Sturgeon Falls Conservation Officer Recognized

"Bill Clark of Sturgeon Falls has been named the Ontario Conservation Officer of the Year for 2010.

The Ontario Conservation Officers Association and the Ministry of Natural Resources recognized Clark for his professionalism and dedication during his 30 years of service. He has been involved in uniformed, plainclothes and covert operations, and successfully led a multi-year investigation into fishing pressure on Lake Nipissing."

Congratulations from OTC!

Cyclists pumped for 'blood' ride - St. Catharines Standard - Ontario, CA

"A team of local cyclists is putting the wheels in motion to help save lives.

Called Cycling for Life, the nine-member group composed of St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake residents has set its sights on recruiting 100 donors for Canadian Blood Services during its two-day ride.

After departing from their starting point at Joseph McCaffery Park on Aug. 19, they will cycle five kilometres for each unit of blood given by their supporters up to 500 kilometres in total. Their route will take them through Ancaster, London and Port Dover."

Horseshoe Valley Resort Mountain Bike Trail in Barrie, Ontario || SINGLETRACKS.COM

"Horseshoe is a lift access resort where you have presently 4 DH runs varrys in technical difficulty. Each run has options to hit a feature such as a jump or skinny or you can take the bail route. Decent but short. Runs are about two and a half minutes from top to bottom. The more technically difficult runs are fun with step downs jumps and skinnies."

Study: Helmet laws & bicycle use � Cyclelicious

"First of all, I often see the Nova Scotia study used as evidence that helmet laws discourage bicycle use. However this study was not designed to measure bicycle use so this conclusion absolutely cannot be drawn from this data. In fact, no conclusion on bicycle use can be drawn from this data."

A Brief History of Boys Summer Camps in Algonquin Park, Ontario Canada | Ultimate Camping Guide

"Franklin Gray and William Bennett, Rochester educators established one camp in the Algonquin Park wilderness of Ontario Canada called Camp Pathfinder in 1914. It has been operating unceasingly ever since, which is a wonderful achievement for any establishment. Though the ownership has changed many times and now rests with Michael Sladden, fortunately the unceasing operation has been maintained and that is a reflection of the unwavering commitment to continue the good work. Primarily started as canoeing camp it has now become famous for wilderness canoe trips and leadership programs."

Toronto4Kids - Tour de Greenbelt 2010

"Experience rural hospitality, savour fresh, local food and explore all that Ontario’s Greenbelt has to offer—natural beauty, cultural diversity and engaging recreation. Re-discover the joy of a leisurely bike ride and come explore the possibilities of Ontario’s Greenbelt, 1.8 million acres of protected land wrapping around the Golden Horseshoe. Register today at TourdeGreenbelt.ca!"

Ontario Trails Council wants to help county's trails - Haliburton Echo - Ontario, CA

"Managing trails can be tricky business and the Ontario Trails Council wants to help Haliburton County with its trail management.

Patrick Connor, a director with the council, spoke to members of the county's economic development committee at an Aug. 11 meeting.

'Right off the bat, trails are complicated business,' Connor said"

Ontario Cross Country Mountain Bike Championship Debuts Brand New Course | Outpost Magazine

"The Plastiglas Ontario Cup Series and Chico Racing are excited to announce the new host of the Ontario Championships on August 22, 2010. Woodnewton is a private 200 acre parcel of land just south of the Town of Uxbridge featuring amazing rolling hills, forests and terrain that will be a mainstay of mountain bike race venues for years to come.

Chico Racing began working with the land owner last summer to create a myriad of singletrack utilizing the unique topography to create a fantastic site for the Ontario Championships."

Gearing Up: News and Tips about Cycling, Gear, Rides and the RONA MS Bike Tours in Ontario: Congratulations Acton to Waterloo Participants!

"This past weekend, almost 500 cyclists geared up to ride from Acton to Waterloo in the RONA MS Bike Tour 2010. On Saturday, participants set off from a new location this year—Prospect Park, Acton— and rode to the University of Waterloo. After an evening of ceremonies and an outdoor movie, they rode back to Acton on Sunday, cycling a total of 150 km over the weekend."

Cycling through the Simcoe County forest - Bradford Times - Ontario, CA

"Rick Francis has been involved in mountain bike racing for decades – starting in the '80s and '90s at Scanlon Creek Conservation Area, where races on Scanlon's trails attracted some of Ontario's best cyclists, including Olympian Alison Sydor."

Riding in Eastern Ontario - Rideau region - Road Bike, Cycling Forums

"I'm headed up for my annual pilgrimage to the Rideau lakes for fishing and golf. I just got a road bike this summer and I'm thinking I should bring it along for a couple of rides. But I have a few newbie questions, since I've never considered riding there before."

Perhaps a roadie blogger could e-mail this person with some tips - OTC

Coureurs de Bois Voyageur Trail Outdoors Club, Elliot Lake Ontario: Canoe For Sale

"Welcome to the blog of the Coureurs de Bois Voyageur Trail Outdoors Club headquartered in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada.
We are a very casual hiking club, affiliated to the Voyageur Trail Association.
We have about 250 kilometers of trails in the pre-cambrian shield, a beautifully scenic and fairly rugged area of lakes, wetlands and rocky areas amply covered by all manner of flora and fauna."

Oak Ridges Morraine Events

The workshops will consist of a morning session to learn about the ecology, policy, and people of the Oak Ridges Moraine and an afternoon session to learn how you can help us track land use activities on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Saturday September 11th, 2010 - Wyndance Golf Club, Uxbridge

Saturday September 18th, 2010 - Millbrook Community Centre

Saturday September 25th, 2010 - Enniskillen Conservation Area Education Centre

THE STORY OF THE MORAINE 10am-11:30am – a morning session to learn about the ecology, policy, and people of the Oak Ridges Moraine
and/or

MORAINE WATCH 12:30pm-2:00pm – an afternoon session to learn how you can help us track land use activities on the Oak Ridges Moraine

See the attached poster for more details. Contact allison@ecospark.ca to register or for more information.

'Mandatory helmets do not discourage cycling' | Bicycle business | News by BikeBiz

"The study found that helmets were worn by 73 per cent of respondents in Nova Scotia, where helmet legislation is in place. Just 40 per cent of Ontario respondents wore helmets (where legislation applies to the under 18s only).

The report also found that helmet laws in Alberta and Prince Edward Island had not changed the number of cyclists commuting or riding for leisure."

Crime Of The Week - Cochrane Times Post - Ontario, CA

"Crime Stoppers and the Ontario Provincial Police need your help with identifying illegal marijuana grow ops located in our Northern Ontario wilderness.

Because of the milder weather, more and more grow ops are moving north. Drug dealers think that because we live in isolated small towns that it's easy for them to commit their crimes. But in fact the opposite can be true, because of the good citizens like you that watch out for and report suspicious behavior."

Illegal activity of all types puts trail users at risk.

Hiking Trails of Ottawa, the National Capital Region, and Beyond

"Grab your hiking boots, water bottle, and a healthy snack, and hit the trail! Collected here, for the first time, are the best hiking routes in the National Capital Region, including Gatineau Park, Ottawa's Greenbelt, brand new trails at Manitou Mountain, and Eastern Ontario's most outstanding provincial parks (Frontenac, Charleston, and Murphy's Point), as well as gems hidden in the neighbouring Canadian Shield and Laurentian Highlands."

For a list of trails - check out the OTC website.

WiserEarth: Connecting You to Communities of Action

WiserEarth: Connecting You to Communities of Action: "Conservation Ontario represents 36 Conservation Authorities of Ontario, community-based environmental organizations dedicated to conserving, restoring, developing and managing natural resources on a watershed basis."

For a full listing of trails in green spaces and more - economic development and sustainable employment trails see: http?;//ontariotrails.on.ca

Brule might not have used the Carrying Place Trail | www.kingsentinel.com | King Township Sentinel

"Did famed explorer Etienne Brule actually used the Toronto Carrying Place Trail?

History records that he did, but there’s question as to how reliable those references really are."

Health Promotion Minister Celebrates Athletes of All Ages

"Sports will take centre stage in Ontario for four exciting days this week, with the Ontario Summer Games taking place from August 10-13, and the Senior Summer Games, also known as Actifest, taking place from August 10-12.

The City of Sudbury will welcome more than 3,300 young athletes as they compete in 32 sports including rugby, soccer, basketball, and cycling during the Ontario Summer Games."

Make cycling helmets mandatory: Study - thestar.com

"A new study is calling on provincial governments to pass laws that force cyclists to wear helmets.

The study, by researchers at the University of Manitoba and the University of Ottawa, says cyclists are much more likely to wear helmets and avoid injuries if they live in a province with a mandatory helmet law."