President's Message and more important information from Ontario Trails. #ontariotrails

Ontario Trails is a charity, led by a volunteer board of directors that promotes the use, management, development, and preservation of trails and trail-based activities in Ontario.    Terri's Trail Talk Reflections from OTC President, Terri LeRoux Here at OTC, there are seven (7) vital goals guide the work that we do. To provide a forum for persons who are interested in the promotion, establishment, development, preservation, maintenance and use of recreational trails to share their interest and experience with others. To increase awareness and appreciation of the value of trails and trail networks among governments, corporations, organizations and individuals. To increase the number, length, variety and accessibility of trails in Ontario. To preserve and enhance the quality of trails and trail networks, in harmony with the environment. To unify trail interest groups in an effective and efficient manner. To promote the safe and responsible use of trails; and To reflect and promote a conservation ethic in all aspects of the work of the Ontario Trails Council. Achieving these goals takes a village, or rather an entire trail sector to succeed, and the village needs a leader. OTC is that leader – and through the collective efforts of government, trail management agencies, trail user groups, businesses, NGOs and trail users, everyone has a role to play to push these goals forward and build a better trails community for the benefit of all Ontarians. The best way YOU can help is to get involved. Become an OTC member and help form the voice of our leadership.  Already a member? Join an OTC Committee and help us make traction.  To learn more please contact me or Patrick Connor, Executive Director at execdir@ontariotrails.ca Happy trails, Terri Email: ibelongoutdoors@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/ibelongoutdoors Twitter: www.twitter.com/ibelongoutdoors   Session at PRO with a Trails Focus   WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1:00 - 4:00 pm ET Indigenous Engagement in Parks and Trails  Presentation Description: This presentation will focus on initiatives led by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) involving Indigenous engagement taking place in CVC’s conservation areas and trails. As a community-based and environmental organization, CVC strongly believes that recognizing the territories, traditional knowledge and culture of Indigenous people is crucial to moving toward reconciliation. As such, CVC actively seeks out ways to support Indigenous peoples, collaborating with Indigenous partners to develop placemaking and programming along CVC’s trails and at our conservation areas. To illustrate aspects of this ongoing work, this presentation will focus on several CVC-led projects and strategic initiatives involving Indigenous engagement, including CVC’s Credit Valley Trail (CVT), Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area (JTLCA) Island Lake Conservation Area Management Plan (ILMP) and lastly, CVC’s Conservation Areas Master Strategy (CAMS). Together, these initiatives demonstrate meaningful engagement between CVC and Indigenous partners that has led to the creation of educational opportunities at CVC parks and trails; providing publicly accessible, interpretive spaces and programming that encourage the public to deepen their understanding of the ancestral history of the Credit River Watershed. This work also represents CVC’s continued commitment to our Indigenous partners; supporting Indigenous leadership and continuing to promote innovative practices and inclusivity in our parks and along our trails. REGISTER   Read the full article Ontario Trails Talk Join us Wednesday September 15, 2021 Managing Trails Please use the trails you are allowed to use!     North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority   Bear Hunting Season   Burlington Planting Trees   Trail Surveys The OTC is interested in what you think! We have written many types of surveys and are pleased to provide links to them on this page. From such important topics as Trail Trade Specialist to Member Services we want you to help us help you!   Watch the Talk   Ever wondered who is using your trail and when? Looking for more than just a static count of trail activity? Tell others about who is using your trail and what makes your trail a popular destination! Utilizing smartphone technology trail users can now complete a short survey that: Logs in the trip Single counts individual users Consolidates results for centralized reporting Consultation on survey content. We ask your questions - the facility manager asks what they want to know! Allows for separate trail counting Multi-season operation 24/7collection Identifies quality of trail experiences Provides you feedback loop Wherever there is a smartphone signal, you could be gathering and collecting additional user reported information that will make for a better trail! Got great trails? Get the feedback that keeps you in the know! LEARN MORE Click the title below to be redirected to the survey of your choice. Help Us Help You - website improvement Upload Your Trail - add your trail to the website Upload Your Event - add your trail event to the website Trail Reform Now - legislative and insurance reform support Trail Trades Specialist- tell us what you'd like to see in a trail trades course Member Services - are you happy as an OTC member with the services you get? Strategic Planning 1: - tell us what you'd like the OTC to do Strategic Planning 2: Financial Sustainability - as a charity we can always use new ideas to sustain ourselves Strategic Planning 3: - Effectiveness - how effective are we? Customer Satisfaction - as a member of the public what do you think of the OTC? Economic Impact of Recreational Trail (ON) - for the Eco Dev/Tourism, Trail Planning office Insurance Issues - tell us about your ability to get coverage Trails of 1812 - is your community celebrating our bi-centennial On-Road Cycling Lane Petition - Norm Miller MPP - download the form here - (no web link available) Trail Priorities - what do you want OTC to do for Trails? Save the Prescott Russell Rail Trail - encourage the communities to save this trail! Voyageur Trail User Survey - if you've used this trail they'd like your feedback   National Active Transportation Strategy Announced.   Canada Community Revitalization Fund   Hi - we are asking that folks complete a short survey on Trail Counters. Thanks. COMPLETE SURVEY Hi - we are asking that folks complete a short survey on trail access for horses. Thanks. COMPLETE SURVEY          Does anyone know of similar benches with a Canadian Distributor? Do you know of any park benches that are suitable for elders? Higher seats with armrests? Place for a walker? If you do please email execdir@ontariotrails.ca Ontario Trails - staying open in difficult times - if your membership is due we could use your renewal! New upcoming projects include: Web Path Mapping Project with RTO3 and City of Hamilton - confirmed and underway St. Lawrence Park Commission Trail Committee Development - September 21, 24, 29 and 30. Insurance Survey Results - November 3, 2021 Risk Management Committee - September 14, 2021 11am - 1pm Trails Education Committee Meeting - TBD Hastings Destination Trails Inc. - September 13, 2021 11am Hasting Destination Trails Inc. Trails Re-opening September 24, 2021, Bancroft Ontario. Trails Tourism Committee - September 16, 2021 1:30 pm OTC Board Meeting - September 16, 2021 7pm National Roundtable on Trail Risk Management - November 25, 2021 We thank members for renewing or supporting the OTC through membership.  Intact Public Entities Inc. City of Cornwall Over past months we have -  provided content to the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries, supported a survey on Lyme Disease for Queen's University, put time and effort into trail categorization for trail use, supported our partner Marmak and the RFAM tool, supported a University of Waterloo Outdoor Recreation Impacts, supported and distributed the Black Sheep Mountain Bike Club Rider Survey, updated a variety of COVID related pages on the OTC website, engaged members and the trail using public on etiquette, provided consulting advice to Avon Trail, Renfrew County, the OFSC, and others, been strong with groups on public safety, facilitated work on Hastings Destination Trails Inc., added a signage page, produced a webinar video or two, and, hosted a series of webinars with our partners, and supported students with the University of Waterloo and the City of Waterloo to do trail work For all the latest on trails and trail news follow: Ontario Trails Ontario ATV Trails Ontario Hiking Trails Ontario Climbing Trails Ontario Cycling Trails Ontario Dirt Bike Trails Ontario Horse Trails Ontario Water Trails Toronto Trails Trailhead North Trails of 1812 Niagara Trails Committee Hamilton Burlington Trails Canadian Trails Federation To find your trail listing go to Ontario Trails To help trail users find trails on their mobile share Ontario Trails Map Standing by the public safety order is very difficult to do when you and your members are in the business of promoting the outdoors. Certainly being firm on Stay Home doesn't win you popularity contests with many users. And users affect our memberships. If people don't like your message membership suffers. This is what we are trying to do, the right thing overall, and we need you to look past the current messages to having OTC around in 6 months and then a year from now. We will be sending an email asking for your renewal. Based on our projections memberships should facilitate a 0 deficit, continuation of office supports and the type of education and advocacy that has seen the development of Ontario Trail Categorization, website maintenance, our response to COVID, our online training through Algonquin College, as well as our future plans for training, economic and tourism development committee, AND most importantly our Health Unit and Trails messaging process. OTC is interested in assuring that there is balance in trail use as we work to re-open full public access, with safe user practice, to the trails and trail activities you love. Support us today.  Please renew. By electronic transfer, PayPal - select your membership rate and Go! or a call with your credit card. 613-484-1140 Thanks!

Partnership Announcement: The Trail Research Hub and the Ontario Trails Council

Partnership Announcement: The Trail Research Hub and the Ontario Trails Council

• Kelsey Johansen
• • Aug 6, 2021
  • 3 min read

The Trail Research Hub and the Ontario Trails Council are pleased to be expanding their working relationship!

In the Winter 2021 Academic Term, the Ontario Trails Council partnered with faculty from the University of Waterloo's Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, including Kelsey Johansen, a founding member of the Trail Research Hub currently serving as the Hub's Chair. This partnership entailed a series of joint community-based research projects and educational initiatives undertaken by students in the University of Waterloo's Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in partnership with the Ontario Trails Council and in service to several trail organizations across Ontario.


To support this initiative, Patrick Connor, Executive Director, Ontario Trails Council, helped recruit trail organizations from across Ontario with identified research needs that the students could address, and provided an invaluable guest lecture to students centred on the economic impact of trails in Ontario.

On November 17th 2021, Kelsey and Dr. Karla Boluk from the University of Waterloo will deliver a Trails Talk on the success of this partnership project and provide an overview of the process and the Winter 2021 projects, including an update on project outcomes, and will discuss opportunities for Ontario trail organizations to be involved as the Winter 2022 project partners.

Additionally, in the Fall 2021 Academic Term, the Trail Research Hub and the Ontario Trails Council will share a Co-Op Student from the University of Waterloo. In this dual role, the incumbent will serve as a Research Assistant for the Trail Research Hub's Trails and Social Enterprise Research Project, and will Intern with the Ontario Trails Council's Marketing and Communications Committee.

This position will be funded by the Government of Canada's Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) and through a grant from the Ontario Trails Council. The SWPP program provides funding to hire students for the purposes of experiential learning and is administered by Employment and Social Development Canada through a partner organization.

Please note, due to the nature of the funding provided for this position, the following eligibility requirements will be in effect:

1. Students from all co-op programs (undergraduate and graduate) from the University of Waterloo will be eligible.

2. University of Waterloo students must also be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or a person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of employment to qualify for funding from SWPP.

Look for a job advertisement coming soon to Waterloo Works.

The Trail Research Hub is excited to continue building its relationships with the Ontario Trails Council. When reached for comment, Kelsey Johansen, Chair of the Trail Research Hub and a Lecturer at the University of Waterloo, said

Partnerships like this help enable universities and research centres to leverage their financial and social capital in direct service to industry partnership while providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students that help them to gain job-ready skills prior to graduation.

Furthermore, Patrick Connor, Executive Director for the Ontario Trails Council stated

"This is a valuable opportunity to inspire and train the next generation of trail ambassadors while continuing to build our existing relationship with the Hub and the University of Waterloo while improving services to our Member organizations."

For more information on the Trails and Social Enterprise research project, please email TheTrailResearchHub@gmail.com. Please consider joining us for the Trail Talk on the Ontario Trails ICD Projects on November 17th, 2021. 

To register to attend, please email execdir@ontariotrails.ca.

Places to Run, Ride Your Bike and Saving the Land for Greenbelt and other Trail Related News

There's always something happening on Ontario's Trails

For more information about Ontario's trails see:

ontariotrails.ca

ontariotrailsmap.com

Facebook Page

 Ontario Trails Group

Twitter

BEN SNIDER-MCGRATH JUNE 14, 2020

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When COVID-19 prevented Toronto residents from going out and doing whatever they pleased, they began hitting the city’s trails and pathways more and more to keep active by cycling, walking and running. Seeing the sudden surge of outdoor activity, the city decided to create ActiveTO, an initiative that reserved 57 kilometres of Toronto streets for pedestrians and cyclists. The only issue with ActiveTO was that there was no map available for the public, so five Toronto organizations (Cycle Toronto, Walk Toronto, The Bentway, Park People and Spacing Magazine) teamed up to make one, which they named SafewaysTO.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Environmentalists, farmers renew push to shelve Pickering airport, save prime farmland

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Land was purchased by federal government in 1972 to build airport

Angelina King · CBC News · Posted: Jun 14, 2020 5:00 AM ET | Last Updated: June 14

Advocates for farmland in Pickering, part of a group called Land over Landings, want the remaining land preserved for agriculture instead of a proposed airport. (Jonathan Castell)

Environmental organizations and farmers are renewing calls to protect land in Pickering slated for an airport, saying Ontario is missing out on what could be a secure source of local produce.

The federal project has been in limbo for decades and the group says that's led to a missed opportunity to expand southern Ontario's fruit and vegetable production on prime farmland.

The land, 18,600 acres, was acquired by the Liberal government of then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau in 1972 for the construction of an airport.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Chesley’s Inn wins bike friendly award

June 14, 2020 — Changed at 19 h 37 min on June 14, 2020

Reading time: 30 s

By Nick Seebruch

Owner of the Inn Robert Prowse (Shawna O'Neill/Seaway News).

CORNWALL, Ontario – Cornwall’s Auberge Chelsea’s Inn is one of 19 businesses from across Ontario’s 13 tourism regions to be recognized with the Bike Friendly Business Award from the Ontario By Bike network.

“The level of service and enthusiasm that these 2020 award winning businesses welcome cyclists with surpasses our bicycle friendly certification criteria and truly is beyond exceptional. Cyclists are taking note and spreading the word. We are pleased to recognize their efforts serving the cycling community, both locals and cycle tourists.” said Louisa Mursell, Executive Director of Ontario By Bike / Transportation Options.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Ontario Trails - consider donating to our work, here's why...

A call for membership.

Ontario Trails 6 point program for trails and trail activities:

1. Public Interface: over 1.5 million trail users find trails via the OTC website, this builds 'trails' public profile. #1 referrer site for Waterfront Regeneration Trust Trail, 15% or 150,000 users find your trails through an RTO via Trails Tourism - membership support helps OTC pay for all the hosting, mapping, updates, referrer links, event postings, etc. that makes our websites work. http://ontariotrailsmap.com

2. Education and Best Practices: Ontario Trails continues to deliver on trail education through Algonquin College, in classroom conferencing through our Trailhead Ontario Events at trailheadontario.com and via specific advice through our Ask an Expert or specific committee work, such as our work with The Frank Cowan Company, and Direct Bearing Inc. on Risk Management Practice.

3. Community and Collective Positions on Issues - we work to create collective input and community positions on trail use, conflict reduction, flood advisories, logging open/closed, trail seasonality open/closed, trespass reduction, injury and threat of harm reduction across communities of users (this is real - landowners and users, car drivers and cyclists, dog sledders and animal rights, etc.) this is a constant theme of our work. We answer phone calls, emails, social media and help groups with complaints one way or the other.

4. National and Provincial Representations: the OTC is in the preferred position of advocacy with the federal and provincial governments. Your input on issues and our collective response to funding, legislation, process, issue management, and OTC collective weight, has made and continues to make, a difference in trail operations. Our meetings in December with the federal government we believe this will result in an $11 million dollar envelope of federal funds for trails. Last Friday we met provincial representatives and we asked them to match.

5. OTC Finds Funding for Trails and Trail Activity - since 2003 the OTC has found ways to sustain itself via programs and services. Our key priorities have been sector recognition and member sustainability. This caused our membership to grow from 28 to 240, from $3000 to over $50,000 (when all renewed and paid up). We have secured over $35 million for trails funding, we have written over $4 million in support grants, we encouraged the province to fund Community in Action, CycleOn, Active 2010, TDF, OTF and other funding streams like Great Lakes Guardian, we have written tourism, risk management, trail management, lighting, maintenance and other professional or audit documents enabling trail groups to provide better and safer trails to the public.

6. Policy, Regulation and Legislation: from the Ontario Trails Strategy, the Ontario Trails Act, ensuring trails as part of the PPS (Provincial Policy Statement), securing rail trails against surplus loss, AODA and Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee recognition of 'the natural environment vs. build environment expectation", to direct in community face to face-saving of trails, protections of the OLA, LFA, Conservation, Snowmobile and other Acts; the securing of trails and reducing trails anxiety - these are real policy, real regulation and real ground truths that OTC has had a hand in.

At this time we could use your support. If you or your organization benefit from these actions - please contact the office so we can facilitate your membership!

If you know of a group that should become a member (like you) please forward them this email. Ask them to call and talk to Patrick 613-396-3226

Just today we shared this message with Peter, the President of OF4WDE and he picked up the phone and renewed. We hope you will too.

Regards,

Wayne Terryberry
OTC President

Ontario Trails Leads in Ontario Trail Brand Promotion

Ontario Trails Continues to Lead in Trail Brand Promotion

Recent updates include the inclusion of Trail Tourism Routes, Ontario Parks Trails, Rail Trails and refinements to other listings. Add your trail by brand today.

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TRAILS
Bruce Trail	The Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada.	23
Conservation Area Trails	Conservation Authorities and Conservation Areas protect Ontario's wetlands. In these areas some hiking, cycling and other trail activities are allowed.	109
County Forest Trails	Find your favourite trail in one of Ontario's many County Forests. County Forests and Forest Reserves are important areas where logging and land management takes place.	28
Great Lakes Waterfront Trail	The Waterfront Regeneration Trust has been in operation since 1992. During that time, we’ve made significant progress in making the trail a great place for people to visit.	50
North Hastings Scenic Routes	North Hastings Scenic Routes offers thirteen unique and interconnected routes, each with its own personality and charm. Posted highway signs direct visitors, and help you stay on track.	13
Rail Trails	Ontario Rail Trails are former rail beds that have been turned into trail-ways. Ontario Rail trails have gradual slopes, wide trail beds and are often multi and shared use.	61
Trail Tourism Routes	Ontario trail tourism routes are activity trails that include a combination of trail activity such as hiking or biking with buttertarts, ice cream, quilts or breathtaking scenery that include trails.	30
Trans Canada Trail Ontario	Welcome! The Trans Canada Trail (TCT) in Ontario connects approximately 150 communities through a collection of linked multi use trails.	47

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