TRAIL RELATED NEWS

Archive:  Up to 2005 2006

For comprehensive news listings on trails, try:  American Trails News and Action.   Bruce Trail Association News.  Ontario Trails Council. Hike Ontario. International Mountain Biking Association, Canadian News.

Funding to help complete Winnipeg portion of Trans-Canada Trail
October 11th, 2007

Winnipeg's portion of the Trans Canada Trail should be complete by this time next year. An announcement to build the trail's final missing links in the city was made this morning at St. Vital Park. Two new sections, totalling between 4.2 and 4.5 km, will be built beginning next spring through the Assiniboine Forest and on the south side of Bishop Grandin Boulevard between the Red River and Scurfield Boulevard.

Both sections will be paved and will connect to existing trail networks, completing a circuit through the city. "This completes the Trans Canada Trail in Winnipeg," said Paul Jordan, chair of the Winnipeg Trails Association. The federal and provincial governments committed a total of $2.5 million to build the remaining two sections of trail, which are being built on city land. Jordan said the trails should be complete by next fall.

- http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2007/10/11/4567985.html

HIKE ONTARIO: "SAVE OUR TRAILS"

"Dear Hikers, Walkers and Concerned Citizens of Ontario,
The future of hiking and walking trails in Ontario is threatened. This is an issue that has reached a crisis for some volunteer-based organizations across Ontario and threatens to spread. We are working with the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation to remedy this issue."

--Hike Ontario Save Our Trails brochure.

Ontario celebrates Greenbelt’s 2nd anniversary

Februrary 28, 2007

“Environmental And Agricultural Legacy Protected For Future Generations”

TORONTO – The McGuinty government is celebrating the second anniversary of the Greenbelt, which permanently protects more than 1.8 million acres of agricultural and environmentally sensitive land around the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The government’s efforts to preserve the Greenbelt received high marks earlier today from the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance in its annual report card.

“The Greenbelt is an important element of our government’s plan to tackle gridlock, contain sprawl and preserve greenspace,” said Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing John Gerretsen. “We welcome the Greenbelt Alliance’s report card because it clearly indicates that we are on the right track. The Greenbelt is an important legacy for future generations of which we can all be proud.”

The Greenbelt permanently protects some of Ontario’s most valuable green spaces, farmland, forests, wetlands and watersheds.

“The Greenbelt is an innovative planning tool that protects some of Canada’s richest farmlands from random urban sprawl,” said Jim Bradley, Minister of Tourism and Minister Responsible for the Greenbelt Foundation. “It also cleanses the water we drink and the air we breathe, as well as preserving recreational lands for millions of Ontarians to enjoy.”

“By preserving and protecting a significant area of green space and natural ecosystems, the Greenbelt is creating a living legacy that will make a real difference to the health of our environment and the health and quality of life for Ontarians,” said Laurel Broten, Ontario’s Environment Minister. 

The Greenbelt continued to earn accolades in its second year.

According to The Toronto Star, a recent Decima Research poll found that 89 per cent of residents in the Greater Toronto Area “support the greenbelt as a way to ensure cities in Greater Toronto remain liveable and environmentally healthy.”

As well, in October 2006, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario announced that he plans to present a special award to the Government of Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment Commission recognizing their accomplishments in establishing Ontario’s Greenbelt.

The McGuinty government demonstrated its ongoing commitment to the Greenbelt over the past year by:

In the past year, the McGuinty government protected additional lands that connect existing greenspaces and parkland. In October, the government donated 180 acres of provincially significant land to the Hamilton Conservation Authority to create a new conservation area. In February 2007, the province transferred 20 acres of environmentally sensitive land to the City of Burlington increasing the size of Hidden Valley Park by 42 per cent.

The Province is currently developing a performance measurement framework that will be used at the time of the Greenbelt’s 10-year review to measure its effectiveness. The framework will be used as a monitoring tool in the years preceding the mandated 10-year review.

The Greenbelt is part of the McGuinty government’s commitment to environmental protection. It is also a key component of the province’s reform of the planning system, which includes changes to the Provincial Policy Statement and the creation of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Most recently, reforms to the Planning Act that came into force on January 1, 2007, complement the Greenbelt by providing additional municipal tools that encourage sustainable development.

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_28440_1.html

 

Application deadline for the Ministry of Tourism’s Celebrate Ontario grants

February 29, 2007

Celebrate Ontario is a new $2.5 million initiative that will help renew and revitalize existing festivals and events. Celebrate Ontario aims to help festival and events organizers create new programs and attractions to develop new experiences to attract residents and visitors to Ontario. Grants of up to $100,000 will be provided on a one-time basis to support the development and marketing of new enhancements to a festival or event. This includes costs associated with new activities, programs or services, marketing and advertising expenses and other costs.

The Ministry of Tourism recognizes that Ontario’s festivals and events provide significant benefits for communities across the province through increased visitor spending and community pride, and by celebrating Ontario’s art, culture and history, and providing increased job opportunities. The average festival generates over $11 million in taxes and creates nearly 700 full-time jobs.

The application deadline was January 29, 2007.

http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/festivals/index.html

 

Parks Canada’s Sustainable Trails presentation at the Downstream Bar

February 7, 2007

 

By Alisen Charlten

If there was one message from Parks Canada's sustainable trails presentation on Jan. 30 that rang loud and clear, it was that we're all in this together.

A collection of about 45 mountain bikers, hikers, dog walkers, horseback riders, trail runners and even a few bird watchers gathered at the Downstream Bar last week to learn about the importance of proper trail construction and the components that make a trail system successful.

Organized by the Jasper Trails Project team, the presentation by Mark Schmidt, engineer, trail specialist and leader of the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), was the first of two sessions.

It focused on the importance of building a trail system for all user groups and gave local trail users a better idea of the challenges being faced in revamping Jasper's current trail network. With years of professional and personal trail building experience behind him, Schmidt is not only an engineer by trade and a passionate mountain biker but an advocate for sustainable and environmentally healthy trails for all users.

During the presentation, Schmidt spoke on topics ranging from the basic principals of good trail construction to the destructive nature of erosion to conflict between user groups. Schmidt reminded everyone that all trail users have very similar objectives when enjoying a trail including escaping from the stresses of daily life and taking in the natural environment. "Many people out there think mountain bikers are good for nothing bums that ride bikes all day," chuckled Schmidt. "In reality, we're all the same people. We all have similar social values."

According to the IMBA trail expert, of the physiological forces that impact trails erosion can be one of the most destructive so trails need to be built to avoid such impact.

Dispelling the myth that erosion damage on trails is caused by certain users, Schmidt made it clear that trail design has a larger impact on trail health than user groups. "Remember, erosion is a natural process cause by water and wind," said Schmidt. "All trail users help in the process of erosion. We loosen the soil up and then erosion takes place."

Much to the delight of the mountain bikers present, Schmidt also referenced a scientific study that calculated the amount of soil displaced by user groups on a specific piece of trail. According to the study, all terrain vehicles and horses caused the most displacement while hikers and mountain bikers cause significantly less. By a small degree, hikers actually displaced more soil than mountain bikers.

However, according to Schmidt, there are studies that have discovered that mountain bikers do have a larger impact on wildlife than some other groups. "Eagles, for example, apparently don't like mountain bikers," said Schmidt, adding that on the other hand sheep are oblivious them.

Quoting another trail building expert, Jim Angel, Schmidt reminded his audience that: "Users don't need trails, nature needs trails." According to him, a sustainable trail has four main components; it should protect the environment, require minimal maintenance, meet the needs of users and minimize conflict between those users.

"We want to make sure us being on the trail doesn't destroy the reason we're out there," he said.

In discussing trail user conflict, Schmidt had a number of recommendations to mitigate these problems including educational signage, patrols, peer education, user group partnerships and creative trail design.

For example, in one project Schmidt was involved in they organized a Carrot Fest to improve mountain bikers' relationships with horse users. Each time a biker passed a horse they'd stop and feed them a carrot.

In some places, user groups have taken it upon themselves to lessen their impact on a trail system. For instance, Schmidt said some horse outfitters have the last animal in a pack train drag a contraption that helps smooth and flatten out the disturbed soil after the horses have passed.

According to Schmidt, there are three main reasons for conflict: environmental - the perception that other groups cause more damage; safety - such as people concerned about being hit by a fast moving trail user ; and social - groups with different goals.

Nearing the end of his presentation, Schmidt informed the audience of how innovative the Trail Project actually is. "What you guys are doing in Jasper is way ahead of any other park. You guys are setting the example for the rest of the world to follow."

http://www.imba.com/news/mtb_news_wire/02_07_07_trail_users.html

 

International Mountain Biking Association presents at Ontario Parks Association Conference

February 7, 2007

 

Thanks to support from Ontario's Ministry of Health Promotion, IMBA Canada was able to present at this year's Ontario Parks Association's Annual Education Seminar, entitled "Healthy Parks, Healthy Communities". IMBA Canada Director and Trail Expert, Mark Schmidt, spoke to Ontario Parks leaders February 7, on the topic of Managing Mountain Biking, including: sustainable trail design, understanding the mountain bike experience, working with volunteers, mitigating user conflict, and managing risk. Information shared in this session will soon be available as an online resource, and will be elaborated on in IMBA's upcoming book "Managing Mountain Biking".

 

IMBA Canada has a mandate to present "best practices" to key stakeholders in all four regions of the province.

 

http://www.imba.com/canada/news/index.html

 

McGuinty Government Applauds Durham Regional Council Decision To Protect The Greenbelt

January 25, 2007

TORONTO – The McGuinty government applauds Durham Regional Council’s decision to defend the Greenbelt.

Durham Council has defeated a recommendation from its Planning Committee to include an attachment to its Official Plan that identified lands it wanted removed from the Greenbelt. Council also approved a motion to take no further action on the issue.

“Durham Regional Council has made an historic decision that respects and supports the integrity of the Greenbelt,” said John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We are proud that the Council has recognized the importance of our efforts to preserve this valuable resource. The Greenbelt provides sufficient land for further growth in Durham, while leaving a legacy of protected greenspace for future generations.”

The Greenbelt permanently protects more than 1.8 million acres of prime agricultural and environmentally sensitive land around the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The Greenbelt is part of the McGuinty government’s commitment to environmental protection. It is also a key component of the province’s reform of the planning system, which includes changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and most recently, reforms to the Planning Act that came into force on January 1, 2007.

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_28318_1.html

 

B.E.A.S.T. snowmobile trail closure due to road construction

January 9, 2007

 

“We continue to investigate the possibility of pushing through from Hazeldean to the TCT wherever possible to keep the West Ridge/Timbermere access point open. At this point in time no route is secured, but we have been in contact with the construction company and the MTO since September. Our only hope is to make use of the pipeline that runs one mile south to the TCT. Unfortunately there are five landowners on this stretch of land and we have had great difficulty getting in contact with two of those five landowners. There would also have to be about 200 yards of trail cutting to take this approach as one landowner on the pipeline has already denied the BEAST access.

“As it stands now there will be no trail from the Hazeldean Road area(this shows as BEAST 201 on the map)this season, as we have not been able to secure landowner access, and we are still awaiting feedback from one of the landowner's lawyer. The Trans-Canada Pipeline and MTO have approved our proposed trail route, but the land owners have the final say.

“So, to summarize. BEAST 201 is officially closed. Please avoid the MTO construction site along Hwy 7. The closest location near Hazeldean Road to unload is now the park and Ride at Dwyer Hill Rd and Hwy 7, where there is convenient access to the E103 trail.”

http://www.snowmobile.on.ca/

 

Provincial Snowmobiling Environment Month: snowmobiling meets or exceeds emissions requirements

January 2, 2007

 

(Barrie, ON): The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) reports

good news to mark Provincial Snowmobiling Environment Month, January 2007. Thanks

to many high tech advances and an industry-wide commitment, snowmobiling has met

or exceeded all emission requirements and timelines set forth by both Canadian and

American environmental protection agencies.

 

As a result, today’s snowmobiles are much cleaner, quieter and more odour-free than

any of their predecessors, as well as becoming considerably more fuel-efficient. Best of

all, not only are these cleaner sleds widely available, they are also being actively

purchased and used by snowmobilers everywhere, even though they are slightly more

expensive.

 

“It’s one thing for the manufacturers to make new technologies available, it’s quite

another to persuade people to buy it,“ said Mike Farr, OFSC Manager, Trails Programs.

“Snowmobilers are embracing the new generation of cleaner sleds because they provide

many environmental benefits, plus delivering increased reliability, improved durability

and enhanced rider comfort.”

 

To some extent, higher insurance costs may have also played a role in the greening of

snowmobiles. Although premium rates have now returned to affordable levels, many

snowmobilers decided not to insure aging sleds when rates soared between 2001 and

2005. Consequently, a considerable number of older sleds were culled from the

“provincial fleet” when their owners stopped using them. High tech sleds with state of the

art emissions efficiency have now replaced many of these outdated models.

 

“Snowmobilers as a group tend to be environmentally conscious because few

receationists spend more time outdoors in the winter than we do,” continued Farr. “So

we have a vested interest in keeping nature beautiful and that’s also why we support the

OFSC Environment Fund.”

 

Each snowmobiler contributes one dollar from the cost of a Snowmobile Trail Permit to

the OFSC Environment Fund. The OFSC has invested more than $1.25 million from this

fund to underwrite worthy environment projects such as up to date fuel containment

systems, erosion control, and reseeding and replanting.

 

In addition, the OFSC has invested millions of dollars to establish a snowmobile trail

system that keeps sledders on designated corridors and bridges. “By discouraging

random cross country wandering and avoiding sensitive areas, our trails minimize

possible environmental impacts on both flora and fauna,” concl

uded Farr. “Our overall

footprint through the wilderness is contained, minimal and seasonal — and once spring

comes, there is little trace left of our temporary presence during those brief winter

months.”

 

The OFSC is committed to proactive leadership and support for snowmobiling and

snowmobile trails, to conserve, protect and appreciate the environment in a responsible,

long-term sustainable way, which enhances the health, enjoyment and prosperity of

Ontarians, by working with stakeholders in many ways, including effective planning,

education, programs and environmental projects.

 

http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/Events/OFSCenviromonthMR.pdf
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Updated by Peter Kowalski – October 11th, 2007