Friday, October 9, 2015

Ontario Trails News - trail funding sources, support our work, Edge Auditor and OTC AGM

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Edge Auditor offering Newest Version


Ontario Trails AGM
We elected a new Board. Thanks to outgoing Board members, Frieda Baldwin, Zane Davies, Igor Hoogendoorn and

Members are:
Acting President - Jack De Wit, Canadian Recreational Horse and Rider Association
Acting V.P. - Dan Andrews, Lake Simcoe Region CA
Acting Sec/Treas. - Bonnie Simpson; Individual
Members - Wayne Terryberry, McMaster; William Mungall, Hike Ontario; Tracey-Lynn Bell, Niagara Trails Committee; Paul Ronan, Ontario Parks Association; Jason Davis, Renfrew County Forestry; Wayne Daub, OFATV, Lora Woolner, IMBA Canada; Graham Burke; Individual; Mike Clewer, OFSC; and Patrick Connor (Ex-officio)

Those attending asked that the OTC do the following:
  • Press for release of the Trail Survey conducted by the MTCS in the spring of 2015
  • "Be Bold"
  • Secure sustainable funding
  • Work on Access Issues
Thanks to all who participated.


OTC Strategic Outline Tabled at OTC AGM



For more information on our directions and intentions, join the OTC and then contact the OTC Office for more information.


Meeting with Minister Coteau

As the lead organization for trails in Ontario, it's important we meet with the lead Minister for Trails, Minister Michael Coteau. We have a meeting scheduled for November 2015. We encourage you to assist us in making better trails through partnership with government by:
  • Taking out an OTC Membership
  • Renewing your OTC Membership
  • By being a member you can come to the AGM on the 24th and shape our discussion on the 30th.
  • By being a member you benefit and support other groups interested in professional, transparent partnership with government in the interest of all trails!


Please consider supporting our work

Please consider making a donation or taking out a membership today! We rely on the generous support of the Canadian trail community to allow us to do our work.

Our Mission - to promote the preservation, management, use and development of trails.

Everyday, somewhere in Ontario we educate, support a group, lead or assist a community improving its quality of life through trails.

Thanks



Need Funding? - Here's a list of where to turn

Often we hear from trail groups - most recently TRCA, G2G, Elgin County and Lennox and Addington who want to develop trails, but there is no strategic or business plan in place. Most grants develop programs and services or fund service provision.

We want to hear from you - where did you get funding for your strategic plan for your trails? Could include master plan or other plans that involve trails. Thanks. 613-484-1140 execdir@ontariotrails.ca

National Trails Coalition - infrastructure (closed) - but reviewing their grant app would get your docs prepped for a different application

Ontario Trillium Foundation - 4 streams, including capital
There are a number of provincial grant applications you could explore but you have to be registered with the Grants Ontario System to see the applications by Ministry - closed till next round - see the website for more details.
MEDIE - has a stream - more for eco development, and the Invest in Ontario Funds - I might suggest regional funding streams includes Southern Ontario Prosperity and NOHFC programs
Also the Federal Enabling Accessibility Fund - Eligible Grant Recipients Include:
Not-for-profit organizations;
Small businesses;
Aboriginal organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities);
Territorial governments; and,
Municipalities are eligible to submit an application only for projects that deliver activities under Priority #1 (enhancing access to recreational spaces for children with disabilities).
Indigenous Peoples Aboriginal Economic Development Fund - grant stream
Great Lakes Guardian Fund - Grants are available for projects that take place in Ontario within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. This includes: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, the Ottawa River, their connecting channels, and their watersheds. This guide includes a map to help you identify your watershed. https://www.ontario.ca/page/great-lakes-guardian-community-fund#section-7
There are  other infrastructure grants you could pursue through the relationships you have with the County - they can use gas tax surplus for infrastructure grants -
Cycling Funds CycleON Strategy
Building cycling infrastructure is important in helping us achieve the vision of #CycleON: Ontario's Cycling Strategy: Ontario as a great place to ride a bike.
OMAFRA also offers a long list - you'll have to pick a stream and discuss with a program manager


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Ontario Trails News - Trailhead Ontario 2016, Chatham Kent opens Trail and Kand P gets trail expansion funding from Federal government

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K and P gets Canada 150 funds for Trail Extension
Frontenac County's plan to further extend the K&P Trail is to receive federal support as part of the nation's 150th anniversary.
The county is to receive $247,000 from the federal government's Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program for the extension of the trail from Tichborne to Sharbot Lake.
Announced in May, the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program provided $150 million over two years to regional projects across the country. Projects in southern Ontario qualified for more than $44 million through FedDev Ontario.
Frontenac County's K&P Trail application was one of 380 approved projects out of the more than 1,100 applications the agency received.



Chatham Kent Opens Trail



Renfrew County and Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization agree to host Trailhead Ontario 2016

trailhead ontario 2016


Planning has begun for Trailhead Ontario 2106. Our hosts are Renfrew County and Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization. Both are long time Ontario Trails Council supporters, and Jason Davies from Renfrew sits on the OTC Board of Directors. The OHTO has been a long time partner with trails running such campaigns as the:

‘Tourism Starts with You’ Campaign

People on bicycles looking at a trail map
 
Exploring County Trails
The ‘Tourism Starts with You’ campaign is designed to bring the local community together to identify why Ontario’s Highlands is one of the premiere travel destinations in the province.
The campaign will ask the question, “what are the best things to see and do in the area”, and tourism operators, residents, former visitors, and the like will be able to submit their ideas to the OHTO’s website, and social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter. This campaign will be promoted online and through local media, and a grand prize will be offered to encourage submissions.
This campaign will run into the summer, and may extend to the end of 2011 based on its popularity and success. When the campaign is completed, the OHTO will have an increased online audience, as well as heightened knowledge of what destinations are most valued by the local population. This can assist with future promotions.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Ontario Trails News - walking for cancer, and more on facebook

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Local woman walks 25 km to support OneWalk to Conquer Cancer

Carleton Place Almonte Canadian Gazette
By Kelly Kent 
Walking a mile in someone’s shoes can help you understand their journey – but walking 25 km can do a whole lot more.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, one local Almonte woman did just that during the Shoppers Drug Mart OneWalk to Conquer Cancer in Toronto. The event was the first of its kind to be held in Toronto, and raised over $7.5 million for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
“Cancer affects everyone,” said Bonnie Wright, who participated in the walk. “It’s everywhere. It’s very, very hard to find someone who hasn’t been affected by it – and that’s why fundraisers like this are so important.”
Wright’s own life has been touched by cancer more than once. On top of losing her father to the disease, she has also lost four uncles, a grandfather and a cousin. Even her sister, Debbie, is a breast cancer survivor. 
“My sister made me want to do the walk,” Wright said. “It’s very important to her, and I wanted to support her.”
Wright and her sister walked alongside more than 4,500 other participants during the OneWalk event, travelling all over the city during the five-hour journey. 
Being an avid walker already, Wright was prepared for the trek. She didn’t do any special training, but she made sure to have comfortable shoes to wear. The rest of her outfit was chosen by her sister.
“I have to wear pink,” Wright said in an interview ahead of the event. “I hate pink. But we had an agreement that whoever raised the most money could choose the other’s outfit.”
Wright and her sister collected pledges from everyone they knew. They started with family and friends, then co-workers and friends of friends and so on. The fundraising web spread far and wide, with dozens of people pledging their cause.
Overall, Wright said she was happy to be participating in such a good cause. 
“It will be a long day, but it will be worth it,” she said. “It’s outside, with my sister and for a good cause. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Plans for the 2016 OneWalk to Conquer Cancer are already underway. It will take place on Sept. 10 again in Toronto. For more information or to register, visit www.onewalk.ca. 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Ontario Trails News - User Poster Series - get your content to us!

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We are awaiting content from - Ontario Cycling Association, Hike Ontario, Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Ontario federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs, Ontario Federation of Sled-Dog Sports, Ontario Trail Riders Association, Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayak Association.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Ontario Trails Council User Group Poster Series - get us your information today!

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Trail User Meeting leads to Poster Series


At the September 24th trail user meeting a few things became very clear.

Many trail user groups have issues with, access, access, access. This means there is land, but use groups can't use it, are denied access, aren't funded to purchase it or the rules aren't clear about where and when they can use it. 

Many OTC members are the land managers these groups are trying to work with. However the land managers are equally frustrated by user behavior, lack of funding to police, risk exposure and other primary mandates that really, don't include trails.



It is clear that more Regional Trail Committees, and more Trail Master Plans are required. It is also clear that there is a strong role for the OTC to play between groups and land managers to secure and assure continued access.

In order to best explain our relationship be tween users and our organizations we have produced an "Ontario Trails and...(Use Group)" poster series. Each member group has a page on the OTC website where OTC explains what we do, and the member explains what they do, so that people can see how we work together.



In addition it is clear that the relationship between major use groups and the Ontario Trails Council is not well understood. We have circulated the poster template to member organizations in the interest of having them add their voice to a better public understanding of their work. 

As the OTC continues to grow, and we work with the major use groups as they work to secure land for their activity, and as we work with land managers to promote and manage land access, the OTC wants everyone to understand we want resolution to local issues, with the regulatory and legislative changes that makes all our jobs easier, without losing sight of regulations and safety.


Know a user or trail group you'd like to have a poster for?

Ask them if they are a current OTC Member. If they are we'd be happy to produce a poster for everybody to use. 

We are also working with Conservation Ontario, and have asked others such as Ontario Invasive Species, County Forest Managers and Ontario Parks to participate in this important public awareness campaign.

For more information contact: Patrick Connor, at 613-484-1140, execdir@ontariotrails.ca

Friday, October 2, 2015

Ontario Trails Council User Issues Survey

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User Group Meeting Leads to Survey on Use Issues


Through various process the Ontario Trails Council has an idea of the number of trail projects and the value that they represent to capital investment in Ontario each year.

We also get called regularly to set up processes or advise on how to approach authorities in order to get trail access. In many cases we also write grants and work with groups to stimulate process to get trails developed or built.



What is not so clear is a map of where access and use is at a crossroads. It is clear through sdome discussion that a clearer inventory of hot spots or at risk trails would enable use to better respond to bring change or adjustment so that trails are not lost.

We need you to help us by answering our survey on land access issues. We have designed this for both the land manager and the trail user to complete. 

An e-mail will be sent to OTC Members to complete the survey once it is live.

Thanks
 

Credit Valley Conservation Completes Trail - with OTC and National Trails Coalition support.

 

Friends of Island Lake mark successful end to Close the Gap campaign

Orangeville Banner
The chair of Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) doesn’t think a project such as the trail system and boardwalks at Island Lake would have been built in larger metropolis areas.
At least not in the hands-on fashion the Friends of Island Lake (FOIL) and their partners did it here in Dufferin County, according to Mississauga Coun. Nando Iannicca.

“The people that came out here and rolled up their sleeves, the sweat equity they put in, it is a vocation, it is an honour,” Iannicca said during the celebration marking FOIL’s completion of the 11.5 km Vicki Barron Lakeside Trail around Island Lake on Friday (Aug. 28).

“You wouldn’t have had this done in some other bigger cities,” the CVC chair added. “It is quite an achievement and it speaks more to the character and the class of the community above and beyond what was actually built.”

More than a decade, $2 million in donations, 11.5 km of trail and 12,000 volunteer hours later, FOIL has finally closed the gap. The final leg of the trail at Island Lake was officially opened for public use in July.
On Friday, FOIL past chairman Bob Shirley thanked the dozens of people and organizations that came together to contribute to the planning and construction of the Vicki Barron Lakeside Trail.

They were the ones who spent more than 12,000 volunteers hours on the project, whether that meant collecting scrap metal, clearing the trail’s path or screwing wooden planks onto the boardwalk on their own.
“Absolutely, this could not have happened without the FOIL members,” Shirley said. “It just goes on and on. Once we got started, it just seemed to keep flowing.”

None of this would have happened without all of their efforts throughout the years, Shirley said, singling out the trail’s brainchild and current Mono CAO Keith McNeily.

More>>>>>>>>>>

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Ontario Trails Council User Poster Series - add your content today!

Find and use your favorite today!

Trail User Meeting leads to Poster Series


At the September 24th trail user meeting a few things became very clear.

Many trail user groups have issues with, access, access, access. This means there is land, but use groups can't use it, are denied access, aren't funded to purchase it or the rules aren't clear about where and when they can use it. 

Many OTC members are the land managers these groups are trying to work with. However the land managers are equally frustrated by user behavior, lack of funding to police, risk exposure and other primary mandates that really, don't include trails.



It is clear that more Regional Trail Committees, and more Trail Master Plans are required. It is also clear that there is a strong role for the OTC to play between groups and land managers to secure and assure continued access.

In order to best explain our relationship be tween users and our organizations we have produced an "Ontario Trails and...(Use Group)" poster series. Each member group has a page on the OTC website where OTC explains what we do, and the member explains what they do, so that people can see how we work together.



In addition it is clear that the relationship between major use groups and the Ontario Trails Council is not well understood. We have circulated the poster template to member organizations in the interest of having them add their voice to a better public understanding of their work. 

As the OTC continues to grow, and we work with the major use groups as they work to secure land for their activity, and as we work with land managers to promote and manage land access, the OTC wants everyone to understand we want resolution to local issues, with the regulatory and legislative changes that makes all our jobs easier, without losing sight of regulations and safety.


Know a user or trail group you'd like to have a poster for?

Ask them if they are a current OTC Member. If they are we'd be happy to produce a poster for everybody to use. 

We are also working with Conservation Ontario, and have asked others such as Ontario Invasive Species, County Forest Managers and Ontario Parks to participate in this important public awareness campaign.

For more information contact: Patrick Connor, at 613-484-1140, execdir@ontariotrails.ca

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Ontario Trails News - Ontario User Group Poster Series - get yours in today!

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Ontario Cycling Association, Hike Ontario, Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs, Ontario Federation of Sled-Dog Sports, Ontario Trail Riders Association, Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayak Association.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Ontario Trails News - please support our work! We support others - Kinghorn Rail Trail

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Please consider supporting our work

Please consider making a donation or taking out a membership today! We rely on the generous support of the Canadian trail community to allow us to do our work.

Our Mission - to promote the preservation, management, use and development of trails.

Everyday, somewhere in Ontario we educate, support a group, lead or assist a community improving its quality of life through trails.

Thanks
 

Need Funding? - Here's a list of where to turn

Often we hear from trail groups - most recently TRCA, G2G, Elgin County and Lennox and Addington who want to develop trails, but there is no strategic or business plan in place. Most grants develop programs and services or fund service provision.

We want to hear from you - where did you get funding for your strategic plan for your trails? Could include master plan or other plans that involve trails. Thanks. 613-484-1140 execdir@ontariotrails.ca
 
National Trails Coalition - infrastructure (closed) - but reviewing their grant app would get your docs prepped for a different application

Ontario Trillium Foundation - 4 streams, including capital
There are a number of provincial grant applications you could explore but you have to be registered with the Grants Ontario System to see the applications by Ministry - closed till next round - see the website for more details.
 
MEDIE - has a stream - more for eco development, and the Invest in Ontario Funds - I might suggest regional funding streams includes Southern Ontario Prosperity and NOHFC programs
 
Also the Federal Enabling Accessibility Fund - Eligible Grant Recipients Include:
Not-for-profit organizations;
Small businesses;
Aboriginal organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities);
Territorial governments; and,
Municipalities are eligible to submit an application only for projects that deliver activities under Priority #1 (enhancing access to recreational spaces for children with disabilities).
 
Indigenous Peoples Aboriginal Economic Development Fund - grant stream
 
Great Lakes Guardian Fund - Grants are available for projects that take place in Ontario within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. This includes: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, the Ottawa River, their connecting channels, and their watersheds. This guide includes a map to help you identify your watershed. https://www.ontario.ca/page/great-lakes-guardian-community-fund#section-7
 
There are  other infrastructure grants you could pursue through the relationships you have with the County - they can use gas tax surplus for infrastructure grants -
 
Cycling Funds CycleON Strategy
Building cycling infrastructure is important in helping us achieve the vision of #CycleON: Ontario's Cycling Strategy: Ontario as a great place to ride a bike.
 
OMAFRA also offers a long list - you'll have to pick a stream and discuss with a program manager
 

Support the Kinghorn Trail Development

Last fall we started an audit of the rail corridor. This audit captures the good, the bad and the ugly. Using the latest trail auditing software, we are able to capture all the issues that need to be fixed prior to opening the trail. We will finish the audit in the spring for the full length of the line.

Please support us in building this legacy trail along Lake Superior. Even a small donation adds up and supports the capital required to upgrade the corridor for Northwestern Ontario's only rail trail!

We have plans to upgrade the railbed surface to accommodate trail users like cyclists, hikers, summer motorized use and snowmobiles in the winter months. As a full multi-use trail, we will be able to keep the trail in the public domain for future generations to enjoy.

The rail line doesn't stop at Nipigon but then turns north towards Greenstone. There has been some interest in discussing this as an option but conversations need to occur.  Please support this legacy project as we create an amazing trail alongside Lake Superior - the great inland sea.

Healthy Hikes Program!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Ontario Trails News - Pan-Am Funds support Trans Canada Trail; Bruce Trail Day and more

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Pan-Am and Parapan Funds complete Trans Canada Trail
Ontario is expanding its world-class trails system as a key legacy initiative of the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

The Pan Am and Parapan Am Trails initiative (PPAT) will help complete 250 kilometres in gaps in Ontario's Trans Canada Trail and connect communities from Ottawa to Windsor and Fort Erie to Huntsville. The province has invested more than $3.5 million in the Pan Am and Parapan Am Trails initiative to help create a continuous trail of more than 2,000 kilometres. Since 2009, Ontario has invested more than $80 million in trails.

QUICK FACTS
  • The Pan Am and Parapan Am Trails (PPAT) are part of Ontario’s Promotion, Celebration and Legacy Strategy for the Games.
  • Completing these gaps will provide a continuous route along the Trans Canada Trail of over 2,000 km, from Windsor to Ottawa and from Fort Erie to Huntsville.
  • PPAT will also connect to four major Pan Am and Parapan Am Games venues – CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes’ Village, CIBC Pan Am Park, CIBC Hamilton Soccer Stadium and Pan Am/Parapan Am Fields.
  • All consultations related to Pan Am and Parapan Am Trails will address accessibility requirements under the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
  • Ontario will also work with First Nation and Métis communities and organizations to incorporate Aboriginal markers along the trails to honour the history and culture of Aboriginal communities in Ontario.
  • The province has approximately 2,500 trails and more than 80,000 kilometres of trail; the second-largest network in Canada.
  • As part of this initiative, Trans Canada Trail has been contracted to complete 250 km of trail gaps along the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) in Ontario.
Ontario Parks protects and manages approximately 2,200 kilometres of trails and boardwalks.

Thousands of kilometres of trails and roads are on provincial Crown land that are open for the public to use free of charge.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Ontario’s Pan Am and Parapan Am Trails

View full press release (PDF)

Free Guided Hikes on Bruce Trail Day.
 
Niagara Escarpment













The access trail to Bruce's Caves, which are found along the face of the Niagara Escarpment in Bruce's Caves Conservation Area, northeast of Wiarton on the Bruce Peninsula. (Postmedia Network files)
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. -- In the Niagara wine region, students from Niagara College will lead hikes to explore a reclaimed wetland.
At Owen Sound's Pottawatomi Conservation Area, members of the Sydenham Bruce Trail Club will show visitors striking rock formations and a variety of forest types.
The Oct. 4 outings are part of this year's Bruce Trail Day, an annual celebration of Canada's oldest and longest footpath. The main trail spans more than 885 kilometres along the Niagara Escarpment, from Niagara to Tobermory, Ont.
Clubs in the Bruce Trail Conservancy will host free guided hikes and family activities.
The events include hikes in City View Park in Burlington; Limehouse and Scotsdale Farm in Halton Hills; Blue Mountain and Kolapore Uplands west of Collingwood; Forks of the Credit Provincial Park in Caledon; and Mono Cliffs Provincial Park near Orangeville.


Hike Awenda

Friday, September 25, 2015

Ontario Trails News - Niagara Builds trails and francophone Group retraces route

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Did you Apply?


 

Cycle Infrastructure fund via CycleON?
Cycle Program Instruction fund via CycleON?
Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund?
Small Community Fund?

Please send us an e-mail regarding the trails you are going to build with these funds.

projects@ontariotrails.ca


Francophone group retraces historic hike and canoe route

Christian Bode, left, president of the Société d’histoire de Toronto, led his group on the 65-kilometre, three-day journey, which concluded with a celebration of francophone and aboriginal history at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Parkette on Riverside Dr. in the Swansea neighbourhood

MELISSA RENWICK / TORONTO STAR Order this photo
Christian Bode, left, president of the Société d’histoire de Toronto, led his group on the 65-kilometre, three-day journey, which concluded with a celebration of francophone and aboriginal history at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Parkette on Riverside Dr. in the Swansea neighbourhood
Fourteen lovers of history came together this weekend to trace the ancient route taken by French explorer Étienne Brûlé, who was the first known European to travel the Lake Ontario region with the Huron-Wendat in September 1615.
Led by Christian Bode, president of the Société d’histoire de Toronto, the group paddled and hiked roughly 65 kilometres over three days, following the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail from Holland Marsh, south of Lake Simcoe, to the Swansea neighbourhood on the east bank of the Humber River.
“Sometimes it’s lost in suburbia, sometimes it’s there, and sometimes you have to reroute,” Bode said of the trail, which is estimated to have been travelled for up to 8,000 years.
“What has impressed me is not the fact that we walked the whole way, but that everywhere we went we were welcomed sincerely.”
Bode said Brûlé’s quest into Huron-Wendat territory 400 years ago was a seminal event; the Frenchman grew familiar with the routes of the landscape and learned the aboriginals’ language, which facilitated future fur-trade excursions and the infiltration of the area by Jesuit missionaries.
Ever since, Bode said, “there has been a French presence in the province of Ontario.”
The weekend of re-enactments of Brûlé’s travels started Friday, when the group canoed the first stretch in Lake Couchiching and attended a ceremony at the Champlain Monument, named for the man who founded Quebec City in 1608 — then capital of New France — and commissioned Brûlé to help explore and chart the Great Lakes region. The group also attended the opening of a new pavilion that was dedicated to the local Ojibwa.
As Bode’s history buffs resumed their hike south of Lake Simcoe on Saturday and made their way southwest, they planted a tree in East Gwillimbury, took in a French choir performance at a Newmarket farmer’s market, lunched with the local mayor at the Aurora Armoury, unveiled a new plaque to the Carrying-Place Trail in Vaughan and finally made their way to Swansea.
The hike concluded Sunday with a celebration of francophone and aboriginal history at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Parkette on Riverside Dr., with actors dressed in the garb of the early 17th century and an unveiling of a moccasin project for the occasion by Garry Sault, an Ojibwa elder with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.

Niagara Trails Committee Builds Trail