Mountain Biking (Toronto) from TORBA
Trail Questions1
) Capital Funding for Trails - Please take a minute to complete the capital funding section of our survey. A s many
communities head into the budget cycle other communities want to get an idea of the relative and comparative amounts communities of similar size are investing in their
trails. Please go to:
2)
QUESTION:
Does your forest landbase ever get land transferred to it through someone’s estate? If so,
1. How do you get the word out about transferring land over?
2. What kind of process is involved? Do you have a contract that outlines how the land will be managed, any disclaimers, etc?
3. How often does this happen?
Linda Touzin, R.P.F. District Forester Tel:
613-258-8268 Fax:
613-258-3920 Email:
linda.touzin@ontario.ca
Trailhead Ontario - Thanks to All!
The OTC wishes to thank all participants, supporters, registrants, presenters and organizers for enabling 2013 Trailhead Ontario to be a big success! Special thanks to Wayne Daub, Conference Chair.
Local Support - we wish to thank Kawarthas Northumberland and Peterborough Kawarthas Tourism and the Canadian Canoe Museum for their support and planning for this event. We thank all the trail ambassadors the RTO folks found for our session events. Special thanks to Christine Painter, Vanessa Twiddy and Karen Theriault for their unfailing support of our event!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Go to
Trail Counts! to purchase. Thanks
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.
The characteristics we are looking for are:
1. Measurements
- Trailhead Longitude
- Trailhead Latitude
- Completion Time (hours)
- Elevation Change (m)
- Trailhead Elevation (m)
- Maximum Elevation (m)
- Cross Slope Average (%)
- Cross Slope Maximum (%)
- Minimum Trail Width (m)
- Average Trail Width (m)
- Maximum Grade (%)
- Average Grade (%)
- Trail Surface
- 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)
- Date of Collection
- Data Collector
- 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
