Sunday, January 5, 2014

Ontario Trails Blog - OTC Memberships now due - thanks for your support

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2014 Membership Form
Name:           _______________________________________________________ 
Group or
Association: _______________________________________________________
Address:          _______________________________________________________
              _______________________________________________________ Telephone:     _______________________________________________________
Fax:               _______________________________________________________
Email:           _______________________________________________________ Website:       _______________________________________________________
Annual Membership Fee*
Dues
HST
Total_______
Students
$20.60
$2.67
$23.27
Friend of Trails
$25.75
$3.38
$29.13
Small Organizations
$103.00
$13.39
$116.39
Medium Organizations
$257.50
$33.47
$290.97
Large Organizations
$772.50
$100.42
$872.92
HST #892994963RT001
Fee $______________ Donation$________________________

Payment Methods – Credit Card, Fax, Cheque, E-mail, Paypal

Credit Card
Visa____ MasterCard____ Other_________________________
Number ___________________Exp. Date_________________
Verification Code____________________________________
Signature ___________________________________________
Cheque
Please send cheque or money order, along with your completed membership form to: Ontario Trails Council, PO Box 500, Deseronto, ON. K0K 1X0
E-mail - complete all credit card information and e-mail this form to: ontrails@gmail.com
Paypal – go to the bottom of the “Join the OTC” page on the OTC website and follow the links

On behalf of the membership and Board of the Ontario Trails Council we thank you for your support!

Note: memberships are effective for the calendar year in which they are paid – OTC Executive December 15, 2010 – so renew early!

Questions?     Call the OTC at 613-396-3226
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Saturday, January 4, 2014

Ontario Trails News Blog - Trail News from all around Ontario's Trails!


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City staff recommend e-scooters be allowed in Toronto bike lanesToronto Star
City staff are recommending that electric scooters be allowed in Toronto bike lanes but banned from multi-use trails and cycle tracks, such as those ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Police ask riders to stay on trailsTimmins Press
Local Ontario Provincial Police detachments are reminding area snowmobilers to be mindful of their responsibilities while enjoying winter excursions ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Adventure shop helps outdoor enthusiasts get into snowshoeingCTV News Barrie
But with snowshoes, you can get right out there. ... she came all the way from British Columbia to vacation with friends in "snowshoe-friendly" Ontario.
See all stories on this topic »
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Friday, January 3, 2014

Ontario Trails News Blog - Trail News from all around Ontario's trails!


Ontario Trails


Popular cross-country trails now openSeaway News
CORNWALL, Ontario - All the trails at Summerstown Forest are now open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Cold conditions weeks ago ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Home News Ice storm makes parts of Bruce Trail dangerous for...Caledon Enterprise
The ice storm has made the Bruce Trail in the Iroquoia, Toronto and ... limbs and leaning trees have resulted in dangerous conditions along the trails.
See all stories on this topic »

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Notice to Hikers

We regret to advise that due to the recent ice storm many parts of the Bruce Trail in the Iroquoia, Toronto and Caledon sections are currently unusable. Several Conservation Areas have been closed until further notice.
Please note that some (or all) TBTC hikes on the Bruce Trail have been cancelled for the next few days due to trail conditions.
Trail maintenance crews will be dealing with the problems but we anticipate that it will be quite some time until all parts of the trail are usable again.
Please check local conditions before attempting a hike.
Bob Humphreys advises that his New Year's Day hike HAS BEEN CANCELLED  due to local conditions.
Hikers should contact their hike leader to see if their hike has been cancelled.
John Grandy, Hiking Director
From The Halton Hills Chapter
Notice to Hikers:
We regret to advise that due to the recent ice storm many parts of
the Bruce Trail are currently unusable. Several Conservation Areas
have been closed until further notice.
Trail maintenance crews will be dealing with the problems but we
anticipate that it will be quite some time until all parts of the
trail are usable again.
Scheduled hikes {Halton Chapter Hikes}are cancelled until further notice. If you are
interested in joining one of the maintenance clean-up crews, please
contact Rosemary Mitter at rosemary.mitter@sympatico.ca
Any questions, contact me at mosmith@cogeco.ca
Maureen Smith, Halton Hills Chapter
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'Walking is fundamental to our survival': Chief city planner aims to ...National Post
Mr. Agarwal could be the poster child for Toronto Chief Planner Jennifer ...Walking is fundamental to our survival,” she said in a public lecture last ...
See all stories on this topic »
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Thursday, January 2, 2014

Ontario Trails Blog - Trail News from all Around Ontario's trails!

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NEW SPIN FOR 2014 GWTA!

The 2014 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure will be returning to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence river, but we'll be doing a lollipop route and introducing new communities.
Starting in Brighton on August 11th and ending in Cornwall on Aug. 15th, participants will ride 40-60 km from camp to camp. The shorter days will allow riders more time to taste new local food, find hidden treasures, do more shopping, and explore unique communities.

Want to ride more? No problem, there will be additional 50-60 km optional loops, winding your way through new communities off the Waterfront Trail.
This new format with shorter distances is more inviting to cyclists who may be hesitant about a week long tour, but the addition of the loops will allow those interested to get in more mileage.

2014 is the perfect year for experienced riders to introduce loved ones to their favourite sport. Ride together or meet up for meals, cycle side-by-side in to camp then explore different routes, do some things together and others with new friends.

So bring friends or make friends. Feel the wind, water, and earth in a new way. Experience the freedom of slowing down, stopping, and trying something new.

Click here to find out more about the itinerary and changes for 2014.

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Dear Patrick,
Street Smarts on-street outreach
Street Smarts on-street outreach
We've raised over $7,800 so far with our fundraising appealfor our 2014 Street Smarts cycling education and outreach program. Incredible! Now we're asking for your help to get us to $20,000 before the campaign closes on December 31.
Last year, a total of $11,500 from individual donors, partners, and grants enabled us to teach almost 500 people about basic bike maintenance through free on-street tuneups, to install 700 free bike lights for cyclists who needed them, and to deliver 14 free safe cycling workshops in communities across Toronto. We also gave away 1,000 copies of our Toronto Cyclist Handbook, teaching passers-by about traffic laws and safe riding techniques.
Cycling education is a major part of our work to make this a better, safer bike city. We need your help to get to $20,000 this year, to expand and strengthen our Street Smarts cycling education program. Please forward this email or share this link with your friends or family who may want to donate!
Help us raise $20,000 to fund Street Smarts 2014 & receive a charitable tax receipt
With $20,000, Cycle Toronto will reach 2,000 people at 20 workshops and 24 on-street events over the course of six months and promote safe cycling across Toronto. We’ll work with our Ward Advocacy Groups to make these events attractive, exciting and relevant to local needs. And we'll continue to collaborate with our long-term partner CultureLink Settlement Services to further develop this program. CultureLink is a registered charity which reaches 17,000 new immigrants every year with engaging and innovative programs. We are pleased that CultureLink will recognize your Street Smarts donation with acharitable tax receipt.

To make a donation, you have two options:
1) Donate online with payment by Interac, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express
Street Smarts safe cycling workshop
Street Smarts safe cycling workshop
  • Click here to go to CultureLink's Canada Helps page
  • Click the "Donate Now" button
  • Enter your "Donation Amount $"
  • Under "Fund/Designation" select from the drop-down menu: "Cycling Program – Street Smarts Educational Activities"
  • Click "Continue"
  • Review your donation details, and click "Checkout"
  • Continue following the checkout instructions
Note: Donations made on-line through Canada Helps generate a tax receipt immediately from Canada Helps.
2) Donate by mail with payment by cheque or money order
  • Make out a cheque or money order payable to "CultureLink Settlement Services" and include a note that it is for the "Cycling Program – Street Smarts Educational Activities".
  • Ensure you include details of the individual to whom the tax receipt should be made out, including a mailing address.
  • Mail your cheque or money order to:
    Cycling Program
    CultureLink Settlement Services
    2340 Dundas Street West, Suite 301
    Toronto, ON M6P 4A9

With your support, we can expand our Street Smarts cycling education program and reach thousands of people in 2014. Support our work today! The fundraising campaign closes December 31, 2013.
Ride safely,
Executive Director, Cycle Toronto

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City way behind on bike lane targetNOW Magazine
After another year of paltry progress on expanding Toronto's bike lane network, it could be time to declare the city's official cycling plan officially dead.
See all stories on this topic »
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CORNWALL, Ontario - All the trails at Summerstown Forest are now open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Cold conditions weeks ago ...
See all stories on this topic »

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OFSC trail riding beginswww.insideottawavalley.com/
Sports -Grooming operations are underway for this snowmobiling season and the status of areaOntario Federation of Snowmobile Club (OFSC) trails .
See all stories on this topic »

Snowmobile trails openwww.insideottawavalley.com/
All snowmobiles displaying a valid Snowmobile Trail Permit in the proper location now have access to Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club (OFSC) ...
See all stories on this topic »

Trails open in Sioux LookoutKenoraOnline
As of Thursday, a vast majority of trails between Kenora and Thunder Bay remain classified as unavailable by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile ...
See all stories on this topic »

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E-Notes Subscribers are most welcome to forward E-Notes to a friend.
To Subscribe to E-Notes  Click Here
Toronto Bruce Trail Club E-Notes Editor, Publicist  Grant Leigh


“What is truly astonishing, however, is the fact that it [The Bruce Trail] has been, and continues to be, built and financed by loyal Bruce Trail Conservancy members. When you are out on The Trail, consider for a moment what this means: every blaze, every boardwalk, every bridge, every stile, is there, thanks to volunteers. … I know that not everyone is able to be an active volunteer but I’m equally sure that many more people who use The Trail every year could give financial support. Right now just over 8,000 individuals make a membership commitment. When you consider how much is achieved with such meagre finances, imagine what could happen if just ten percent of trail users became members!
Imagine too, what effect an increased membership might have on the BTC’s role as protector of the Escarpment. Every membership in the BTC is an individual commitment to conserve the Escarpment. In its public role, the BTC’s voice is only as strong as its membership. If the BTC were to represent 40,000 rather than 8,000 members just think how much stronger its voice would be. I believe that a strong voice has never been more urgently needed than it is now. …
Remember that the Escarpment is a gift that we have been given by nature—a treasure beyond price. The Trail that winds along its edge gives us the means to explore its richness and allows us to be moved and inspired by its sheer beauty. Each and every one of us bears part of the responsibility of ensuring that the Niagara Escarpment and The Bruce Trail are kept safe and well for all time and for all people.
Play your part—become a member NOW”
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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Ontario Trails Blog - Trail News from around Ontario's Trails

NEW SPIN FOR 2014 GWTA!

The 2014 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure will be returning to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence river, but we'll be doing a lollipop route and introducing new communities.
Starting in Brighton on August 11th and ending in Cornwall on Aug. 15th, participants will ride 40-60 km from camp to camp. The shorter days will allow riders more time to taste new local food, find hidden treasures, do more shopping, and explore unique communities.
Want to ride more? No problem, there will be additional 50-60 km optional loops, winding your way through new communities off the Waterfront Trail.
This new format with shorter distances is more inviting to cyclists who may be hesitant about a week long tour, but the addition of the loops will allow those interested to get in more mileage.
2014 is the perfect year for experienced riders to introduce loved ones to their favourite sport. Ride together or meet up for meals, cycle side-by-side in to camp then explore different routes, do some things together and others with new friends.
So bring friends or make friends. Feel the wind, water, and earth in a new way. Experience the freedom of slowing down, stopping, and trying something new.
Click here to find out more about the itinerary and changes for 2014.

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Trails ready to roll with snowNorthBayNipissing.com
NIPISSING – With snow on the ground and holidays to celebrate, people warming up the engines on their snowmobiles. The OPP and the Ontario ...
See all stories on this topic »

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Dog owners, beware of trapsOntario Argus Observer
With trapping seasons under way in Oregon, dog owners need to be aware that there could be traps in areas where they are hiking with their dogs.
See all stories on this topic »

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How Really Safe Is That Ice Or The Snowmobile Trail That You May ...NorthumberlandView.ca
(ORILLIA, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning the public to exercise extreme caution near any surfaces that may appear to be frozen.
See all stories on this topic »
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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Ontario Trails News - find out things to do on trails, in Toronto Region and in Ontario Parks





















For information on all activities on the go in Toronto Region Conservation Area Parks be sure to go to: http://trca.on.ca

http://www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/ParksAndCulture/website.nsf/WebPage/trca__parks_and_culture

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For information on all activities on the go in Ontario  Parks be sure to go to:

http://www.ontarioparks.com/en

or en francais:

http://www.ontarioparks.com/fr/


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Monday, December 30, 2013

Ontario Trails Council - Toronto cycling improving?

A surprising boost in cycling infrastructure in TorontoBoston Globe
As a Torontonian, I'd like to point out that the situation in our city concerningcycling and our colorful mayor, Rob Ford, is more nuanced than your Dec.
See all stories on this topic »


AS A Torontonian, I’d like to point out that the situation in our city concerning cycling and our colorful mayor, Rob Ford, is more nuanced than your Dec. 15 Ideas article describes (“A new menace to freedom: the bike”).
Ford’s anticycling rhetoric has not matched up to his administration’s actions advancing cycling infrastructure, which have been surprisingly impressive. Toronto has embarked on the biggest expansion of separated cycle tracks in the city’s history under the supervision of a suburban, non-bicycle-riding conservative, Councilor Denzil Minnan-Wong, with Ford’s acquiescence.
The left in Toronto was firmly in power for the eight years before Ford was elected, and it was unable to advance a network of separated cycle tracks in our downtown.
If you look at two of the world’s leading cities, the biggest expansion of cycling infrastructure in London and New York has occurred under conservative mayors — respectively, Boris Johnson (not quite as colorful as Ford) and Michael Bloomberg (more sedate).
A. Milliken Heisey
Toronto
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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Ontario Trails News - snowmobile maps improve with TrakMaps!

TrakMaps Launches Snowmobile Ontario with Official OFSC Trail Maps

OFSC snowmobile trail maps now available for Garmin & Lowrance* GPS units.
DORVAL, QC, December 22, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- TrakMaps is excited to offer Ontario snowmobile enthusiasts all 31,000+ km of province-wide interactive OFSC trail maps. Users can easily and without worry plan, venture and enjoy the ride, secure in knowing where they are and where they are going at all times.
Included are pylons and power lines, railroad tracks, cellular towers, national and provincial parks, Wildlife Management Units (WMU) and other landmarks on a base map of 1:50,000.
Snowmobile Ontario 1 also features over 19,000 points of interest including OFSC clubhouses, hotels/motels/outfitters, restaurants, gas stations, ATM's and more.
TrakMaps President, Faraj Nakhleh stated, "We are very pleased to be working with the OFSC's excellent team to offer Ontario snowmobilers reliable digital trails maps of Ontario's beautiful and well-groomed sled trails".
Garmin users insert the preprogrammed card directly into their compatible GPS or computer. Using Garmin's free BaseCamp software, the map, snowmobile trails, landmarks and POIs can be viewed on the screen before downloading into a compatible Garmin GPS. CD and download versions are also available. Compatible Garmin models:www.TrakMaps.com/Compatible_Garmin.aspx.
Lowrance Elite and HDS users insert the preprogrammed card directly into their compatible GPS and off they go. Compatible Lowrance models:www.TrakMaps.com/Compatible_Lowrance.aspx.
Full information on Snowmobile Ontario 1: www.TrakMaps.com.
Snowmobile Ontario 1 and all other TrakMaps products are available at many fine retailers in Ontario: www.trakmaps.com/Retailers.aspx.
Since 1997, TrakMaps has provided outdoor enthusiasts with a multitude of innovative and quality mapping products. As a result, TrakMaps digital (for GPS) and printed maps and charts are the first choice for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.
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Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1654077#ixzz2qDwpIk6b

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Saturday, December 28, 2013

Ontario Trail News - updates from around the web, about Ontario's recreational trails!

How Really Safe Is That Ice Or The Snowmobile Trail That You May ...NorthumberlandView.ca
(ORILLIA, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning the public to exercise extreme caution near any surfaces that may appear to be frozen.
See all stories on this topic »

Sun News : Cutting fire services to Ontario north 'disastrous'
Canoe.ca News ... Cutting fire services to Ontario north 'disastrous' ... The disastrous decision to shut down Ontario Northland Railway -- a vital ...
See all stories on this topic »

Dog owners beware of trapsOntario Argus Observer
SALEM — With trapping seasons under way in Oregon, dog owners need to be aware that there could be traps in areas where they are hiking with ...
See all stories on this topic »
Kearney Dog Sled Races Provides Boost to North Muskoka ...Midland Daily News
In its 20th season, the Kearney Dog Sled Races, a popular Ontario winter ... With direct access to miles of groomed snowmobile trails, stunning lake ...
See all stories on this topic »

Toronto, here's where to have some fun outsideThe Globe and Mail
The trails of Scenic Caves Nature Adventures are 300 metres above ... Simcoe's southern appendage, so drives from Toronto are well under an hour.
See all stories on this topic »
Trails ready to roll with snow
NorthBayNipissing.com
NIPISSING – With snow on the ground and holidays to celebrate, people warming up the engines on their snowmobiles. The OPP and the Ontario ...
See all stories on this topic »

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