Ontario Trails News - we welcome another new partner - A2A Trail! Join Ontario Trails - support our work!

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Please welcome our newest trail partner!
A2A TRAIL - FROM THE TORONTO STAR

NEWCOMB, N.Y.—The 640-kilometre trek of a radio-collared moose named Alice is the inspiration for a proposed hiking trail from Ontario’s forested Algonquin Park to the heart of New York’s Adirondack Mountains.

Planners of the A2A — Algonquin to Adirondack — Trail liken it to Spain’s famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, with the added benefit of preserving an important wildlife migration corridor between two vast wilderness regions.

“This is one of last great migration routes. It’s an area where wildlife can regenerate itself,” said Emily Conger, chair of the trail committee for the A2A Collaborative, the Ontario-based non-profit conservation group behind the project.

Still in the planning stage with no definite route, the A2A will combine existing trails and roads following the general track taken by Alice, a moose radio-collared by New York wildlife workers in 1998 and released in a remote forest area in the central Adirondack town of Newcomb.

MORE.....

 

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Partnerships always welcome at Ontario Trails!

Our Partnership is just the beginning! We thank you for becoming a partner, here are some of the benefits that are now yours -
Great Benefits!
Access to insurance, trail insurance and other services from CAPRI.
Advocacy Information
Your voice in Toronto, in your town and city, and in Ottawa, representing you on issues that matter to you. Trail Legislation, Landowner Rights, Best Practices, Funding and Grant Programs.
Latest Information for Having Your Best Trail
Partners can access the latest information to learn more about healthy living, trail planning, trail protection and managing your trail. OTC members get access to E-newsletter and programs like the Trillium Trail Network.


Community Events & Services
Get involved with one of our 200+ partners across Ontario and join the many volunteers making a difference in your community. We'll promote and list your contribution at no charge.
Planning and Development
We'll get your community to support you! We'll get your community leaders to fund you. If we don't we'll assist in writing grants (for a fee) to get you the money you need to develop the trails you want.


Trail Management Services
We'll help you develop a Regional Trails Council, Incorporate, we provide governance guidance and education to staff and volunteer. We'll help you define projects, secure funds, and we'll bring other knowledge experts in to assist you!
"Trailhead" Brand Conferences and Meetings
We'll help you plan, invite, secure and present, on your trails! Use the power of our network to bring experts to your community, where your leaders can learn about latest practices, trail successes and opportunities. - From 40-140 people, we bring media and marketing of your work home to you! Investment Required, OTC Earnings and Return on Revenue Offered.
PLUS! Award-winning WEBSITE Marketing
The Ontario Trails Council lists you, your trails, and your latest events, news about your work. Our award winning website gets people to Ontario Trails better - than just stand alone sites!

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Ontario Trails News - head into fall, look around Toronto from the Toronto Star, Ontario Trail News Archive

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MELISSA RENWICK / TORONTO STAR Order this photo

The changing fall colours surround the Don Valley Parkway and can be seen against the downtown skyline from the Leaside Bridge on Millwood Rd.

By: Shawn Micallef Living Columnist, Published on Fri Oct 09 2015

Fall is the best time for a hike because the air is fresh, the lower temperature means there is no sweating and jaunty outfits can be worn rather than sportswear. The leaves are changing too. People go wild for fall leaves and embark on “leaf-peeping” expeditions, travelling far to see the changing colours. However, in the GTA you don’t have to go far, and this weekend the colours will be popping all over the city. Here are five suggestions for Thanksgiving weekend walks where the autumnal spirit is alive, just be sure to bring your own decorative gourds.

Toronto Island

COLIN MCCONNELL/ TORONTO STAR

Even though Centreville Amusement Park is closed for the season, you can visit Charlotte the Landrace pig at Far Enough Farm on Centre Island.

When the summer picnic and beach crowds have gone, the Toronto Islands are still worth a trip as there’s a sense of having the island to yourself at times. Take the ferry first to Wards Island and walk through the cottages near the dock, then meander west towards the Centre Island ferry dock for a few hours, by the boardwalk and over to Algonquin Island. Though Centreville Amusement Park is closed for the season, Far Enough Farm (centreisland.ca/far-enough-farm ) adjacent to it is free to enter and open every day from 10 to 5 p.m. You can visit Charlotte, their Landrace pig, and the other animals, all of whom are giving thanks they’re not on your table this weekend.

ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE/ TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Rouge Park is a truly wild and rural hike and it's accessible by TTC.

Rouge Park

MELISSA RENWICK/ TORONTO STAR

The changing fall colours surround the Don Valley Parkway and can be seen against the downtown skyline from the Leaside Bridge on Millwood Rd.

Rouge Park may be the wildest and most-rural hike you can take inside the Toronto city limits, and it’s accessible by TTC. This is the corner of the city where farm and city landscapes meet and the Rouge has some of the most dramatic ravine cliffs in the area. Begin at the Rouge Park Conservation Centre across Morningside Road from the Toronto Zoo. Here, the historic Pearse House (rvcc.ca/Pearse_House.html ), home to a family that ran an old sawmill on the river, adds to the rural feel of the park. Follow the trails that loop down to Twyn Rivers Dr. and return up the other side of river.

MELISSA RENWICK/ TORONTO STAR

If you visit the Humber Arboretum, be sure to climb the hill by the Centre for Urban Ecology building for the panoramic view across the Humber Valley.

Leaside Bridge

SHAWN MICALLEF FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The viewing platform at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park affords views of the beautiful rolling Ontario forest and farmland spreading out to the east.

The Leaside Bridge carrying Millwood Rd. across the Don Valley is the less-famous upriver sibling of the Prince Edward Viaduct, but it’s nearly equally impressive. Opened in 1927, the bridge commands spectacular views of the Don Valley Parkway as it makes gentle curves along the river and the buildings of Thorncliffe Park. Nature and city complement each other here wonderfully as the dozen or so stark, white apartment towers poke up through the tree canopy.

Humber Arboretum

Found behind Humber College’s North Campus, the Arboretum(humberarboretum.on.ca/) is a series of botanical gardens and natural areas near the end of the west branch of the Humber River multi-use trail. Established by horticultural students at Humber in 1977, its 100 hectares has six kilometres of trails and contains 1,700 species of plants and animals. Be sure to climb the hill by the Centre for Urban Ecology building for the panoramic view across the forested Humber Valley.

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

For an out-of-town holiday weekend excursion, take the hour-or-so drive to Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (ontarioparks.com/park/monocliffs ) north of Orangeville for a Niagara Escarpment hike. A series of eight trails pass through park’s varied landscape, some connecting with the Bruce Trail, and one looping down near the cute Village of Mono Centre where a mid-hike Thanksgiving tipple can be had at the local pub. A viewing platform extending out at the top of the cliffs affords a deep appreciation of the escarpment’s height, with views of the beautiful rolling Ontario forest and farmland spreading out to the east.

Shawn Micallef writes every Friday about where and how we live in the GTA. Wander the streets with him on Twitter @shawnmicallef.

Lot's of events around Ontario and on Ontario Trails

Ontario Trails News - hiking, waking, biking, camping - information from Ontario's 2600 trails!

Ontario Trails Council Supports Trail Programs

Thanks to Jessie Metelka of the Georgian Bay Coast Trail for her acknowledgment of OTC support for the Amazing Places program in the article below.
 

Search is on for area’s amazing places

‘People won’t protect what they don’t know about’ – Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve launches initiative to recognize region’s natural landmarks

By  Stephannie Johnson

PARRY SOUND – Last week nearly 40 interested parties from in and around the Georgian Bay Biosphere (GBBR) participated in a workshop that hopes to highlight the area’s amazing places. Hosted by the GBBR at Canadore College, participants came from Honey Harbour, Bala, Muskoka Lakes, Parry Sound, Almaguin, the French River and Sudbury.
The Fundy project’s executive director, Megan DeGraaf, spoke about the Amazing Places project and how it may work for eastern Georgian Bay, DeGraaf outlined the project saying that in their biosphere reserve in New Brunswick, conservation and environmental education were the focus.
“People won’t protect what they don’t know about,” DeGraaf said. “As an educational organization, we wanted to expose residents and visitors to some unique areas within the biosphere reserve and take tourists beyond the typical sites.”


Everything must be controlled to ensure that the highest quality product – accurate information, thinking about how the place tells a story, and promoting the places with outstanding photographs and high-definition video.” The goals of the GBBR are to celebrate the UNESCO designation, provide nature education and, with the implementation of this project, explore the value of the natural area along with partners, said general manager Greg Mason.
“If it is of interest, we will facilitate some planning with a group of partners that can make it happen,” Mason said. “At the same time, we are trying to coordinate this as a provincial project in the other biosphere reserves…which is quite a challenge.”
Because of the positive reception of the participants, GBBR manager Becky Pollock said the organization has outlined some next steps. “They include the pilot project, which is to nominate 10 amazing places and then promote them all summer,” Pollock said. “Then at the end of that we can do a feasibility study and say ‘how likely is this to work in our area? What would the costs be? Who are the partners?’ And especially for those who weren’t at the workshop, ‘How do we reach out to other organizations?’”
There were many positive comments following the event. “I know there is a huge amount of work that has to be done and has yet to be done, but today had a very positive feel to it,” said Julie Lee, owner of Mariner’s Rest Bed & Breakfast.
Jessie Metelka, with the Georgian Bay Coast Trail, said she saw how this project could assist with the potential expansion and promotion of hiking trails in the area. “I know that the Ontario Trails Council supports all the biosphere reserves in Ontario in growing this project,” said Metelka.
In addition to the many tourism operators in attendance, including Parks Canada and Ontario Parks, several marketing interests and private consultants were present, including: the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, the Georgian Bay Destination Development Partnership (visitgeorgianbay.com), the Regional Tourism Organization (Explorers Edge) and Parry Sound Tourism – a new private enterprise. Each of these perspectives was shared throughout the day. Any organization still wishing to be involved should contact the Biosphere at 705-774-0978.

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Tourism Industry in Consultation!

A 5 yr Review of the Sorbara Report

REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (“TIAO) is pleased to announce a province-wide consultation process that will result in a status update on the tourism competitiveness study: “Discovering Ontario: A Report on the Future of Tourism.” The report, released in the spring of 2009, contained four broad strategies and twenty specific recommendations to rejuvenate the industry.
One of the twenty recommendations identified in the report was the need for a single tourism industry association....a recommendation fulfilled by TIAO, which is now recognized as the umbrella trade association in Ontario. Given this role, the Ministry asked TIAO to lead this important consultation process which has been dubbed “TIAO Listens” in order to clearly communicate the primary objective: obtaining industry feedback.
TIAO has engaged HLT Advisory to assist with the facilitation process that will seek input in a variety of ways. Fifteen consultation sessions are planned across the province starting in early May and concluding in mid June.

http://www.tiaontario.ca/tiaolistens
http://www.tiaontario.ca/controls/calendar/calendar.aspx?ID=2
 

Niagara Classic 2014 Race Report | Ontario Cycling Association ontariocycling.org Mark Brouwer (Neworld Cycle) won the Master 3 race while Patrick Gostovic (Morning Glory CC) took the M3 race with his teammates taking places ... Flag as irrelevant

Toronto Star Toronto company building a high-tech bike with brains Toronto Star “This is really exciting, Vanhawks, of course, being a Toronto-based company, a local brand and start-up,” says Jared Kolb, executive director of Cycle ... Flag as irrelevant

CBC.ca Toronto releases new smart phone app for cyclists CBC.ca The City of Toronto released its free biking smartphone app on Tuesday, hoping the GPS-enabled app helps cyclists and develops the city's cycle plan ... Flag as irrelevant

TRAIL PLANNING BEGINS JUNE 2, 2014

ONTARIO TRAILS MOBILE one of 12 MUST HAVE APPS

http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/mobile

Ontario Trails News - news and activity information from all over Ontario's 2600 trails!

Join a Jane's Walk this weekend in Etobicoke

insideTORONTO.com

The local movement of free, locally led walking tours inspired by iconic writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs takes place across Toronto on May 2, ...

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Province announces biosphere funding parrysound.com “Our government is pleased to support three of Ontario's biosphere reserves this ... The project supports the Ontario Trails Strategy and the provincial ... Flag as irrelevant

The top 5 cycling clubs in Toronto

blogTO (blog)

cycling clubs toronto The top cycling clubs in Toronto range from the recreational to the race-ready with a fair number of options in between.

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GRCA Updates Watershed Conditions Statement - April 29, 2014

NorthumberlandView.ca

Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority is notifying watershed residents that a low pressure system will be passing through southern Ontario over ...

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TRAIL PLANNING BEGINS JUNE 2, 2014

ONTARIO TRAILS MOBILE one of 12 MUST HAVE APPS

http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/mobile

Ontario Trails News - news and activity information from all over Ontario's 2600 trails!

Parents encouraged to walk children to school in traffic-reduction campaign

CityNews

Toronto police have a simple plan to help reduce traffic and parking issues ... two blocks away, said shewalks her children to school every morning.

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Confusing a convoluted process

Toronto Star

Re: Ontario commits $25 million for cycling infrastructure, April 14. Ontario ... the “convoluted” environmental assessment (EA) process for bike lanes.

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Thompson makes Ontario Talent Squad parrysound.com This is the first time in 11 years that a member of the Georgian Nordic Ski Team has made the special training group. Noah Thompson, 15, finished the ... Flag as irrelevant

ERTH names inaugural conservation award winners

Ingersoll Times

The township's project also led to them winning the Ontario Power Authority's 2013 Community Conservation Award. The awards will be presented at ...

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TRAIL PLANNING BEGINS JUNE 2, 2014

ONTARIO TRAILS MOBILE one of 12 MUST HAVE APPS

http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/mobile