Ontario Trails Council - National Trail Program Announced

We Value Our Members - Mr. Jack De Wit, OTC President

Dear Members - I often get questioned what are the benefits of an OTC Membership?  Your financial support enables us to assist trail groups and do many more things in support of trails.

This week the Ontario Trails Council will be a full participant in meetings of the Canadian Trails Federation in Ottawa. Our involvement there has resulted in much work with the National Trails Coalition, and in the direct securing of funding that we used to make trails in Ontario. I am pleased to provide you with the JOB ADS for the position of National Coordinator for the Project.


As you can see your financial support may not return directly to your community, but with it, by keeping the OTC viable, we are able to preserve or develop trails somewhere in Ontario.

Sincerely, Jack De Wit, President.

Ontario Trails News - news and events information from all over Ontario's Trails!

Renew your membership today!

A Message from Mr. Jack De Wit OTC  President

Dear Members - Let me say this has been a great year for retaining and acquiring new members to the OTC.

Thanks to the new groups, such as Short Hills Cycling Club, North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority and Marathon. There are too many new members to list them all here, so I'd just like to say thanks to all of you. New partners like you revitalize our organization; and as a board member and trail volunteer it's great to see OTC supporting new trail groups!

We also rely on renewing members, like Park to Park Trail Association, Essex Region CA, London, Toronto and Niagara. Thanks to you all of you as well. Through your support the OTC has nearly 200 members!!

However I am writing to ask you to make a timely dues renewal, many existing members are in arrears. While payment of membership dues is not the best lead story, we are working to balance our budget and your renewal will do this!

Through your support we are able to have an office, apply for grants, etc. The OTC travels to many communities, places like Georgian Bay, Niagara, Toronto, Prince Edward County, Ottawa, etc. to assist communities with trail development.

"Having OTC in town to assist with guidance as to the elements of master planning, risk management, trails training and getting planners and users together made a real difference to the major trails in our area." Tracey - Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Some of you have renewed your commitment to OTC via e-mail or by phone. Some of you have re-affirmed your intention to renew on more than one occasion. However, we are at year end and we need your membership dollars to meet our commitments.

At this late date I would ask you to e-mail Patrick if your cheque has been mailed, use paypal or call the office and they'll take a credit card number over the phone. We are trying to complete as many renewal deposits by March 31 as possible.

We do appreciate your support and I hope you'll join in keeping OTC involved as the important trails community organization it has become.

Sincerely, Jack De Wit, President.

JOIN - PRICING - By credit card or mail (all include 13% HST)

Yearly Rates		Base	HST	Total
Small <200 td="" trail="" users="">		$103.00	$13.39	$116.39
Medium 200:5000 users		$257.50	$33.47	$290.97
Large >5000 users		$772.50	$100.42	$872.92

 

Yearly Rates

 

Base

HST

Total

Small <200 td="" trail="" users="">

 

$103.00

$13.39

$116.39

Medium 200:5000 users

 

$257.50

$33.47

$290.97

Large >5000 users

 

$772.50

$100.42

$872.92

Ontario Trail News - members services and where we are on Ontario trails

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

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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.

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OTC Event Planning Guide
Call 877-668-7245

 

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OTC Trail Committee Manual
Call 877-668-7245


 

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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!

 

Ontario Trails News - news from Ontario's trails, trail survey's trail building and more

Trail Consultation Survey On-Line

A discussion paper for public comment is on the Environmental Registry  (Number: 011-9565). The public comment period closes on Wednesday, December 4, 2013.  Attached is a copy of the Discussion Paper.

As you are aware, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport will be hosting regional consultation sessions, by invite only, on strengthening the Ontario Trails Strategy. Below are the locations and dates of the consultation sessions:
November 18 – Ottawa
November 19 – Ingersoll
November 21 – Toronto
November 27 – Thunder Bay
November 28 – North Bay

In addition, two provincial First Nation/Aboriginal organization engagement sessions as well as a meeting with the Métis Nation of Ontario will be scheduled.

The next OTCC meeting will be Thursday, December 12, 2013.

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Performance Measures - Trail Counts!

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!

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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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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. Go to Trail Counts! to purchase. Thanks 

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New Trail: Port Severn, Whitby, Georgian Bay, Wollaston, Saugeen Shores

Ontario Trails News - use your trails as a social enterprise - learn how from the Ontario Trillium Foundation!

Free Innoweave Social Enterprise webinar and workshop Are you interested in learning more about Social Enterprise? Do you want to explore how it could help you achieve your mission? Do you have an idea for a new social enterprise that you'd like to develop? If so, your organization may be interested in attending an upcoming Innoweave Social Enterprise webinar or workshop. The Introduction to Social Enterprise webinar on September 13th at 12:00pm EDT will provide an overview of Social Enterprise and how organizations are using it to further their impact and enhance their sustainability.  An English version of the Webinar will be led by David LePage of Enterprising Nonprofits. Learn more about the webinar and register. A French version of the Webinar will be led by CCO (Conseil de la coopération de l'Ontario) et leCentre canadien pour le renouveau communautaire (CCRC).  Learn more and register. Second, if your organization has a clear business idea that you would like to explore, your leadership team can apply to attend an Innoweave Social Enterprise Workshop. Seven workshops are planned for this Fall the locations outlined below. Each workshop is designed to help leadership teams of 2 - 4 people work on their idea for a social enterprise and develop a go forward plan to move toward implementation.  Participating non-profit organizations should arrive at the workshop with a working knowledge of social enterprise and a specific idea that they are hoping to develop. The workshop builds on theSocial Enterprise webinar and assumes that participants have full familiarity with webinar material. Details for the English workshop Date: Friday, October 25, 8:00am to 5:00pm EDT led by David LePage from Enterprising Nonprofits Location: Ontario Trillium Foundation, 800 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON Applications close September 27th. Organizations will be notified by October 4th Learn more and apply for this workshop Details for the French workshops Workshops in French will be presented by CCO and CCRC in the following locations: Ottawa, ON le 23 octobre 2013 Alfred, ON le 29 octobre 2013 Sudbury, ON le 29 octobre 2013 Hearst, ON le 5 novembre 2013 Lafontaine, ON le 7 novembre 2013 Durham, ON le  9 novembre 2013 Applications close October 4th. Organizations will be notified by October 11th Learn more and apply for a workshop For all workshops, only one application form per team is required. Space is limited and priority will be given to organizations that have the capacity and readiness to start or expand social enterprise activities. Finally, organizations that participate in any Innoweave workshop will be eligible to apply for a small grant to engage a coach to help them create a social enterprise. The next round of grants will be launched by November 2013. Learn more about Innoweave Implementation Grants If you have any questions or are interested in bringing an Innoweave workshop to your community, please contact us at info@innoweave.ca. Thanks, Ontario Trillium Foundation and Innoweave Teams  Webinaire et atelier gratuits sur l'entreprise sociale offerts par Innoweave  Souhaitez-vous en apprendre davantage au sujet de l'entreprise sociale? Voulez-vous explorer les façons dont cela pourrait vous aider à réaliser votre mission? Avez-vous une idée de nouvelle entreprise sociale que vous aimeriez concrétiser? Si la réponse est « oui », votre organisme pourrait vouloir assister à un webinaire ou à un atelier sur l'entreprise sociale qui seront offerts bientôt par Innoweave. Le webinaire intitulé Introduction to Social Enterprise qui sera offert le 13 septembre prochain, à 12 h 00 (HAE), offrira un aperçu de ce qu'est une entreprise sociale et de la façon dont les organismes ont recours à cette structure afin d'accroître leur impact et d'améliorer leur viabilité. Le Conseil de la coopération de l'Ontario (CCO) et le Centre canadien pour le renouveau communautaire (CCRC) offriront une version française du webinaire. Cliquez pour en savoir davantage et pour vous inscrire. Si votre organisme a une idée précise d'entreprise qu'il aimerait explorer, votre équipe de direction peut soumettre une demande pour participer à un atelier intitulé Atelier d'Innoweave sur l'enterprise sociale. On prévoit sept ateliers pour cet automne, un en anglais et six en français, et le lieu des ateliers est indiqué ci-dessous. Chaque atelier est conçu de manière à aider les équipes de direction de 2 à 4 personnes à développer leur idée d'entreprise sociale ainsi qu'à élaborer un plan d'action visant sa mise en œuvre. Lorsque les membres des organismes sans but lucratif participants se présenteront à l'atelier, ils devront  avoir une connaissance pratique du concept d'entreprise sociale ainsi qu'une idée précise qu'ils souhaitent développer. Comme l'atelier s'appuie sur le webinaire sur l'entreprise sociale, les participants devront au préalable s'être familiarisés avec tout le matériel du webinaire.  Détails sur l'atelier en anglais : Date : Vendredi, 25 octobre, de 8 h 00 à 17 h 00 (HAE) mené par David Le Page de Enterprising Nonprofits Lieu : Fondation Trillium de l'Ontario, 800, rue Bay, 5e étage, Toronto, ON Details sur les ateliers en français Les ateliers en français seront présentés par le CCO et CCRC aux endroits suivants : Ottawa, ON le 23 octobre 2013 Alfred, ON le 29 octobre 2013 Sudbury, ON le 29 octobre 2013 Hearst, ON le 5 novembre 2013 Lafontaine, ON le 7 novembre 2013 Durham, ON le 9 novembre 2013 Le nombre d'inscriptions est limité, et la priorité sera accordée aux organismes qui sont aptes et disposés à entreprendre ou élargir des activités d'entreprise sociale. La date limite des demandes d'inscription est le 4 octobre prochain. Les organismes seront avisés concernant le statut de leur demande au plus tard le 11 octobre. Cliquez pour en connaître plus sur le webinaire et soumettre une demande d'inscription Une seule demande par équipe est requise. Les organismes qui participeront à l'atelier pourront soumettre une demande en vue d'obtenir une petite subvention, afin de retenir les services d'un guide qui les aidera à créer une entreprise sociale. La prochaine ronde de subventions sera lancée en novembre 2013. Apprenez davantage sur les subventions de mise en œuvre d'Innoweave. Si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à communiquer avec info@innoweave.ca. Merci! Les équipes de la Fondation Trillium de l'Ontario et d'Innoweave www.otf.ca

Ontario Trails - an opportunity for economic development includes trails in your Ontario!

News Release

Helping Communities Attract Investment and Create Jobs

Ontario moving forward with Investment Ready Program

August 19, 2013 11:30 a.m.

Office of the Premier

Premier Kathleen Wynne spoke at the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario today, where she unveiled new details about Ontario's Investment Ready: Certified Site Program.

The new program gives investors a greater degree of certainty when looking for development opportunities in Ontario municipalities. It will help companies looking to locate or expand their businesses in Ontario make quick, informed decisions and get projects underway sooner.

Designed to appeal to global investors, the program will give municipalities a chance to showcase their communities, attract new investment and help create jobs. This new initiative is part of the government's strategy to foster a competitive business climate in communities across Ontario. 

Quick Facts

• Ontario’s Investment Ready: Certified Site Program is Canada’s first province-wide certified site program.
• The program will provide detailed information on locations within a community that are ready to be developed, including availability, utilities servicing, access and environmental concerns.
• To be eligible for the program, sites will need to meet mandatory requirements in relation to site ownership, availability for sale/lease, minimum property size, public road access, municipal planning and zoning, and servicing and utilities.
• Applications will need to be submitted jointly by either municipalities or economic development organizations and the owner(s) of the site.
• Financial assistance will be available to help cover some of the costs incurred during the certification process. The application process is set to open later this year.

Quotes

We are confident that our new site certification program will make it easier for businesses to grow and expand in communities across the province. We want to do everything we can to help create jobs and attract investment to build strong, vibrant communities and we look forward to working together with our municipal partners.”

Kathleen Wynne

Premier of Ontario

The Investment Ready program will help communities across the province attract investment and create jobs. This is just one of the ways our government is strengthening local economies in partnership with municipal leaders.”

Dr. Eric Hoskins

Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment

Site Certification is another important tool to help our members attract investment projects to the communities they serve. Competition for international investment is intense, and a certified site designation can help a development opportunity stand out from the crowd.”

Heather Lalonde

CEO, Economic Developers Council of Ontario

Ontario Trails Blog - Information about trails and trail activity in Ontario Canada by Ontario Trails Council

__________________________________________________________________________________ Drinking and biking legalized?Windsor Star It was for the Bikes and Beers Cycling Tour. ... I hope I can score a seat in Ontario Superior Court to hear the lawsuit filed against the Ambassador Bridge by two ... See all stories on this topic » __________________________________________________________________________________ Photo Essay: Ball's Falls for family autumn hikes and festivals ...DigitalJournal.com Toronto - As summer wraps up the weather becomes perfect for hikingand picnics in ... As our thoughts turn to fall festivals and thanksgiving in southern Ontario ... See all stories on this topic » __________________________________________________________________________________ Laplante wins double gold at provincialsThe North Bay Nugget North Bay's Zeyana Laplante won double gold at the Ontario Canoe/Kayak championships in Ottawa this weekend. The 14-year-old defended her singles event ... See all stories on this topic » __________________________________________________________________________________ Famous bakery leads fight against Harbord bike lane planToronto Star Harbord is the second busiest bike route in Toronto, with cyclists representing 40 per cent of traffic during rush hour, according to a city report released in June. See all stories on this topic » _________________________________________________________________________________ Canoe club cleans up at Trillium championshipsMississauga Jeffery served as coxswain for the club's winning bantam boys war canoe crew while ... races as well as the IC-4 500- and 200-metre and C-2 500-metre events. See all stories on this topic » _________________________________________________________________________________ More information on courses here

Ontario Trails News - activity on and off your favorite Ontario Trail!

Theo Fleury wrapping up Victor Walk for victims of sexual abuse
CTV News
Former NHLer Theo Fleury is hoping he helped raise more awareness about child sex abuse and the plight of survivors as his wraps up a 10-day walk from Toronto to Ottawa he's dubbed "Victor Walk.” Fleury, who was sexually abused by disgraced hockey ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Grant boosts kayak festival
Timmins Press
On Thursday, the Ontario Trillium Foundation kayak presented a $15000 grant to boost marketing efforts for the kayak challenge.

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 Fitness Trail Launched By City Of Cambridge And Innovative Steam ...
Cambridge Now!
Cambridge, Ontario - You can now get mobile in more ways than one on the Bob ... The new enhancements to the 3.2 km trail includes 'Trekfit' outdoor circuit ...
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Walking Through the Open Doors
TorontoistThe official Doors Open website lists 15 walking tours happening on Saturday and Sunday, up from four last year. These walks are offered in conjunction with community groups and organizations like Jane's Walk and the Toronto Society of Architects.
See all stories on this topic »

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Join DuBL! Cycle Toronto's working group on Dupont Bike Lanes ...Cycle Toronto's working group on Dupont Bike Lanes. Submitted by Siva on 22 May, 2013 - 18:52. Posted on behalf of Liz Sutherland, Ward 18 volunteer: ...
cycleto.ca/.../join-dubl-cycle-toronto’s-working-group-dupont...

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Father of bike courier who died after altercation with former Ontario AG ...
National PostThe son, bike courier Darcy Allan Sheppard, or “Al” as he was known to friends, died August 31, 2009 after an altercation with former Ontario attorney general, Michael Bryant. Mr. Sheppard was 33. Police initially charged Mr. Bryant with criminal ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Safety Tips For Cyclists And Motorists
NorthumberlandView.ca(NORTHUMBERLAND, ON) – The Caledon Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wishes to remind cyclists and motorists to share the road. With the summer fast approaching these are good reminders to both cyclists and motorists. In a 2012 ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Ontario Cycling Association & CAA Announcement! | Ontario Cycling ...The Ontario Cycling Association is pleased to announce it's participation with CAA South Central Ontario into their Corporate Membership Program! At CAA, we ...
www.ontariocycling.org/ontario-cycling-association-caa-anno...