Ontario Trails News - OTC attends OTCC Meeting, trails activity, snowshoeing and more on Ontario Trails!

OTC Attends Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee Meeting

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Ontario Trail News - Trailwise December 12, 2013

Weekly E-Bulletin of the Ontario Trails Council. The provincial trails association in Ontario. Week of December 12, 2013

• Community Trail News  • Winter Sports • Member Links • Activity and User News • Surveys and Feedback

Trail News Ontario Trails Council Membership Drive on Now The Ontario Trails Council is a charitable organization, established in 1988, that promotes the creation, development, preservation, management and use of recreational trails. Over past years membership got: a working Ontario Trails Strategy, new Regional Trail Committees, $25 Million in federal funding for communities, 84 trail projects in Ontario equaling 16.4M, new funding to complete the Trans Canada and Waterfront Trails, Toronto Trails, Lake Erie Coastal Trail, Trans Canada Trail and 2,000 other trails in Ontario. We do this with your support! Friends of Trails Savings on conference/seminar registration Monthly e-bulletins Access to OTC trails database Great gift price! Savings on trail literature/maps $25.75 + $3.38 = $29.13 (includes 13% HST) Student 4 editions of the OTC newsletter Greenways Access to OTC trails information Conference and selected literature savings   * must provide student verification $20.60 + $2.67 = $23.27(includes 13% HST) Organizational Members Our members include municipalities, conservation authorities, parks, trail management groups, trail clubs, trail user groups, health units and other trail-related supporting organizations. Benefits to Organization Access to Trail Insurance package OTC Web page representation Option on registration in Trillium Trail Network Access to Professional Development sessions, i.e. Trails Tourism Practices, Trails Tort Reform, Trail Design Build Workshops User conflict resolution Representation on OTC trails maps Regional Trail Management Committee development Knowledge exchange Office services and networking support Advocacy benefits - provincially and nationally Savings on conference/seminar registration PRICING - Buy fax, 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 These prices do not include PayPal fees. You can support the OTC in a number of ways. One way is to add one of the badges below to your website or blog. Or become a member! Options below. Simply cut and paste the text beneath a badge into your HTML: We Welcome 4 NEW Members: Burlington Parks and Recreation City of Windsor Ganaraska Forest Centre Friends of Glengarry Trails

Ontario Trails News - grant programs assist youth programs using trails all over Ontario

A French version of this message is included below. La version française de ce message se trouve ci-dessous. Informational Webinars for EnAbling Change Applicants Please join staff from the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario for an informative webinar that will provide insight into applying for this year’s EnAbling Change Program. Aimed at potential program applicants, the webinar will cover the parameters of the program, the basics of the Grants Ontario application portal, and a question and answer period with ADO staff who evaluate proposals. Please join us on one of two dates: ·  Thursday December 12, 2013, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. ·  Tuesday January 14, 2014, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. To join the webinar please visit the link below: ontario-ca.adobeconnect.com/r4e4zocusc2/ To submit an application or for more information please visit Grants Ontario: www.grants.gov.on.ca/GrantsPortal/en/OntarioGrants/GrantOpportunities/PRDR006997 EnAbling Change Program contact information: Phone: 416-212-1033 TTY: 416-326-0148 Toll-free TTY: 1-888-335-6611 Fax: 416-325-9620 Email: enablingchange@ontario.ca Webinaires d'information pour les organismes demandeurs Joignez-vous au personnel de la Direction générale de l'accessibilité pour l'Ontario (DGAO) pour un webinaire d'information qui vous permettra de mieux comprendre la démarche à suivre pour demander une subvention au titre du programme InterActions pour le changement pour 2014. Ce webinaire qui s'adresse aux demandeurs potentiels traitera des paramètres du programme, des principales composantes du portail de demande de financement de Subventions Ontario. Il comprendra également une période de questions à laquelle participeront les membres du personnel de la DGAO chargés d'évaluer les propositions. Joignez-vous à nous le mardi 14 janvier 2014, de 14 h à 15 h. Pour prendre part au webinaire, veuillez consulter le lien ci-après : ontario-ca.adobeconnect.com/ecpfr/ Pour présenter une demande : http://www.grants.gov.on.ca/GrantsPortal/fr/OntarioGrants/GrantOpportunities/PRDR007000.html Coordonnées du programme InterActions pour le changement : Téléphone : 416 212-1033 ATS : 416 326-0148 ATS sans frais : 1 888 335-6611 Télécopieur : 416 325-9620 Adresse courriel : enablingchange@ontario.ca Insurance companies get proactive, council hearsNorthumberland Today Rowden brought the news from a Conservation Ontario meeting. ... "They are trying to be proactive and working with conservation authorities, planning ... See all stories on this topic » BlackburnNews.com - Huron County Promotes Active Transportation Chatham-Kent, London & Area, Midwestern Ontario, Sarnia Lambton, Windsor Essex ... Related Itemsactive transportationcyclinghuron countytrails · Tweet · Pin ... See all stories on this topic » Citi Bike Action Plan Aims to Beat Winter StormsDNAinfo Citi Bike operators have drawn up a blueprint for how to move thousands of bikes from ... Toronto's system has been in place for two years now, Egan said, and it ... See all stories on this topic »

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Ontario Special Olympics coming to town in 2015 Bay Today

The 2015 Ontario Special Olympics Winter Games has officially been announced, ... speed skating, figure skating, curling, downhill and cross-country skiing.

See all stories on this topic » Man fined for illegally harvesting treesLOCAL2 Sault Ste. Marie Court heard that through an investigation conducted by conservation officers, it was ... Justice of the Peace Michel Moreau heard the case in the Ontario Court of ... See all stories on this topic » BlackburnNews.com - Man Killed In ATV Crash Chatham-Kent, London & Area, Midwestern Ontario, Sarnia Lambton, Windsor Essex ... Police say a man was pinned under the ATV after it rolled over. He was ... See all stories on this topic »

Ontairo Trail News - check out snowmobiling on Ontario Trails

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Sunset Trail Riders waiting for cold weather to begin grooming operations

By Reg Clayton, Reg Clayton, Kenora Daiy Miner & News

Thursday, December 5, 2013 10:39:18 EST AM

Snowmobilers are advised to restrict their riding to dry land as lake ice isn’t yet sufficiently thick enough to support Sunset Trail Riders club trail groomers. FILE PHOTO/FOR THE ENTERPRISE

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There’s plenty of snow but grooming operations by the Sunset Trail Riders are on hold until cold weather freezes the ground and water beneath the network of land and lake trails maintained by the snowmobile club in the Kenora area.

“We’re getting snow but the problem is it’s acting as an insulating blanket and keeping the ground from freezing underneath,” explained Sunset Trail Riders president Richard Wilkening. “We need colder weather, there’s enough ice on the lakes to support the snow but our groomer weighs 20,000 lbs. and we need at least 16 inches of good, hard, blue ice and that takes a while to form. We’re all volunteers and nobody likes to get wet.”

The thin ice has also prevented club members from getting out on the lakes to mark trails although Wilkening hopes that staking activities will get underway shortly.

Snowmobilers are well advised to limit their riding to solid ground until lake conditions improve.

Wilkening also commented on Ontario Hydro’s proposal to charge snowmobile clubs for trail access along powerline corridors to recover a portion of property taxes the utility pays on the land.

“At this point it’s all being argued at the provincial level. We’ll have to wait to see what happens,” he said. Wilkening suggested the issue may be more relevant in southern Ontario where powerline corridors and snowmobile trails cross private property compared to the Northwest where they are primarily located on Crown land.

Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha criticized Ontario Hydro’s plan as a “cash grab” that threatens the community-based volunteer snowmobile clubs across the province.

“Snowmobile clubs do not have the funds to cover property taxes for hydro corridors,” Mantha stated in a news release.

Meanwhile, Wilkening noted seasonal permit sales are going very well with about 475 members purchasing the permits prior to the end of the early bird discount on Dec. 1.

“We’re a little below last year but doing well,” he said.

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club permits now cost $260.

Wilkening is also looking for members to help out with all aspects of club activities, including trail workers, groomer operators, marketing and communications.

To volunteer, or for more information on club activities as well as up-to-date trail conditions and grooming reports, refer to the Sunset Trail Riders website at: www.sunsettrailriders.com.

Reg.Clayton@sunmedia.ca

twitter@RegClayton

Ontario Trail News - check out cross country skiing on an Ontario Trail

ONTARIO CROSS COUNTRY SKI TRAILS

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Ontario Trails News - lot's of ways to get connected to Ontario's Trails

Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Trail Heros Know somebody that works hard on trails? If so nominate them to be an Ontario Trails "Trail Hero!" We'd be happy to review your recommendations and acknowledge in a small way their contribution to trails in your community. Trail Blog Every day trails are news! Every day we blog about trails. In communities all over Ontario trails are big news, for cyclists, runners, canoe or horses, every day we capture in one spot all the trail news - local, provincial or national! Join today! Trail Leaders! Become a trail development leader. Join Ontario's first ever series of 14 trail education courses in the development and management of trails. Designed for both volunteers and professionals. Next course April 30th in Woodbridge. Topic - Trail Legislation Review with Kathy Weile. Register today - registration is open 24/7 until the morning of the event.  Join OTC The Ontario Trails Council is a nonprofit charitable organziation, established in 1988, that promotes the development, preservation, management and use of recreational trails. With over 130 organizational members and 25 individual supporters the OTC continues to grow! Support trails in Ontario - join the OTC MEMBERSHIP FORM - PDF                                MEMBERSHIP FORM - WORD DOC Learn an Activity Our website contains information on over 2,600 trails, and a description for nearly 2,000. Learn about the places where you can bike, cross country ski, climb or any of another 15 activities. We are linked to over 130 organizations and a variety of provincial groups that can help you learn an activity or become better at one you already love!   Add Your Event We post trail or outdoor events on trail specific facebook pages, the main OTC facebook page, and the event section of the OTC website. You can send us your event and we'll post it to these extensive networks. Each week we reach over 20,000 people, so if you want your event known, a bit better, send us the information. Be a Friend of Trails We invite all trail users to support the work of the Ontario Trails Council. As a registered charity we do our community work based on the support of member organziations, individuals and some government grants. We do the work, in the end for the individual families and folks that use the trails every day. Please consider supporting us as your thanks for your trails. Thank you.   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 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. OTC Event Planning Guide Call 877-668-7245 OTC Trail Committee Manual Call 877-668-7245 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!