Ontario Trails News - all sorts of ways to find out about Ontario's 2600 recreational 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 Trails 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

Ontario Trail News - all sorts of recreational trail activity on Ontario's 2600 recreational trails!

Activity News -
ATV'ing

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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 This comprehensive trail map publication is a WIN WIN WIN opportunity for everyone!

Get Out There with Ontario’s Trail & Cycling Enthusiasts.In the most ambitious initiative yet by Advermaps early 2014 will see the launch of an EXCITING NEW FORMAT of the Popular Ontario Recreational Trail Maps.

1) *Listing - $99
2) *Listing & Online Ad ( Ad 1.625” x 3.75”) -  $149
3) *Premium Location - Orientation Key Map Ad
   1 Panel 2.375“ x 2” Book NOW!(Very Limited Space) - $699
4) *Premium Location Trail Map Ads
   1 Panel 3.5“ x 2” ( Very Limited Space ) - $599
5) *Places Location Ad
   1 Panel ( 2.375“ x 2”) $399 - 2P - $599
   3P - $799 - 4P - $1099 - 6P - $1399
   8P - $1699 - 9P - $1899 FULL PAGE $2699
7) *1’st Page: Full Page - $2999  1/2 Page - $1499
8) *Advalu Places Card - $499
   4 non-compete ads on card ( Ad size 2.25 “x 2” )
*Take Advantage of this Exceptional Value!
*Includes PRINT & ONLINE category listing PLUS your map location, and listing on the Advermap website products.

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Equestrian

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Hiking

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Snowmobiling
Watch out for weak ice!

Ontario Trails News - we thank new and returning members for supporting our charitable Ontario Trails work.

We Welcome New Members!
Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve

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Quinte Conservation

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We Welcome Returning Members!
Credit Valley Conservation Authority

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Town of Halton Hills

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Township of Madawaska Valley

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Clearview Township

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Trails Education News


NEXT COURSE - JUNE 2, 2014

Ontario Trails News - thanks Ontario Trillium Foundation for funding our work on Northern Ontario trail!

Ontario Trails Council Website Refresh - some hints




Through the generous support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport our web re-design team has been working for 6 months to complete a website renewal to satisfy the trail sector.

With nearly 1 million unique visitors a year the OTC is pleased to provide content that showcases Ontario's world class system of trails. Watch for the new site online in early April 2014!

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Development News -

Ontario Trillium Foundation Funds OTC Partners ProjectThanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation - Ontario Trails Council Inc., as lead organization on this collaborative $25,000 over one year to hire a part time project facilitator to help implement key steps in the Kinghorn Trail business plan.

This includes securing a lease for the trail property and the creation of a detailed development plan through community consultation.

The 111 km multi-use recreation trail will provide opportunities for physical fitness activity for residents and visitors in the Thunder Bay Region.

http://grant.otf.ca/grantlistings.aspx?year=2013&catchment=Northwestern&lang=en&id=13-2013

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Greens Mountain Area Recreational PlanMeeting dates posted.

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Trans Canada Trail RFP's and Plans

Please go to the Trans Canada Trail Ontario website for some exciting opportunities in trails. Please share among your networks, the following job postings, found at http://www.tctontario.ca/news.html: 

RFP - TCT Road Analysis consultant 

Hiring - Path of the Paddle General Manager 

RFP - TCTO southern Ontario trail assessment

Hiring – TCTO consultant, short term Project Administration

Ontario Trails News - We support trails. We supported New Tecumseth. With a membership we can support you too!

OTC Supports New Tecumseth Trails

March 29, 2014
Mr. Ray Osmond
Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture
Municipality of New Tecumseth
10 Wellington Street East
Alliston, ON L9R 1A1

RE: Trails, Private Land Use and Completing the Trans Canada Trail in Ontario

Dear Mr. Osmond;

Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the issue of recreational trails and farmland in New Tecumseth.

Firstly, let me say that your efforts to complete trail and the section of the Trans Canada Trail on lands under your authorized management and control is something the Ontario Trails Council supports.

In Ontario, there are over 80,000 kilometers of trail, much of which is in southern Ontario where the majority of private land issues arise. Most of Ontario’s farmland is in central and southern Ontario and this makes up roughly 63% of Ontario’s trail inventory.

Thusly, the majority of trail in south west and central Ontario is near, or passes through some form of managed or private land ownership or commercial operation, that could include farming, logging, wetland protection or park.

In fact many trails, such as the Upper Grand Trailway have been supplied interpretive signage through OMAFRA grants to explain faming uses adjacent to the trail to promote agriculture appreciation. Hundreds of other trails operate harmoniously with farmers, such as the Chrysler Greenway in Essex and the Millennium Trail in Prince Edward County.

It is also, in our opinion, more than reasonable to state that the vast majority of this @26,000 kilometers of trail does not involve threat of closure or re-route requests on the part of local landowners or business owners. While there are situations where there may be trail use issues, they tend to be local in nature and remediated through public meeting, signage and effective ongoing trail wardenship and stewardship practices.

The OTC supported New Tecumseh trail development in 1999-2001 as the agent of the Trans Canada Trail in Ontario, and we believe that completing and providing additional trail capacity in New Tecumseth is of great public value. A public value that does not unreasonably impact on farming or private business operation, and which, when or if it does these issues can be usually be resolved without the dissolution of the current trail routing.

Our research shows that at that time of initial master plan and TCT development the public officials of New Tecumseth met with the public, local landowners, and local land-managers as a process of due diligence to implement the trail route in New Tecumseth.

Importantly, during this process you, and others in your office engaged the public, listened to concerns and resolved many land use agreements in the process. Many of these sessions involved local farmers and local agreements were reached with not only the farmers, but representatives of these farmers, such as the local Board of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

We are also given to understand that during the fall on 2013 additional meetings were held at which time additional permissions and resolutions were discussed and agreed upon. These progressive discussions involved the go ahead to seek funds and complete routes.

At OTC, we expect that private land rights be respected. We expect users to expect and respect other users. We do not approve trespass, nor do we endorse trail users negatively impacting on any land use practice or negatively on the environment or eco-systems through which a trail may travel.

We do expect public consultation and negotiated settlement on the part of users, land managers, land owners, route planners, tourists, accessibility to be promoted, top quality amenities and rules and expectations provided through signage. Moreover, we really appreciate consultation with volunteer groups and trail non-profits that support local trail, when public consultation takes place.

At OTC we understand that the Municipality is seeking new information about issues that have come to light, bison and bison ranching impacts from trail use.

In our opinion, the Municipality of New Tecumseth has enacted a thought out and publicly consulted trail master plan development process; worked with the local business community to define issues and a pathway to issue resolution; learned about new issues in order to resolve these issues; involved local trail volunteers and trail management groups, and is not unduly impinging on the rights of concerned groups to continue business in conjunction with future trail traffic, users, wardens and stewards.

Based on your due process and diligence, we would recommend that New Tecumseth support the recommendations of staff as you work to complete the TCT trail.

Sincerely,

Patrick Connor
Executive Director
Ontario Trails Council

Ontario Trails News - with your support we are enabled to perform trail work all over Ontario. Thanks

Membership Update Message from Mr. Jack De Wit, OTC  President

Dear Members - We are making great headway with your support!

I understand that we received at least another 6 membership renewals since last week. Thank-you we appreciate your help. This helps keep the membership renewal momentum going.

Some of our returning members are Frontenac County, Clearview Township, Credit Valley Conservation, Georgian Bay Coast Trail, Township of Madawaska Valley and the Town of Halton Hills. Thank-you.

However, we have also secured some new memberships as well. We wish to thank Quinte Conservation,  LSRCA, LTVCA, FABR and the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve for their support of our youth work outreach. We appreciate your support!

Through your support we are able to have an office, apply for grants, etc., engage in National Funding efforts like the National Trails Coalition and the Canadian Trails Federation. We wish to thank our partners for enabling us to do trail work at the national levels. Quite an accomplishment for a provincial trails organization.

We also support trail planners, existing plans and previously negotiated trail development agreements.

I encourage you to read the next article a letter OTC sent to the Council of New Tecumseth Ontario.

Your financial support may not return directly to your community, but with it, by keeping the OTC viable, we are able to preserve or develop trails somewhere in Ontario.
 

Please e-mail Patrick if your cheque has been mailed, use paypal or call the office and they'll take a credit card number over the phone.

Once more, Sincerely, Jack De Wit, President.

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