Ontario boasts over 80,000 km in trails. Whether you're in downtown Toronto or North of Superior, we have a trail for you. The Ontario Trails Council is a registered charity, led by volunteers who promote the development, management, use and conservation of Ontario's trails. You'll find everything from gentle walking trails to rock faces for climbing and water routes to canoe and kayak.
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Find and use your favorite today!Trail User Meeting leads to Poster SeriesAt 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 |
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Find and use your favorite today!User Group Meeting Leads to Survey on Use IssuesThrough 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 Gap closedChris Halliday
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>>>>>>>>>> |
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Find and use your favorite today!Trail User Meeting leads to Poster SeriesAt 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 |
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Find and use your favorite today!
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Find and use your favorite today!
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.
http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2015/04/ontario-investing-25-million-in-cycling-infrastructure.html
http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2015/07/applications-for-funding-to-promote-cycling-now-open.html
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!  |
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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
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.  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  |
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Find and use your favorite today!
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Find and use your favorite today!Member Requests1) Algonquin College program on-line 
2) OTC Website for your Mobile
 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 2014-15
Jason Davis
Renfrew County 613-633-9683 Jdavis@countyofrenfrew.on.ca Bonnie Simpson Acting Treasurer Kirkfield 705-438-5752 fortheotc@gmail.com Patrick Connor Ex-officio - Executive Director Deseronto 613-484-1140 execdir@ontariotrails.ca We are looking for 2 Board members interested in supporting the broad interests of all trails in Ontario. Interested give us a call. 613-484-1140 If you are interested in assisting the OTC, through fundraising, membership development, conference planning or as an educator, 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!      Nature Unexpected
Try out a great outdoor experience - close to home, yet far away.
A supporter of Trailhead Ontario 2015 Thank-you.  
Header Photo Credit - Iroquois Bruce Trail Club
COMPLETE THIS SURVEY PLEASE  The Ontario Trails Council has collected over 40,000 points of data on Ontario's recreational trails. We know that there is a trail in over 430 communities. We know Ontario maintains over 80,000 km of trails. This means a sizable investment of time, effort and funds has been utilized to create the world's largest system of trails. This survey asks you to provide more detail on the inputs of time, effort and investment that made trails in your area. Thanks |
