and public washroom and shower facilities. The area provides abundant recreational opportunities and is managed for a sustainable yield of wood products. Day passes or annual permits are required to use the forest. Office hours are 8:30 am - 4:00 pm weekdays and the Gatehouse is open for sales on weekends from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Please Note: The forest will be closed to motorized use, with the exception of snowmobiling, as of December 1st, 2016. It will re-open on May 1st, 2017. Keep in mind that all users must obtain a membership or day pass to use the forest. From our events page - search: Ganaraska Forest Ganaraska Forest Ganaraska Forest Come and experience southern Ontario's largest forest. Located within an hour's drive of Toronto, straddling the Counties of Northumberland, Peterborough, Victoria and the Region of Durham, the Ganaraska Forest... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Ganaraska Forest Hiking Week ...of Ontario Hiking Week, the GRCA is providing free hiking day passes to anyone who visits the forest. Ganaraska Forest Centre and wants to explore the Ganaraska Forest. With 100’s of kilometres of trails, there is a walk for... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Owl Prowl ...Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority staff & volunteers for an exciting night prowling for owls in the Ganaraska Forest. Enjoy a slide show and displays before venturing out on a guided walk in search of an owl or two. Please... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Hallowe'en Howl ...is just around the corner! Why not get into the Hallowe’en spirit early during this spooky night in the Ganaraska Forest? Carve pumpkins and paint other fun gourds to take home, and then enjoy an interactive and fun campfire before... Central Ganaraska Bike/Hike Trails - Make Your Trail Event The Ganaraska Forest Centre (GFC) is the place to be! This multi-use facility, which is visited by close to 10,000 students and thousands of other guests each year, accommodates outdoor education programs, community and corporate group... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Under the Stars Join the Peterborough Astronomical Association at the Ganaraska Forest Centre to see Jupiter, our Moon, Mars, Saturn, star clusters and other celestial sights with telescopes and other observing aids provided by the PAA and instruction... Blue Trail Blue Trail The 6.2 km Blue Trail forms a portion of the Ganaraska Forest's extensive network of cross country ski trails, which have also been adapted for mountain biking, hiking, cross country running and equestrian use during the... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Tree I.D. Hike ...of National Forest Week, we welcome guests to join us on a guided tree identification hike through the Ganaraska Forest. Learn which species grow in our area, and which ones are right for your own property. Call 905.885.8173 to... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Maple Syrup Day Tour the sap collecting route, visit the sugar shack & enjoy story-telling from historic characters who will enlighten you on this sweet tradition. Then enjoy some pioneer games & face painting before settling in for a pancake feast!... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Family Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Day Have you visited the Ganaraska Forest in the depth of winter? It's beautiful, especially on a pair of skis!  Come see for yourself during this annual event which starts with an intro to cross-country skiing and ends with a guided ski... Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's Maple Syrup Day ...you enjoy live music and a pancake feast. $15.00/adult & $10.00/child (16 & under) Tickets purchased at Ganaraska Forest Centre Gatehouse upon... Add Yours Today! Ontario Trails Adds More Trails!The Ontario Trails Council is pleased to be continually updating its website with more trails, this week we are adding  Thanks to all the great folks that continue to add trails to our inventory for everybody to access! Arrowhead PP Ice Trail Image credit to KAT https://twitter.com/KatKX947 The Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail has generated a tremendous amount of fanfare over the last couple of years, as thousands flock north to try this breathtaking skate through the forest. The Ice Skating Trail's season opening is always subject to weather. Over the last two seasons, the ice skating trail has been open for the first week of January until roughly the second week in March. These dates should help you plan your winter getaway to Muskoka. A word from the wise, the best ice conditions will always be during the week, so if you are able to scoot up to Muskoka midweek, you will definitely be rewarded. If you want to start planning your winter getaway, find nearby accommodations in Huntsville. Arrowhead Provincial Park's new ice skating trail may have garnered the park a lot of attention, but the truth is they have long been renowned as Muskoka's winter playground. The provincial park is regarded as one of the top cross country ski destinations in Ontario, with 28km of classic ski trails and 16km of skate ski trails, ranging in difficulty From beginner to expert. The park also features a number of snowshoeing trails, with rentals for both snowshoeing and cross country skis available on site. If you want to get back to your childhood, there is a tubing hill at the park for you to whiz downhill on (tubes are provided). If you need a break from the outdoors, the park has a number of heating stations with wood burning stoves for you to cozy up inside, perfect if you packed a lunch for your day of winter fun! Eganridge Resort and Inn Cross Country Ski Trails During winter months, our golf course & grounds are meticulously groomed with 4km of cross country ski trails. Trailhead sign with map available at trailhead. Enjoy stunning vistas overlooking Sturgeon Lake, and secluded forests. Please check-in with the Inn for more information. Food and soft drinks are available at the club house for trail users, when open. Trails are use at own risk, the resort does not provide rental equipment so bring in your own. All trail users are asked to stay on trail. In the summer there are many canoe activities to enjoy. If you snowshoe, please snowshoe on trail but of cross country track. No motorized allowed on site. For more information, including maps, please visit our Web site at http://www.eganridge.comhttps://www.facebook.com/eganridge Bracebridge Memorial Park Ice Skating Trail Congratulations Bracebridge on creating an awesome enchanted park for families to enjoy! Trusting this will be an annual winter event for skating and enjoying our beautiful town.https://www.facebook.com/MemorialParkWinterVillage/ Trailhead Hastings! Join us at Trailhead Hastings to ask and get answers to questions such as – What’s the capitalization on value of Hastings Trails? Is Hastings generating its portion of the trails economy relative to the rest of the province? Are we keeping pace with other places? Are we ahead or behind?, are we generating our fair share of investment? Where is the trail travel dollar going? – Belleville, Centre Hastings, North Hastings, Bancroft -or out of the county? How are we, and who is, measuring and supporting this economy? Ontario Trails Council leads the way in Ontario and Nationally in making communities work though trails. We’ve led the way in communities learning and understanding the benefit of building complete trail systems. In Ontario there are roughly 108 projects each year, worth $21M of capital investment, improvement and trail revitalization. What amount of this economy happens in Hastings? Wednesday Presenters 8:00 –8:45AM       Registration  Sponsored 8:45-9:00 AM Traditional Welcome, Algonquins of Ontario Welcome Remarks Algonquins of Ontario Jack De Wit, President, Ontario Trails; Minister Eleanor McMahon MTCS* 9:00-10:00 AM Panel – Establishing and Understanding The Value of Trails Between Communities: Trails, Heritage and Cultural Awareness Ethan Huner, Algonquins of Ontario Utilizing Lands for Trails – A New Way Forward with First Nations Kate Potter, Orland Conservation, with guests. Common Ground:Exploring the social value of trails. Terri LeRoux, CEO Credit Valley Conservation Foundation 10:00-11:00 AM Panel – The Economics of Trails, Investment, Development and Management Cost Effectiveness Implementing Effective Trail Building Zane Davies, PTBA Member, Treadscape* Earning Revenue – Implementing Integrated Trails Tourism Patrick Connor, Ontario Trails Council Implementing Standardized Trails Classification  Mark Schmidt,Parks Trails Analyst, Parks Canada Visitor Experience Branch 11:00 – 12:00 Noon Panel – Understanding the Trail Consumer Cycling Routes and CycleON Ontario By Bike* Trail Lessons Learned from Local Trail Data Alexandra Brodka, Project Manager, Hamilton Burlington Trails Council Healthy Hikes Nekeisha Mohammed, Communications Officer, Conservation Ontario* 12:00-1:00 PM Luncheon Update on Ontario Trails Legislation and Trails Action Plan Carol Oitment, Policy Advisor Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport. 1:00-2:00 PM Round Table Discussions Hastings County Trails What we have, what we want, what we earn. 2:00-3:00 PM Round Table Discussions Regional Trail Development What we have, want we could have. 3:00 – 4:00 PM Round Table Discussions Making the Pieces Fit – Mapping Out Success Recommended Integration of support systems. 4:00- 4:45 PM Plenary Focus Goals and Objectives for Trails 2017-2020 Getting a More Robust Trails System and a More complete Trails Economy in Hastings County 4:45 – 5:15 Wrap-up  Thanks Ontario Trails Recognizes "Friends of Trails" We wish to recognize the following persons as an Ontario Trails Council "Friend of Trails" Al McPherson, Ben Ackerman, Bonnie Simpson, Craig Mosley, Damian Bradley, Dave Clark, Douglas Thompson, Duncan McCrae, Fred Mayo, Gail Montieth, Irene Marinko, Jason Jordan, Jesse Villemere, Joanna Milczarek, Kirsten Spence, Laurel Mundt, Paul Riccatti, Sandra Stout, Sasha Co. and Your Design Vehicle. Thanks you for Being a Friend of Trails! MTCS Community Recreation Grant FundingOntario is now accepting applications for the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund (OSRCF) 2017–18. OSRCF is a grant program that supports the government’s vision to enable people in communities across Ontario to lead healthy, active lives. The fund increases opportunities for participation in sport and recreation, supports implementation of physical literacy as a foundation for lifelong physical activity and strengthens the community sport and recreation sector. The deadline to apply for the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund 2017–18 is February 1, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Full details, including who’s eligible and how to apply, are available through Grants Ontario, the providers in your area. OFSC WARNS SNOWMOBILERS TO KEEP SLEDS PARKED UNTIL TRAILS OPEN Use the trail guide for the best accuracy in open and closed trails this season. Trailhead Canada - Save the date! Trails Tourism Integration Strategy Meetings Underway Over the fall we have been meeting with a variety of Regional Tourism Organizations and their supporting Destination Marketing Organizations or Destination Marketing Partners as the case may be. We have been creating connectivity to these important regional product marketers in order to reinforce the importance of trails and the outdoors as tourism product, and to seek new ways to improve our connectivity to them, as we represent their efforts and your trails via the Ontario Trails Council website. Areas for improvement or site additions include such things as: having an event map self directed trail or event edits mapping and maps guided services listings improved weather reporting improved trip planning with printout adding trails for folks with pets to cater to the traveler with pets add trekking and other unique experiences re-brand off-road cycling as mountain biking, add fat-biking as a specialty space for local content improved site search functionality more links across RTO's improved forms with additional categories more support route content like Wine or Arts Routes event to trail linkages on trail content pages cms capability to red flag broken links more! trails! We appreciate the feedback from all the marketing and branding staffs we have worked with and all the suggestions for improvement. Thank- you Membership Renewals - Thanks to our SupportersWe wish to thank the following organizations that have already completed their membership for 2017. We couldn't do our work without your continued support. Many thanks! Renew Today! Frontenac County Norfolk County Hike Ontario Town of OakvilleExplore beyond your boundaries! Oakville's 200+ kilometres of recreational trails meander across all communities and connect all sections of the town. Information about recreational trails not currently included on this website will be updated as it becomes available. You can plan your cycling or walking route through the town's beautiful trails and roadways with the Cycle, Walk Oakville map. You may notice that trees have been removed from some trails. This is part of the town's ongoing efforts to remove dead and dying ash trees destroyed by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) to ensure public safety and to help the forest regrow. Visit the Woodlands Hazard Abatement page to learn more. Membership Benefits INFORMATION AND FUNDING OTC Trails and Event page representation Representation on OTC trails maps Social Media represents you to 60,000+ people Fund Development through grant writing, grant support ACCESS AND INFLUENCE Connectivity to the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport Leadership at the Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee Office services and networking support BEST PRACTICES Partnership Support and Knowledge exchange Access to Professional Development sessions Tourism Practices, Trails Tort Reform, Trail Workshops TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS Access to Trail Insurance Broker Option on registration in Trillium Trail Network Local, regional or provincial User conflict resolution 2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM - PDF     2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM - WORD DOC CATEGORIES Become a "Friend of Trails" Savings on conference/seminar registration Monthly e-bulletins Access to OTC trails database Great gift price! Savings on trail literature/maps $26.52 + $3.45 = $29.97 (includes 13% HST) Benefits to Student Editions of the OTC newsletter Trailwise Access to OTC trails information Conference and selected literature savings * must provide student verification $21.21 + $2.75 = $23.96 (includes 13% HST) Our members include municipalities, conservation authorities, parks, trail management groups, trail clubs, trail user groups, health units and other trail-related supporting organizations. Base HST Total Small Non-profit, Small Organizations $109.27 $14.20 $123.47 Conservation Authorities, Medium Municipalities, Counties, Regional Tourism Organizations $273.18 $35.51 $308.69 Municipalities, Provincial Level Organizations >5000 users $819.54 $106.54 $926.0

Ontario Trails News - cycling plan to be unveiled, Mississauga makes request, Legislature Passes Trails Act

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Full Article

Cycling Infrastructure Boost Requested By City of Mississauga

Jun 09, 2016

Yesterday, City Council passed a resolution urging the Provincial Government to use the provincial cap and trade program to provide $200 million for cycling infrastructure across Ontario over the next four years.  A letter of support from Mayor Crombie will be sent to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and other municipalities across Ontario through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). The letter will encourage other municipalities to join with Mississauga in calling on the Province to act.

“There is a strong interest in building and investing in cycling infrastructure to promote active and healthy living in Mississauga,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “The City of Mississauga’s  Living Green Master Plan and Cycling Master Plan also support the Provincial Government’s Ontario Climate Change Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a prosperous low-carbon economy. Like Mississauga, many other municipalities have similar plans and initiatives to increase their cycling infrastructure and I hope they will join our city in calling on the provincial government to increase investments in this critical infrastructure. These investments will complement those being made at both the provincial and federal levels in infrastructure such as public transit that will improve the lives of residents and reduce emissions.”

“The Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC) is very focused on the important role cycling can play in meeting our climate change goals,” said Chris Fonseca, Ward 3 Councillor and member of the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee. “We have implemented a very successful Community Ride Program which has increased cycling greatly throughout the city. An Ontario wide poll, Share the Road 2014, shows that 4.5 per cent of Ontario residents ride a bike at least monthly and that  54 per cent of Ontario residents want to cycle more than they currently do. The poll also indicated that many would be encouraged to cycle more if there was more and better cycling infrastructure available. Mississauga has made great progress closing gaps in our cycling infrastructure.  Closing these gaps will increase the safety of our residents and encourage more cycling as a means of transportation. An investment in cycling infrastructure will improve and enhance the multi-use trail system.”

The City's cycling network includes more than 400 kilometres of on-road bike lanes, boulevard multi-use trails, off-road trails as well as roadways with posted bike route signs.  Through the Cycling Master Plan, the City plans to develop more than 900 kilometres of on and off-road cycling routes in the next 20 years. More than 1,000 Mississauga residents and stakeholders contributed their thoughts and ideas to help develop this plan. The plan focuses on fostering cycling as a way of life in the city, building an integrated network of cycling routes and aims to adopt a safety first approach to cycling. The Cycling Master Plan vision is to make Mississauga a city where people choose to cycle for recreation, fitness and for their daily transportation needs. The plan will provide an integrated multi-modal approach to transportation throughout the city to connect destinations and place 95 per cent of the city's population within one kilometre of a primary cycling route.

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Media Contact:
Catherine Monast
Senior Communications Advisor
Transportation and Works
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200 ext. 5046
catherine.monast@mississauga.ca
TTY: 905-896-5151

Backgrounder

14 Bills Passed and 7 Additional Bills Introduced During Spring Sitting

June 9, 2016 4:45 P.M.

Office of the Premier

The 14 bills passed during the spring sitting of the Ontario legislature deliver major progress on key initiatives. Actions include investing in green projects and reducing carbon emissions, helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement, allowing municipalities to introduce ranked ballots and ban corporate and union donations for local elections, and strengthening laws to stop sexual violence and harassment.

Bills That Passed:

Bill 100 -- Supporting Ontario's Trails Act, 2016

Strengthens Ontario's trail system, protecting and enhancing thousands of kilometres of the province's urban, suburban, rural and remote land and water trails, while encouraging their expansion. It also helps promote Ontario's trails by establishing the first week of June as Ontario Trails Week.

Ontario Trails News - add your trail event to our calendar! Lot's to do in Spring!

Ontario Trails Events - it's Spring!!



Add your event today!

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Ontario Trails - it's Spring - so we are adding more trails!

Add your trail!

Ontario Trails News- send us your Ontario trail events!

Events
Send us your events today! We'll add them to the new website. Recently we added some to the OTC Facebook page.

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Heritage

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Hiking

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Snowmobiling - Season Over!

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Water Trails

Ontario Trails News - it's always a festive time on Ontario's 2500+ recreational trails!

Activity News - Click the pic for more on each Activity!

ATV'ing

Cross Country Skiing

Cycling

Dog Sledding


Education

Heritage Trails

Horse Trails

Ontario Trails News - lot's of ways to get connected to Ontario's Trails

Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Trail Heros Know somebody that works hard on trails? If so nominate them to be an Ontario Trails "Trail Hero!" We'd be happy to review your recommendations and acknowledge in a small way their contribution to trails in your community. Trail Blog Every day trails are news! Every day we blog about trails. In communities all over Ontario trails are big news, for cyclists, runners, canoe or horses, every day we capture in one spot all the trail news - local, provincial or national! Join today! Trail Leaders! Become a trail development leader. Join Ontario's first ever series of 14 trail education courses in the development and management of trails. Designed for both volunteers and professionals. Next course April 30th in Woodbridge. Topic - Trail Legislation Review with Kathy Weile. Register today - registration is open 24/7 until the morning of the event.  Join OTC The Ontario Trails Council is a nonprofit charitable organziation, established in 1988, that promotes the development, preservation, management and use of recreational trails. With over 130 organizational members and 25 individual supporters the OTC continues to grow! Support trails in Ontario - join the OTC MEMBERSHIP FORM - PDF                                MEMBERSHIP FORM - WORD DOC Learn an Activity Our website contains information on over 2,600 trails, and a description for nearly 2,000. Learn about the places where you can bike, cross country ski, climb or any of another 15 activities. We are linked to over 130 organizations and a variety of provincial groups that can help you learn an activity or become better at one you already love!   Add Your Event We post trail or outdoor events on trail specific facebook pages, the main OTC facebook page, and the event section of the OTC website. You can send us your event and we'll post it to these extensive networks. Each week we reach over 20,000 people, so if you want your event known, a bit better, send us the information. Be a Friend of Trails We invite all trail users to support the work of the Ontario Trails Council. As a registered charity we do our community work based on the support of member organziations, individuals and some government grants. We do the work, in the end for the individual families and folks that use the trails every day. Please consider supporting us as your thanks for your trails. Thank you.   Member Requests 1) Algonquin College program on-line   2) OTC Mobile App - for iProducts and Windows 3) Post Photos to Pinterest 4) OTC on Foursquare 5) Safe Trails Manual 6) OTC Youtube Channel 7) Ontario Trails Maps 8) Enabling Change Program 9) OTC Board 2012-13 Jack De Wit - PRESIDENT Ontario Equestrian Federation 905-655-4666 cndhrsman@bellnet.ca Dan Andrews - Secretary/Treasurer      TrailADE Consulting 705-927-8648 trailadecanada@gmail.com Paul Ronan Ontario Parks Association 647-991-9444 paulronan@rogers.com Frieda Baldwin Huronia Trails and Greenways 705-245-1005 frieda.baldwin@rogers.com Wayne Daub Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs 519-500-3715 w-daub@rogers.com Igor Hoogendoorn International Mountain Biking Association 855-255-4094 ext.108 igor.hoogendoorn@imba.com Tim West Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs 705-739-7669 twest@ofsc.on.ca Kirsten Spence Northern Ontario Representative 807-889-0602 trailsgirl@gmail.com Jeff Muzzi Manager, Forestry Services, Renfrew County 613-633-9683 JMuzzi@countyofrenfrew.on.ca Patrick Connor Ex-officio - Executive Director Kingston 613-396-3226 execdir@ontariotrails.ca We currently have 2 vacancies on the OTC Board. If you are interested please e-mail Jack De Wit to discuss. cndhrsman@bell.net Disclaimer The ideas, opinions, re-posting of news, editorials and content contained in this newsletter are not necessarily the ideas or opinions of the OTC Board or staff. This news is intended for informational purposes only. OTC Event Planning Guide Call 877-668-7245 OTC Trail Committee Manual Call 877-668-7245 Ontario Trails Membership On behalf of OTC we thank you for your support. If there is a group you know that is not a member contact us and we'll send them a note on membership benefits. This past week we received a renewal from Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Sault Ste. Marie Thank you very much for your support! THANKS! MERCI!