Ontario boasts over 80,000 km in trails. Whether you're in downtown Toronto or North of Superior, we have a trail for you.
The Ontario Trails Council is a registered charity, led by volunteers who promote the development, management, use and conservation of Ontario's trails.
You'll find everything from gentle walking trails to rock faces for climbing and water routes to canoe and kayak.
Local woman walks 25 km to support OneWalk to Conquer Cancer
Walking to conquer cancer
Submitted photo
Local Almonte woman Bonnie Wright, left, recently spent five hours walking the streets of Toronto during the 25 km Shoppers Drug Mart One Walk to Conquer Cancer event on Sept. 12. She’s shown here with her sister, Debbie, right, who is a breast cancer survivor. The event was the first annual walk in Toronto, and raised more than $7.5 million for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
Walking a mile in someone’s shoes can help you understand their journey – but walking 25 km can do a whole lot more. On Saturday, Sept. 12, one local Almonte woman did just that during the Shoppers Drug Mart OneWalk to Conquer Cancer in Toronto. The event was the first of its kind to be held in Toronto, and raised over $7.5 million for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. “Cancer affects everyone,” said Bonnie Wright, who participated in the walk. “It’s everywhere. It’s very, very hard to find someone who hasn’t been affected by it – and that’s why fundraisers like this are so important.” Wright’s own life has been touched by cancer more than once. On top of losing her father to the disease, she has also lost four uncles, a grandfather and a cousin. Even her sister, Debbie, is a breast cancer survivor. “My sister made me want to do the walk,” Wright said. “It’s very important to her, and I wanted to support her.” Wright and her sister walked alongside more than 4,500 other participants during the OneWalk event, travelling all over the city during the five-hour journey. Being an avid walker already, Wright was prepared for the trek. She didn’t do any special training, but she made sure to have comfortable shoes to wear. The rest of her outfit was chosen by her sister. “I have to wear pink,” Wright said in an interview ahead of the event. “I hate pink. But we had an agreement that whoever raised the most money could choose the other’s outfit.” Wright and her sister collected pledges from everyone they knew. They started with family and friends, then co-workers and friends of friends and so on. The fundraising web spread far and wide, with dozens of people pledging their cause. Overall, Wright said she was happy to be participating in such a good cause. “It will be a long day, but it will be worth it,” she said. “It’s outside, with my sister and for a good cause. It doesn’t get much better than that.” Plans for the 2016 OneWalk to Conquer Cancer are already underway. It will take place on Sept. 10 again in Toronto. For more information or to register, visit www.onewalk.ca.
Cycle Toronto
(formerly Toronto Cyclists Union) is looking for new volunteers who are
interested in helping out on the Bikewatch volunteer team this summer
at various events.
If you like talking about cycling issues, and want to hang out with like-minded and friendly bike advocates, please apply by Friday, March 15.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Michelle Watling and Klein receive high point
and high mileage trophies during Ontario Competitive Trail Riders
Association awards
Competitive trail rider brings home top honours.
Competitive trail rider,
Michelle Watling and her horse Klein, brought home considerable hardware
from this year's Ontario Competitive Trail Riders Association awards
held Saturday (Feb. 16). Honours included a Highest Mileage award; Klein
has tallied more than 1,000 competition miles over the past five years.
Catherine Whitnall
(BEXLEY) Sometimes, it's not whether you win or lose but how you run the race.
If anyone knows the truth of that, it's Michelle Watling.
Recently, Mrs. Watling was the recipient of several Ontario
Competitive Trail Riders Association (OCTRA) awards recognizing her
achievements - and those of her horse Klein - over the past year.
While there are four different types of competitions covered by OCTRA
- endurance, set speed, ride and tie, where two people take turns
riding and running the course, and competitive - Mrs. Watling and Klein
only compete in the latter. With competitive riding, the individual and
horse have a designated time to complete a course. Points are deducted
for completing the course too slowly - and too quickly - but it's
actually the horse's health that can mean the difference between going
home with a win or simply going home.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Left, Theo
Janssen, the Nation Valley ATV Club's Ride for Dad co-chairman, joins
Ottawa Senators alumni and celebrity ride captain Brad Marsh, centre,
and Nation Valley ride captain Jeff Leizert at the club's first Ride for
Dad event on March 2.
EMC news - Canada's first ATV Ride for Dad kicked fundraising into high
gear in early March, bringing in $44,450 for prostate cancer research
and support.
The Nation Valley ATV Club based in Winchester led
256 riders on the 100-kilometre trail on March 2, attracting riders from
across the province and raising more than four times their goal.
"Our original goal was $10,000 total," said club vice-president Mike Chicoine. "It was far beyond our expectations."
He
said the $26,000 raised in rider pledges took them above and beyond
what they expected, and combined with $4,400 from the silent auction,
$7,500 from registration fees and a $5,000 donation from Scotiabank the
total amount was staggering.
Riders came from Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Barrie and across the Ottawa Valley to participate in the event.
_______________________________________________________+
Left, Theo
Janssen, the Nation Valley ATV Club's Ride for Dad co-chairman, joins
Ottawa Senators alumni and celebrity ride captain Brad Marsh, centre,
and Nation Valley ride captain Jeff Leizert at the club's first Ride for
Dad event on March 2.
EMC news - Canada's first ATV Ride for Dad kicked fundraising into high
gear in early March, bringing in $44,450 for prostate cancer research
and support.
The Nation Valley ATV Club based in Winchester led
256 riders on the 100-kilometre trail on March 2, attracting riders from
across the province and raising more than four times their goal.
"Our original goal was $10,000 total," said club vice-president Mike Chicoine. "It was far beyond our expectations."
He
said the $26,000 raised in rider pledges took them above and beyond
what they expected, and combined with $4,400 from the silent auction,
$7,500 from registration fees and a $5,000 donation from Scotiabank the
total amount was staggering.
Riders came from Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Barrie and across the Ottawa Valley to participate in the event.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Head coach Jon Grimwood gets a work out on his cross-country skis
on Wednesday, Mar. 13, 2013 at the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club north of
Burleigh Falls. Clifford Skarstedt/Peterborough Examiner/QMI AGENCY
The season is winding down for the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club
but enthusiasm remains high for the way it has transpired and for the
next campaign.
The club, founded by a group of avid cross-country skiers in
Peterborough in 1976 and located about a 40-minute drive north of
Peterborough between Haultain and Apsley off Hwy. 28, has experienced
growth in recent years and seems to be growing and becoming more popular
all the time.
There are currently 800 members, ranging in age from two to 80 and at
all levels, which is a far cry from about 10 years ago when it was
about half that. It has also fared well in day use skiing, with several
thousand visitors coming out between its normal season of December to
March. That included about 400 alone who came out over the Family Day
weekend.
“Interest in cross-country skiing is growing in the Kawarthas and
much of that is because of the facilities here and what we have done,”
said David Woodfine, the club’s trails co-ordinator. “We are trying to
attract more people and a lot has been done. We’re not that far from
Peterborough. When people get here, it’s worth it.”
He said there are many reasons for the upsurge in recent years,
including such things as introduction of a youth program, going to both
skate and classic styles, improvement to the trail system with the help
of state of the art equipment and the building of a clubhouse – among
others.
Woodfine said the club has invested more than $400,000 in the past
decade and have been helped by three grants (more than $200,000) from
the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
__________________________________________________________________________________
Milton seniors medal at Winterfest.
Bob Walker (left) and Arnold Huffman display their Winterfest medals.
Graham Paine / Canadian Champion
Speaking to his lifelong involvement in
athletics, Bob Walker mentioned one particular group affiliation that
sparks a hearty chuckle.
It’s certainly not the first.
“There’s about 400 of us from all over southern Ontario called the
SHNOBS. It stands for Ski and Hike Now Or Be Sorry,” said the
85-year-old Miltonian with a smile, no doubt anticipating the imminent
laugh.
The acronym is quite humourous, but carries an underlying serious
message about the importance of physical fitness — one that Walker takes
to heart.
“I don’t go to the gym. This (skiing and hiking) is how I stay in shape.”
___________________________________________________________________________________
Trail Counts
EVER WONDERED WHO IS USING YOUR TRAIL AND WHEN? LOOKING FOR MORE THAN
JUST A STATIC COUNT OF TRAIL ACTIVITY? TELL OTHERS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF
PERSON IS USING YOUR TRAIL, WHAT MAKES YOUR TRAIL A POPULAR
DESTINATION...AND MORE!
WE HAVE YOUR ANSWER.
Utilizing smartphone technology trail users can now complete a short survey that:
Logs in the trip
Single counts individual users
Consolidates results for centralized reporting
Consultation on survey content.
We ask your questions - the facility manager asks what they want to know!
Allows for separate trail counting
Multi-season operation
24/7collection
Identifies quality of trail experiences
Provides you feedback loop
Wherever there is a smartphone signal, and YOUR trailhead you could be
gathering and collecting additional information that will make for a
better trail! Got great trails? Get the feedback that keeps you in the
know!
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.
LOW COST
$50.00 per trail per year (max 3 trails) includes:
Decal design
Decal Printing - max 6 sheets, various size decals
More decals option (fee charged)
Survey Set-up
Survey reports
All system maintenance
Regional Comparisons
Seasonal variances
Trail differentiations
Use patterns
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
We've kept the price low - comparible pairs of static counters, that
provide no demographic or qualitative information start at @$750.00 a
pair, per trail - at OTC we are maintenance free, so operating cost is
never an issue! Get information on your rural trails - save on gas,
training, maintenance and get better connected to your customer: THE
TRAIL USER!
VARIOUS DECAL SIZES TO MEET YOUR NEEDS!
8 decals per sheet - each decal is @4.5" (W) X 1.12" (T) or 11.43cm (W) X 2.8cm (T)
4 decals per sheet - each decal is @ 6" (W) X 1.75" (T) or 15.24cm (W) X 4.44cm (T)
2 decals per sheet - each decal is @ 9" (W) X 2.25" (T) or 22.86cm (W) x 5.72cm (T)
NETWORKED TRAIL TRAFFIC SERVICE -
Do you have a trail that comes into your area from somewhere else? Is it
managed by someone other than you? Ever want to know how much trail
traffic was passing through, staying. or going away from your place - on
your trail? Trails network and they cross jurisdictions. How much
maintenance are you doing for traffic that comes from someone else's
trail? We can answer that! Watch this space for our Trillium Trail (C)
Decal. It is designed specifically for trail networks
OTHER FACILITIES?
Do you have a trail that comes into park, runs around the arena or pool
and you'd like to know more about cross flow and traffic integration?
Ontario Trails can offer this same method to integrate additional
feedback from your other recreation facilities as well - producing for
you a comprehensive report on traffic, quality of experience at your
arena, pool or tourism destination - giving you a sense of aggregate
operation and our 4 F's - "fit, flow, funding and function."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Call Patrick at 877-668-7245
execdir@ontariotrails.ca
*Shipping and handling extra
** Colour print extra
Our Plan for 2013 – "From Recreation to Tourism" 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.
NATURAL/ HISTORIC SITES
When you’re entering the region from any direction the noticeable
feature that differentiates Peterborough from other Cities or Counties
in Ontario is the distinct rolling hills. These hills, while beautiful
when full with fall foliage, have a unique history behind them. When
the last ice age was receding, it left behind large pockets of sediment,
which it picked up while proceeding to grow and freeze everything in
its path. These pockets of sediment are what create the rolling hill
effect you see now. The leftover hills are called Drumlins and
Peterborough is home to one of the largest Drumlin fields in Canada.
The reason is unknown, however when traveling along the trails or the
roads, makes sure you keep an eye out for the next hill and think about
how it really was created.
Become a Trailhead Ontario Presenter - tell us about yourself!
Ontario Trails Council
liaise with the province, and through membership input we conduct a
variety of surveys and create reports that guide decision makers at all
levels - these include:
And more.
We can get you to a significant trails audience.
______________________________________________________________________ Ontario Trail Council Membership
Membership renewals for 2013 started going out December 1st, 2012. Thanks to the 77+ organizations that have renewed so far!
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.
Let's hit the slopes London Free Press ... has a new Winter Escapade Package that includes a one-day guided alpine snowshoe trek. ...Admission prices to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) have been ...
Precipitation will start as light rain, but as temperatures drop Tuesday evening, the rain will change to snow. Parts of eastern Ontario, including the Ottawa Valley, could see up to 15 cm by Wednesday.
