Ontario Trail News - Trail News fro all over Ontario's Trails

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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 On-line Course begins February 3rd. Topic - Trail Planning. Register today - registration is open 24/7   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 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. Add/Edit Trails An important part of the Refreshed OTC Web site will be a dynamic page dedicated to each trail. It is important that you give us as much information as possible - this will be the only source for creating your dedicated page on the OTC Web site. If we don't get the information from you, it won't make it onto the site. If you have any questions about the form, please contact Patrick at 613-484-1140. Thank you for taking the time to add or edit your trail on the Ontario Trails Council Web site.   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 Simcoe County Trailsnet 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!         The Ontario Trails Council is a charitable organization, incorporated in 1991, that promotes the creation, development, preservation, management and use of recreational trails in Ontario. Surveys and Networking! Don’t forget to join anyone of the following information tools: Be sure to get a copy of the latest OTC E-bulletin (circulation 880+) - here Join one of our facebook pages (>6000 friends) - here Add or Edit your trail - here Complete a survey - here Twitter to or at us (12840 followers) - here Join the blog - here Join Trail Counts - here Take an On-Line Education Course - here WINTER HIKES! Goderich council is hoping to meet with representatives from Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh council next month to discuss sponsoring a bike and hiking trail from Goderich to Point Farms Provincial Park. Members of the Port to Point Trail Association are only asking for support at this point – and not funding – that will then allow them to pursue government grants.

Ontario Trails News - news from all around Ontario's 2600 TRAILS

Activity News - Click the pic for more on each Activity!

ATV'ing

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Cross Country Skiing

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Cycling

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Cycling/Trail Maps

It's time to appear on these maps at a very low cost. Call us about our introductory offer!
1-877-246-8012 Your choices are:

• Basic listing - $95 - includes your location on print and on line versions, with on line link to your website
• Listing plus on line ad - $195 - includes ad on on line version
• Card size ad - $495
• Half panel ad (double card size) - $895
• Full panel ad (4 times card size) - $1695
• Back cover (full panel size) - $2995
• Back flap (full panel size) - $2495

All of the ad options include your location on print and on line versions, with on line link to your website. Ads appear on print and on line versions. Try our mobile profile! Only a small additional charge. Tap anywhere on the map on your smartphone and receive news, pictures... even watch videos of the trails! 

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Dog Sledding

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Heritage Trails

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Horse Trails

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Ice Climbing Trails - This is crazy!

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Parks

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Snowmobiling

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Snowshoeing

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Winter Survival

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

We Thank Our Renewing Members!

Prescott Russell Trails

 

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French River Trails

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Oil Springs Trails

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Ontario Trail Riders Association

The Ontario Trail Riders Association Inc. (OTRA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1970 by horse persons recognizing that trails and bridleways were disappearing beneath asphalt and housing.  This small group has grown over the years as more and more horse people join the fight for equestrian trails.

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Algonquin Highlands Trails

Welcome to the Township of Algonquin Highlands Parks, Recreation & Trails Department. The Haliburton Highlands is home to many of the best water trails and hiking trails in Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Region. Here you can find countless opportunities to canoe, camp, hike, snowshoe, ski, snowmobile, ATV, fish, hunt, cottage or just relax and take in the scenery.

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Vaughan Trails

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• Snowmobiling 101: Riding Safety and Trail Etiquette

Ontario Trails News - News from trails all around Ontario

Trail News - OTC Supports Trails

Each week the OTC office or a volunteer helps make trails in Ontario better. The OTC is currently involved in many trail projects, lending a hand.
Your membership supports this work. 
Over the past few months we have helped the:
 

i) Niagara Trails Committee - The OTC has been active in Niagara region, working with the Niagara trails committee, the region, and the individual cities of Port Colborne, Welland, and Thorold. The situation had progressed to the point where the three cities in the Seaway are prepared to negotiate a lease with the trails committee to manage the section of trail the region and Welland suspended their portion of the lease. The OTC has connected its lawyer with the committee to completing Corporation. The date for negotiations we forwarded by the committee to the OTC. They are very grateful for help.

II) Toronto Trails Committee - met with counselor Denzil Minnan-Wong, offered staff support to the committee. Met with Scott Laver and Karen Sun with Toronto parks and forestry, they are supportive and a draft terms of reference is being reviewed. Work continues with cycle Toronto and their trail committee to synchronize projects and the relationship between cyclists and the city. Working with the Cycle Toronto Trails Committee to look at a Toronto Trails Committee meeting and trail issues at the 401 and Yonge Under Pass

iii) Ontario Place Revitalization: have participated in one face-to-face and two conference calls regarding the provinces revitalization of Ontario Place. Have made comment on access, management, use, design, nimby, relationship the neighborhood, relationship to the exhibition, trail naming process and presentation material content.

Expect a call from an OTC Board Member - we want you back and we want your feedback! 

iv)  Akwasasnae, Renfrew, North Dumfries – RFP’s: working with some groups the OTC office has lent my personal and OTC support to projects in Akwasasnae, me Renfrew and North Dumfries. The Renfrew RFP has been posted to Google drive us reference.

v)  Hamilton Burlington Trails Committee: have participated in one face-to-face meeting and two conference calls, and will be in a face-to-face meeting with this committee on January 29. New relationships with Royal Botanical Gardens in the city of Hamilton are very, very promising, hoping for new memberships in. This committee and McMaster University have applied to host trailhead 2014 (as back-up) or Trailhead 2015. Work continues to facilitate trails connectivity between waterfront, Pan-Am games, the City and Key points.

vi) Website: have worked to secure contractors, manage contractors, manage outcomes, of the various elements of the website refresh. These people will be doing a run through as part of the January 28 board meeting. Website refresh to be live soon. Our website is ranked in hte top 3% of websites worldwide, and gets about 1,000,000 UNIQUE visitors a year.

vii) Horse Help Canada: wrote a grant with the HEAL program out of Campbellcroft Ontario, for November 1 Ontario Trillium Foundation funding - site visit by OTF moved to February 5th. OTC will be on site to assist this community program.

viii) Georgian Bay Coastal Trail: developed an on-line strategic assessment document for this trail committee. Collated and analysed survey results, presented a one day Board Staff think tank, produced an outcome report and have managed to guide staff and board with input since completion assisting them with their organizational development.

Your Membership funds our travel, expertise and guidance.

viii) Communications - each week's newsletter is produced on Thursday, Trailwise, each is circulated to about 850 people. This also includes amendments to the e-mail distribution list as people request to be added or removed. We cover a wide rage of topics about trails.

ix) Daily work - Each day there's daily work on the website, Trailhead Ontario pages, Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts. Every day people recirculate information we distribute.

x) Ontario Trails Strategy - the OTC attended all meetings of the Ontario trails strategy including the aboriginal sessions. Our commentary included discussion about the occupiers liability act (and follow-up conference call), liability, white paper or trails master plan for the province, the reassessment the nature of trail conflict, when it's really about a lack of capacity and competition for available space - i.e. fund for development; a project inventory; regulation easement; tax breaks; and ongoing meeting process; and management process for the 51 challenges were what we called for.

xi) Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee meeting - the meeting was held in Toronto on December 12, document attached on the Google drive for reference - the focus of the meeting was the outcome report they provided from the consultations. Attached the Google drive for reference, importantly the ministry has developed a management structure, seeing three pillars of engagement with the community to tackle the 51 challenges. I could not be more pleased as this reflects the 4 committee structure, OTC recommended to the Ministry in 2005. The Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee will be smaller, and function similar to the way the OTC Board of Directors functions. Members of the trails community will be called in at committee level on specific issues. This is happening already with the OLA conference calls and the Ontario Place Revitalization Project. Next meeting is to be held in the spring.

We also manage the education program, youth program funding and are looking at our advocacy, communication and supports every day! Thank You.
 

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

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Ontario Trails News - Trail News from trails all around Ontario.

Development News - Ontario Forests

This site allows public access to draft and approved forest management plans prepared for Crown forests in all management units in Ontario. The details of the activities described in the plans are also posted to this site annually in what are called annual work schedules. These schedules describe all forestry activities to be carried out that year namely harvest, renewal, road construction, prescribed burns, aerial pesticide spraying projects and insect pest management programs. At the end of each year, an annual report of the completed activities for each management unit is posted. Plans, schedules and reports are made up of text tables and maps. Learn more about how to use the plan site. 

Note: The 2006 Black River and Pic River Ojibway forest management plans are not available on this site. Please use the following link

s to access these forest management plans. 2006 Pic River Ojibway Forest - 851 | 2006 Black River Forest - 370Note: At times additional 

information may be available for Forest Management Units through this link.

At Ontario Trails Council we encourage trail users to offer your comment to any of the forest management plans posted to this site. The MNR is looking for feedback on a plan to plan basis, and while the OTC offers a synopsis comment on land use, we would be pleased to support any local tourism or recreational use comment on any particular plan.

See the drop down list for plans in a forest near you. 

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Trail Education News - Second Program starts Feb 3rd!

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Trail News - Government Grants

Update to Ontario Ministry Tourism, Culture and Sport OSRCF FundingThe deadline is February 20, 2014 for Full Provincial applications (by invitation) or for Local/Regional applications.

The grant is designed to facilitate:

·         increases opportunities for participation in sport and recreation by developing new programs or increasing access to existing programs to encourage individuals to become more active and keep those who are, engaged throughout their lives

·         supports implementation of physical literacy as a foundation for lifelong physical activity among individuals enabling them to make healthier activity choices

·         strengthening of the community sport and recreation sector by providing training in areas such as coaching, youth development, and volunteer development to provide enhanced service and quality programming

For more information on the 2014-15 Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund, please visit Grants Ontario.

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Ontario Ministry Announces Grant Funding - Enabling Change Program

The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario (ADO) is pleased to announce the call for expressions of interest for this year’s round of EnAbling Change Projects. Each year the ADO sets different strategic funding priorities based on upcoming Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements and the compliance needs of targeted sectors. English link      En Francais Link

This year’s funding priorities are:

1. Accessible Websites and Web Content: The web accessibility requirements will transform how Ontarians with disabilities find and use information. Accessible websites and web content are critical to reaching our goal of an accessible Ontario by 2025. This year, EnAbling Change will support projects that promote understanding and compliance with accessible website requirements.
2. Support compliance and reporting in 2014: All across Ontario, organizations are making changes to make their business practices accessible. A key element of meeting AODA requirements is filing compliance reports with the Government of Ontario. This year, EnAbling Change will support projects to increase compliance reporting in private and not-for-profit sectors.

Application period opens: November 29, 2013 Application period closes: January 31, 2014