Weekly E-Bulletin of the Ontario Trails Council. The provincial trails association in Ontario. Week of June 27, 2013
trailhead ontario
• Education • News • Updates • Sharing
•  Requests • Meetings • Activity
Trail Openings and Events
Saugeen Rail Trail Opening June 29th, 2013
The Ontario Trails Council is pleased to support the folks and trail organizations in Saugeen Shores as they open a section of trail this Saturday. While at Trailhead Ontario we were contacted by Joyce Scammell of the Saugeen Rail Trail Association, and we responded. Best of luck to all on Saturday. Letter posted to member section of OTC website.
saugeen rail trail

Pan-Am Path and OTC Meeting on Friday

“The Pan Am Path is a multi-use path that connects the city from Brampton, down along the Humber River, along to the waterfront, up the Lower Don, and then up to Scarborough through the hydro corridor,” explains James Gen Meers, one of the founders of Friends of the Pan Am Path, the non-profit that’s formed to champion this project. “It is a trail system that already kind of exists in the city of Toronto, but is missing certain pieces that are required to make it a non-stop continuous path, and that’s what the path is about: leveraging some of the political capital in time for the Pan Am Games to invest in the infrastructure required to make a continuous path.”


Niagara Trails Committee with OTC Meet Mayor Sharpe -Trail Given reprieve

Waterfront Trail - Lake Erie Adventure 2013
great waterfront trail adventure

Huron County Assessing Issues of Trail Development

Bruce Trail Opens Two side Trails in Orangeville


Ontario Trails and Ontario Equestrian Federation launch horse survey
ontario horse survey

Bruce County Promoting Rock Climbing
Bruce Peninsula cliffs bring in daring tourists

Owen Sound Sun Times
County tourism officials will work with the Ontario Access Coalition, a volunteer group that promotes environmentally responsible rock climbing, ...


See and feel how good nature is for you by getting out at least once a day

Research has shown that early-morning cardio in a fasted state can burn up to 20 percent more calories; however hitting the grass versus the treadmill provides a number of further benefits that may just surprise you. Fitting in some nature, or vitamin N, may just be the secret to unlocking a better mood, faster metabolism and stronger memory.

1. Beat belly fat 
Research shows that people who live near trees and parks have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva than those who live in a concrete jungle. A Japanese study found that a forest walk can render a 12 percent decrease in cortisol levels, a seven percent decrease in sympathetic nerve activity (which would contribute to anxiety), a one percent decrease in blood pressure, and a five percent decrease in heart rate. The more you can get yourself into a green space, the better it is for your body composition — and sanity, for that matter.

2. Go green to beat the blues.
Forget retail therapy, try nature therapy. I recently saw an anonymous quote posted on my Facebook page that said, “There’s no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection,” and I couldn’t agree more. Whether you’re having a bad day, or a tough year, seeking out an area with a lot of greenery has been shown to improve both mood and memory in depressed individuals. In one Michigan study, participants exhibited significant increases in memory span and mood after walks in nature versus urban walks. This is perhaps why many people battle the cottage traffic every Friday night to spend a couple of days in the great outdoors before heading back into the city for another week in the grind. If you don’t have a cottage escape, look up some local trails. It’s an inexpensive, instantly gratifying and calorie-free way to lift your mood.

3. Combat brain fog
If you’re drawing a blank with a project at work, a study from Scotland suggests getting outside for a walk in the park. Researchers took volunteers through three areas: a historic shopping district with old buildings and light traffic, a park-like setting and a busy commercial district with heavy traffic while they wore portable EEGs on their heads to relay their brain waves.While the participants were in the commercial area they produced brain wave patterns conducive with frustration versus the parkland that showed patterns similar to meditation. Bottom line: If you can get out for your lunch and head to a park for 20 minutes you may find yourself more productive the rest of the day.

4. Help nurture creativity
Between our iPhones, laptops and tablets we’re continuously plugged in. However, spending time away from battery-operated devices and in nature has been linked to a 50 percent increase in creativity, something scientists refer to as attentional restoration theory. Bottom line: If you’re heading into a green space this long weekend, be sure to leave yourself unplugged for optimal health benefits.

5. Sleep more soundly
If you find yourself doing everything right and still tossing and turning at night, head outdoors for a walk down your favourite nature trail. Researchers found that forest walking improved actual sleep time, immobile minutes, self-rated depth of sleep and sleep quality. And for even better results, according to the study, you should aim to have this walk later in the day versus earlier. Bottom line: With the longer summer days I recommend taking advantage of an after-dinner walk not just to influence your waistline, but also your bedtime.

6. Get green at home
If you live in the city and you can only escape on the weekends, there are many benefits to adding a little greenery around the house and the office. According to researchers at Kansas State University, adding plants to hospital rooms speeds recovery rates of surgical patients. Compared to patients in rooms without plants, patients in rooms with plants request less pain medication, have lower blood pressure, experience less stress, and are released from the hospital sooner. Bottom line: Feeling stressed at work? Add a potted plant and you will find yourself feeling healthier and taking less time off to battle the seasonal cold.

From http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/health-benefits-of-nature/


 

Feature Destination
Lennox & Addington County Trails
Do the Dozen ChallengeOffering 12 well mapped and signed road routes with plenty of paved shoulders, there are over 600km of great cycling around and north from theNapanee area. 

While these trails have been available for a number of years, the folks at L&A have created a new promotion for 2013 called 'Do the Dozen Challenge'. Cyclists are invited to go anytime, cycle at their own pace and check into way-finding points along the way. Once complete, their name will go down in history and they become eligible to win a prize pack worth $500.


National Post
The shuttered Ontario Place will get a new urban park and waterfront trail, Ontario's Minister of Tourism and Culture Michael Chan announced on Wednesday. Mr. Chan told a Wednesday morning press conference on the former tourist attraction's now-empty ...

Trail Questions

1) Capital Funding for Trails - Please take a minute to complete the capital funding section of our survey. A s many communities head into the budget cycle other communities want to get an idea of the relative and comparative amounts communities of similar size are investing in their trails. Please go to:

capital data survey

Trailhead Ontario - Thanks to All!

trailhead ontario


Local Support - we wish to thank Kawarthas Northumberland and Peterborough Kawarthas Tourism and the Canadian Canoe Museum for their support and planning for this event. We thank all the trail ambassadors the RTO folks found for our session events. Special thanks to Christine Painter, Vanessa Twiddy and Karen Theriault for their unfailing support of our event!
 
kawartha's northumberland        

Trails Education - Select a Program!algonquin college trails education

We have updated the program and our 14 module program is here for the using. If you have staff to train, trails to manage or want a session in your area on a particular topic let us know. We'll coordinate a session or series on your behalf.

  DESCRIPTION
COURSE TITLE
Volunteer Management View PDF
Business Planning and Budgetting View PDF
Regulation and Legislation View PDF
Ecosystem and Natural Heritage View PDF
Wilderness First Aid View PDF
Food and Nutrition View PDF
Marketing and Promotion View PDF
Health and Safety View PDF
Technology for Trails - Level 1 View PDF
Trail Design (2 days) View PDF
Trail Risk Management View PDF
Trail Committee Development Manual
Trail Steward- On Line Learning Program
Trail Planning - On Line Program

Trails Insurance Program AvailableOnce again, members of the trails community find themselves seeking alternative trails insurance. The volatility and unpredictability of your insurance plan keeping you hopping? Wondering what you are getting, curious if your agent or the underwriter understands trails?
If you want:
  • cost stability
  • product assurance
  • insurance perseverance
  • a broker that understands trails
At OTC our mission is "trail preservation." See the note from Intercity Insurance, Mike King, below.

intercity insurance
Further to our recent discussions, I wanted to let you know that we have investigated various markets to get a sense of the appetite that insurers have for coverage associated with trails. Our findings suggest that coverage is available - but from a very limited number of carriers and that the cost of insurance in this class is not heading down anytime soon. The reality is that there have been losses associated with trails in general and that the frequency and severity of claims is on the rise.
 
On the positive side of the issue, we have had several specific discussions of late with our current carriers at Lloyd's of London and we are (collectively) very interested in ramping up our work with OTC to connect with your associates who manage trails. We and the insurers we represent are firm in our commitment to work collaboratively with the OTC trail community to develop a comprehensive risk management strategy that makes sense - and insurance is just one part of that strategy.
 
As for what trail insurance products we have "in the box” right now:
 
a)       Commercial General Liability coverage —premium costs start at $1,000.00 for $2,000,000 coverage.
b)      Directors and Officers liability coverage — premium costs start at $200.00 for $I,000,000 coverage. We find that even the smallest community group is seeing the importance of acquiring D and O coverage.
c)       Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage - premiums start at $250. 00 to cover the Officers, Directors, employees, members. The limit of coverage is $100,000.

In the near future OTC will be bundling these products as a part of membership services and products.

Performance Measures - Trail Counts!

ontario trails counts
Low maintenance - Using weatherproof decals our methods allow users to quickly and easily provide you with information you need to assess, improve, direct, re-direct, or provide information to the user - while on the trail. Our proprietary method has been developed by over 140 trail users and with the input of The City of Thunder Bay and Norfolk County Trail Managers.


Packages - OTC Member? - Take $25.00 off each package!
  • Blue - 4-10 trails:  $300.00 plus HST and registration fees
    • Maximum 20 sheets of decals
  • Green - 10-20 trails: $500.00 plus HST and registration fees
    • Maximum 40 sheets of decals
  • Gold - 20 or more trails: Starting at $1,000 plus HST and registration fees
    • TBD
Go to Trail Counts! to purchase. Thanks

Ontario Trails - Your Data Wanted

land information ontario
Since 2007 the Ontario Trails Council has collected trails data, and turned that data into our award winning website, as mandated by the desires of the trails community reflected in the Ontario Trails Strategy. Nearly 1,000,000 people a year turn to this information in order to find you and your trails.
The characteristics we are looking for are:

1.       Measurements
  1. Trailhead Longitude
  2. Trailhead Latitude
  3. Completion Time (hours)
  4. Elevation Change (m)
  5. Trailhead Elevation (m)
  6. Maximum Elevation (m)
  7. Cross Slope Average (%)
  8. Cross Slope Maximum (%)
  9. Minimum Trail Width (m)
  10. Average Trail Width (m)
  11. Maximum Grade (%)
  12. Average Grade (%)
  13. Trail Surface
  14. Trail Classification (Trail Group/Local Classification/Difficulty/ Rating eg: OFSC Trail Classes)
4.    Prohibited Trail Uses
5.    Trail Hazards (Poison Ivy, Steep Slopes)
6.    Trail Fees (Day Pass, Donation, Parking etc.)
7.    Seasons/Dates of Operation
8.    Trail Amenities (Visitor Centre, Beach, Boat Launch etc.)
9.    Trail Enforcement
10.  Trail Permits 
11.  Trail Speed Limit
12.  Trail Signage
13.  Trail Environmental Concerns
14.  Trail Permitted Use (Dogs on Leash)
  1. Date of Collection
  2. Data Collector
  3. Trail sensitivity (high /low) 
So let us know if you are willing to support us by sharing data you already have. execdir@ontariotrails.ca Thanks
 
 

nipigon

Trail Heroes

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 heroes

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!

ontario trails blog

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.  Register today - registration is open 24/7 until the morning of each training event. 

ontario trails courses

Join OTC

The Ontario Trails Council is a non-profit charitable organization, established in 1988, that promotes the development, preservation, management and use of recreational trails. With over 130 organizational members and 15 individual supporters the OTC has influence! Support trails in Ontario - Join the OTC

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!

ontario water trails


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 your event


Member Requests

1) Capital Budgets - link to google doc shared - please share your trail budget we'd like to know who is getting what around the province. Thanks!

2) OTC met Mayor Rob Ford Chief of Staff and discussed his support for the Toronto Trails Committee. Please like us on facebook.

3) OTC/Cycle Toronto pursue Ignite endorsement! Secured!

4) OTC going back to Norfolk County in May on horse trails!

5) Met with core leaders Niagara Trails Committee. Thanks to Niagara Circle Trek Trail for your support!

6) OTC welcomes new members! Thanks South Western Tourism Corporation!

7) OTC declared "partner" of Cycle Toronto - thanks

cycle toronto

8) Algonquin College program on-line

algonquin college

9) Do you have a winter trail maintenance policy? Please forward to Ontario Trails execdir@ontariotrails.ca

10) Thanks to Caledon for extending use of trails to horses!

11) Please renew your OTC Membership - TODAY
"New trails are still to be developed in Ontario. Existing trails need to be maintained and expanded. Trail organizations in Ontario need one common voice to advocate for them. We need a central source to promote funding opportunities and act as a communications link between trail groups." Ray Gilbert Bruce Trails Network

12) Next OTC Board Meeting May 27th, 2013. Using JoinMe internet meeting service.

13) Liability Survey Arising from our meeting with the ADM and staffs October 1, 2012
Short Form
Long Form
Please complete ASAP

14) Hamilton Conservation discount passes - Additional rewards :-)

15) Anybody aware of any sanctioned "free run" dog trails? Came up at Toronto Beltline Trail Meeting. Please call OTC Office with information

16) Credit Valley Conservation looking for support from Shell Fuelling Change Project

17) OTC Mobile App - for iProducts and Windows

otc mobile app

18) peace garden trails
Check out the latest trail opening here.

19) Thanks to The Great Waterway for their support. Contact Graham Burke if your RTO wants to do the same!

20) Millennium Trail PEC Blog - often looking for volunteers

21) Each week 100 folks talk about us and we reach over 12,000 on facebook alone. Check us out

22) Membership section of OTC website updated - get your login and password today!

23) Director section of the OTC website updated - get your login and password today! New content added - Guideline for Interpreting Financial statements and Past Meeting Minutes.

24) CPRA Looking for Infrastructure and Parks Volunteer e-mail John Lohuis at Niagara Parks

 niagara parks

25) Add your trail

26) Add your event

27) Prescott-Russell look for links on website for Masterplan

28) The Toronto Bruce Trail public bus hikes

29) Follow the Education Program on Facebook


facebook ontario trails education


30) Follow the Education Program Updates on Twitter

twitter ontario trails education

31) Post Photos to Pinterest

ontario trails on pinterest


32) OTC on Foursquare

ontario trails on foursquare

33) Safe Trails Manual



34) Winter Hikes with Rainbow Routes
rainbow routes hike club


35) OTC Education Partner

Ontario Parks Association

36) Snowshoe program at Wye Marsh

wye marsh


37) Park and Recreation Ontario.
park and recreation ontario

38) OTC Youtube Channel
ontario trails youtube channel

39) Trail Priorities Survey

40)Trail Reform Now Survey

41) Trail Projects 2012

42) Ontario Trails Maps

ontario trails maps

43) Enabling Change Program
ontario

44) Canadian Canoe Museum
Canadian canoe museum

Canadian canoe museum


45) Sustainable Trails Program

sustainable trails program

46) FinnFun


Welcome Greeting in Finnish with flags of Finland

The 74th annual Finnish Canadian Grand Festival is returning to the City of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where the Grand Festival originated on the Dominion Day Weekend in 1940. We are calling this year’s festival: FINNFUN2013. FINNFUN2013 will take place from Thursday June 27th to Canada Day on Monday July 1st, 2013. We encourage families to bring their children to participate and to learn about their Finnish culture and heritage.

47) OTC Board 2012-13

Jack De Wit - PRESIDENT
Ontario Equestrian Federation
905-655-4666
cndhrsman@bellnet.ca


Bonnie Simpson V.P.
Ontario Trail Riders Association
705-438-5752

otcdocumentwranglet@hotmailcom

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
Huronia Trails and Greenways
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

K
irsten 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 a vacancy on the OTC Board. If you are interested please e-mail Jack De Wit to discuss.
cndhrsman@bell.net


ontario trillium foundation
Ontario Trails Council appreciates Ontario Trillium Foundation Financial Support


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.


winner american trails

ontario trails twitter


ontario trails facebook


OTC Event Planning Guide
Call 877-668-7245







 


OTC Trail Committee Manual
Call 877-668-7245

ontario regional trail committee planner

 


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 Nipigon and SEOPRA! Thank you very much for your support!

THANKS! MERCI!
 join otc


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