Consulting Engineers of Ontario urges long-term infrastructure funding focus – Daily Commercial News

"“Safe and reliable infrastructure in Ontario requires investment, but investment in new infrastructure must be balanced by re-investment in Ontario’s aging stock of infrastructure.”
In its seven-page submission, CEO said good transportation systems and networks are a catalyst for growth and continued economic, environmental and social prosperity."

Exactly - now lets get trail infrastructure added to your products for advocacy.

durhamregion.com | Whitby woman's efforts to preserve heritage praised by Province

"WHITBY -- For countless hours of dedication to the preservation of local heritage, Margaret Clayton has received high accolades from a provincial agency.

The Ontario Heritage Trust recently honoured Ms. Clayton, chairwoman of the Whitby Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC), with a certificate of achievement under the Heritage Community Recognition Program."

Ontario Heritage Trails

Plenty of useful information was gained at conference last week | www.caledoncitizen.com | Caledon Citizen

"Workshop sessions offered up a number of different perspectives on the ways and means municipalities might continue to deliver much needed programs, services and facilities in times of fiscal constraint. Workshops covering subjects like building bicycle friendly communities and supporting local active transportation networks — like our magnificent trail system — to complex issues of municipal asset management and the significant challenges of renewing and replacing aging infrastructure. These workshops help local officials develop long-term plans to balance the technical and financial needs of their communities; there is an incredibly wide range of topics available to participants."

Caledon and GTA Trails

Active Transportation Canada

LapDogs Cycling Club | Facebook

"LapDogs Cycling Club is all about riding with people we like on trails and roads we love. Volunteer run and organized, our club rides focus on riding together, having fun and connecting with new people who share our passion for riding."

Ontario Off-Road Trails

IMBA

TrailSwag - Blog - Toronto International Bike Show 2011

"Both an indoor dirt track and wood track were avaliable for the BMX Jam and Toronto Indoor Mountain Bike Championships. Lots of jumps and dual slalom MTB races. Watching the Flatland riders were something to behold as they were quite dextrious on their BMXes."

Ontario Off-Road Trails

IMBA

TheRecord - Waterloo looks to be region’s lead dog in sustainable...

"WATERLOO — This city is poised to take a leading role in Waterloo Region for active and sustainable transportation.

One of Waterloo’s main streets will be closed to traffic for a Sunday this summer. The exact date and location for the first Car-Free Sunday in this region will be announced in the coming months."

Active Transportation Canada

Ontario Trails Active Living Videos

Feature gardens big highlight at Canada Blooms - thestar.com

"Here is a garden that is specifically designed to engage kids in outdoor activity. Back after a one-year absence is the Bienenstock Natural Playground. Adam Bienenstock and his partner Bruce Sudds have created an extraordinary activity area in a 3,500-square-foot space. Featuring climbing boulders, a Canadian Shield amphitheatre, an Adirondack log stage, a hill with a slide and climbing wall and an aerial rope bridge, there is something here for every kid.

Inspired by the Bruce Trail Boreal forest, this feature garden is truly unique. Artist Debbe Shannon works with the children on nature murals for local schools. Outdoor educators run nature activities for the children who visit the garden and — if that is not enough (and perhaps it is, after you read this) — they have added xylophones, whale drums, bongos, glockenspiels and thunder drums. Perhaps you will want to visit the gardens furthest from the Bienenstock garden?"

Bruce Trail

Hike Ontario

Regional Round-Up - News - By EMC News Kemptville Local Community News

"Kemptville & Area Walking Group. Monday, Mar. 14, Wednesday, Mar. 16 and Friday, Mar. 18, 9 a.m. Meet at North Grenville Municipal Centre. Contact Eva Francoeur (613)258-4487. Sponsor: Health Unit."

Hike Ontario

Ontario Trails

Amherstburg readying for War of 1812 Bicentennial events - Amherstburg Echo - Ontario, CA

"AMHERSTBURG — Celebrations commemorating the War of 1812 Bicentennial are expected to take Amherstburg by storm and will continue later this month.

'Amherstburg will be your Bicentennial connection,' said Anne Rota, the town's manager of culture and tourism. 'The War of 1812 will be and is interpreted in many ways. At the end of the day, we want to commemorate Amherstburg's rich history and celebrate the peace we've enjoyed for 200 years.'"

Trails of 1812

Ontario Trails

Volunteers offer to improve trail network at no cost to town

EMC News - A dedicated group of Arnprior residents want to make improvements to the local trail network and see one area formally established as parkland - all at no cost to the municipality. Speaking on behalf of a group calling itself 'Supporters of Turtle Pond', Thomas Charbonneau appeared before town council Feb. 28. He said the ad hoc group of citizens interested in this natural area numbers around 40.

The area in question is wooded and lies to the east of the old Canadian National railway line. It is bounded by the Madawaska River to the west and corporate properties owned by Campanale Homes, Sandvik Steel Canada, the Sullivan Group and Pillars Limited. "We (volunteers) have cleared the trails and kept them usable. We have a shared vision. That is a special part of our town," Charbonneau said.

Eastern Ontario Trails

Cycling routes on hold, but the push is on

The cycling committee minutes documented the advice from Orillia lawyer, Edward Veldboom and the need to maximize public safety and minimize liability through the cycling master plan. He explained that even if a section of a roadway is not identified as a cycle route, should an accident occur as a result of negligence by the municipality, the municipality still could be held liable.

Among the recommendations the committee heard is to: look at what other municipalities are doing; install signage (cyclists are allowed to use any roadways under the Highway Traffic Act); designate cycle routes and sign known hazards; develop a standard framework for designation routes; contact police to determine accident rates along routes; and evaluate routes with a road checklists and cyclists in mind.

Ontario Cycling Trails

Southern Ontario Training Centre

SOTC is a high performance cross country ski training centre located near Barrie, ON, where, under the guidance of a full-time professional coach, athletes from across Ontario pursue excellence in cross country skiing while engaging in post-secondary studies if they choose. SOTC athletes train together on a year-round basis while representing their home clubs at provincial, national and continental competitions. SOTC is hosted by the Hardwood Hills Nordic Development Centre (HHNDC), aka “Team Hardwood,” utilizing the world class trails and other training amenities at Hardwood Ski and Bike and the surrounding area.

Ontario Cross Country Ski Trails

Watch Water Levels - its dangerous in places!

Lower Trent Conservation Authority advises municipalities and the public of the following conditions for the watershed area stretching from Quinte West to Grafton and from Lake Ontario to Rice Lake, based on existing conditions of local water levels and the current weather forecast.

Conservation Ontario

Commemorative war trail links through London

A local member of the Upper Canada Military Re-enactment Society is behind a new tourism initiative commemorating events that took place in southern Ontario during the War of 1812.

Dave Westhouse, a member of the society since 2002, is hoping the War of 1812 Discovery Trail will be ready by the bicentennial of the famous conflict in 2012.

"I saw that the re-enacting we were doing is local," Westhouse said. "It's real history from our area."

Although London didn't exist during the war, two nearby battles that may be included in the trail include Reservoir Hill, in the Springbank Park area, and the Battle of Longwoods, which took place about 25 to 30 kilometers west of London along Longwoods Road.

Trails of 1812

http://www.thespec.com/sports/article/498710--cyclist-sues-for-20-million-over-injuries-suffered-in-good-friday-race

Christopher Uy is a different person now, this much he knows. His short-term memory is shaky and his personality has undergone a transformation he seems aware of, but can’t quite grasp.

It happened in a split second. Last April, riding in his first-ever road bike race — the Hamilton Cycling Club’s Good Friday Race — Uy was riding at more than 40 kilometres an hour when the pack he was in suddenly bunched up. Uy hit the brakes, crashed and went over the handlebars, the carbon frame of his bicycle snapping in two.

Note to earlier post: ROMA and cycling tourism - unless the product is developed and lessons learned, and tort reform enacted these can be risky undertakings.

Cycling Tourism

Tourism cycling was a hot topic at the recent Rural Ontario Municipalites Association's convention, Hamilton Township councillors heard at Tuesday night's meeting. Northumberland County is developing a master plan but liability issues are one of the holdups in completing it, says Warden Rick Lovshin. See more in tomorrow's issue of Northumberland Today and on this web site.

Trailhead Ontario welcomes Parks Canada

Trailhead Ontario is pleased to welcome back Parks Canada and Mark Schmidt as a speaker and moderator. Over the past year Parks Canada has revitalized its approach to parks and trails in the National Parks. Please come and hear Mark talk about exciting developments at Parks Canada, his unique insights into trail building and his efforts to provide a top quality trail experience in some of the most beautiful parks, Parks Canada has right here in Ontario!

Trailhead Ontario on facebook

MNR and Liberals Ignore Concerns of Northern Ontario's Citizens - Midnorth Monitor - Ontario, CA

"In Northern Ontario in recent years there has been a public outcry concerning public access to crown land. Basically the citizens of Northern Ontario are concerned that they are loosing traditional access to much of Ontario's publicly owned backcountry because of the MNR's efforts to create remote based tourism opportunities. The Ontario Outdoor Recreational Alliance (OntORA) is a group of concerned citizens who have banned together to fight what they see as an erosion of their rights to use the back country whether to hunt, fish, hike or pick blueberries."

OTC has a good relationship with MNR but things could be better locally. We'll have a meeting with OntORA to discuss things.

Ontario Trails

OPP & OFSC SAY MARCH SNOWMOBILE FATALITIES ARE PREVENTABLE

Don’t Make Your Last Ride of the Season the Last Ride of Your Life
(ORILLIA, ON) - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) are concerned about an increase in fatal snowmobile incidents this March. While the number of deaths investigated by the OPP has seen an overall decline to date this season, five tragedies in the past two weeks indicate that sledders are not adjusting their riding habits to the late season conditions.

Ontario Sled Safe

AMA News and Notes March 2011 - Motorcycle USA

"Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada: International Experienced Rider Training Symposium (ERTS) to be held in Niagara Falls, ON May 25-27, 2011. This Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) sanctioned event will be hosted by the Canadian Motorcycle Association and the Canadian Safety Council. Organized every three years in a different country, this event allows an opportunity for attendees to sample rider training from around the world. This year’s event will focus on principles utilized in Canadian programming. For more details including a video of the last ERTS held in Germany and to register, please visit www.erts.ca."

Trailhead Ontario