Building Pathways for a Better Tomorrow

Canada’s Economic Action Plan Delivers $25 Million for Trail Improvements

Coldwater, Ontario. — “More families, outdoor enthusiasts and tourists will be able to enjoy Canada’s outdoor heritage thanks to the Conservative government’s job-creating investment in safer, more accessible trails across Canada,” said Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton.

“Canada’s trail network helps us get to the heart of our amazing outdoors. It enriches the health and enjoyment of countless Canadians,” said Stanton. “As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to create jobs and help our economy, our government is designating $25 million to build and improve these wonderful outdoor resources.”

In order to provide the most rapid economic benefit possible during this challenging economic time, funding will go to shovel ready projects that are set to break ground in 2009-2010.

This investment in Canada’s outdoor heritage will create jobs, pour money into the local economy, and help to attract more tourists to Simcoe North.

This program will be jointly funded by provincial, territorial, municipal or private funding, and will be administered in partnership with the National Trails Coalition, a joint venture made up of the three non-profit organizations. They include the Canadian Trails Federation, Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations and the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council.

“We chose today’s location in Coldwater as a perfect example of the kind of trail projects that could access some of the funding announced in the Economic Action Plan,” commented Stanton. “As some of you will know, one of the few sections of the TransCanada trail that has yet to be completed is the six kilometre stretch between Waubaushene and Coldwater.”

National Trails Coalition Chairman Terry Norman called the investment “a major boost to all forms of trail-based tourism and recreational activities."

For More Information
James Nicol, Executive Assistant
Office of Bruce Stanton, M.P.
Simcoe North
(613) 992-6582
stantb@parl.gc.ca

American Trails Conference November 14-18, 2008 in Little Rock, Arkansas

Note from Frieda Baldwin:

Attending a conference like the bi-annual American Trails conference is a tremendous opportunity to gain trail related knowledge.

The report is a summary of notes from the Plenary and Concurrent Sessions as recorded by Frieda Baldwin

The document is available here: 2008 American Trails Conference Notes.

Simcoe County Forests – Users be aware, the rules have changed

Click here for the Simcoe County Forests - Rules Changes PDF document.

Users of the trails within the Simcoe County forests need to know that new policy guidelines are in place for all who enjoy these lands. With so many recreational users partaking in both non-motorized and motorized activities in the forests it was becoming increasingly challenging to accommodate and coordinate all groups to ensure a safe and pleasurable experience was available to all, while respecting the environmental concerns and multi-use right of ways. Simcoe County therefore reviewed the recreational use of County Forests and adopted a new Recreational Use Policy.

The entire release is available here.

UPDATE FROM SIMCOE COUNTY TRAILS

Thanks to funding provided to Huronia Trails and Greenways by Communities in Action - Active 2010, the County of Simcoe Forest Division, by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and a number of other sponsors, we are seeing much progress in the areas of mapping, trail blazing, promotion of active living, and trail promotion in general. Here are some of the highlights:

1. A total of 17 loop trails and 13 linear trails have been mapped and are posted on www.simcoecountytrails.net.
• The linear trails are mostly railtrails, or waterfront trails such as in Collingwood, Midland, Orillia, Penetanguishene. A booklet with the 13 maps is scheduled for printing this spring and will be available in local libraries.
• The loop trails are non-motorized trails, usually in Simcoe County Forests, conservation lands, or provincial parks. They all start and finish in the same place, and are blazed along the way with small vinyl markers, placed on trees or posts, that carry the Simcoe County Trails logo, and a red (main trail) or blue (short cut trail) arrow indicating direction. On some of the trails, the vinyl blazes will over time be replaced with paint blazes (most likely fluorescent green) in an effort to fight vandalism and comply with the County of Simcoe’s direction not to use nails in trees. These loop trail maps are also printed in a map book, of which 10,000 were printed in 2006, and which are unfortunately already out of stock. They will be reprinted as funding permits. A geocache has been placed on each of the loop trails to entice families to go and explore the trails and find the treasure!
2. The www.simcoecountytrails.net website has been re-designed to include “Trails Experiences”, i.e. useful information to encourage new and experienced trail users to explore new trails, new trail activities, who to contact, etc. The new website also has a link to the County of Simcoe’s interactive GIS website, which now contains detailed mapping and information on some of the major trails in Simcoe County. 
3. Trail Crossing signs (see adjacent pictures) have been placed on municipal roads at major trail crossings. One of the signs is a risk management sign which alerts drivers to the fact that there is a trail crossing ahead. The second sign is more of an educational nature, as it provides information on which users can use that particular trail and indicates the exact access point to the trail. Most municipalities in Simcoe County participated in this program.
   
4. Forest use in the Simcoe County forests for recreational purposes is enjoyed by many trail users, from non-motorized to motorized. Simcoe County therefore reviewed the recreational use of County Forests and adopted a new Recreational Use Policy effective January 1st, 2007.  See http://www.county.simcoe.on.ca/municipalservices/forestry/index.htm. As a result of this new policy, you can see new signage at trail entrances and along trails, indicating a sharing of the forest by various trail users.  Trail wardens are enforcing proper trail etiquette, educate users on where to ride, encourage noise control, etc.  For your reference, Simcoe County Forests total approx. 30,000 acres divided over several tracts spread over the county, and provide a multitude of benefits to the county including protection of wildlife habitat and water resources, public education & recreation, scientific research and production of wood products, etc. Let’s work with the county and other trail users to preserve this natural treasure.
5. Another major step forward is that the County of Simcoe’s 2008 budget includes approval to hire a trail coordinator, who will liaise with municipalities, trail user groups and other stakeholders to coordinate and promote trails and trail use in the county. More details on this will be available at a later time.

In conclusion, a lot of progress has been made, and not in the least thanks to the professionalism and dedication of the Simcoe County Trails project manager, David Francis. Unfortunately, David’s contract has expired, and we thank David, and his wife Margaret, who also volunteered numerous hours, for their commitment to trails promotion in Simcoe County.

Frieda Baldwin

President, Huronia Trails and Greenways

info@simcoecountytrails.net

March 2008

Trail volunteers honoured by warden of Simcoe county

At the conclusion of a very successful Simcoe County Active Trails Summit in Midhurst on April 14, 2007, volunteers who contributed substantially to trail building in Simcoe County over a long period, were honoured by Warden Tony Guergis. With the exception of 2, all volunteers are residents of Simcoe County, and have been instrumental in the building of trails, for the benefit of walkers, cyclists, horseback riders, snowmobilers, ATV’ers and dual-sport motorbikes, or simply to enjoy our great outdoors. These volunteers have built railtrails, single track trails, have repaired bridges and culverts, raised funds and kept the trails clean for all to enjoy.

Trails Summit Volunteers Huronia Trails and Greenways volunteers who made the Active Trails Summit a success! Front row left to right Margaret Francis, Linda Turnbull, Christine Bushey, Warden Tony Guergis, Nancy Cook, Frieda Baldwin, Gill Wilkes Back row left to right Brian Green, David Francis, Rick Allen, Petra Hewson, Kristin Larsen, Bill Metherall	Ramara Trail Warden award: Bob Bowles, Annalynn Faulkner and Warden Tony Guergis

The following were honoured:

A well deserved thank you to all.

Huronia Trails and Greenways is a registered not-for-profit charitable corporation (charitable number 869134759RR0001) and is the regional co-ordinating body for shared use trail development in Simcoe County.  The organization is specifically focused on the completion of the Trans Canada Trail route through Simcoe County, and the promotion of trails for their health, social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits.

For further information check www.simcoecountytrails.net
or contact Frieda Baldwin at info@simcoecountytrails.net or 705-458-4037.

Grant for Huronia Trails and Greenways

Shanty Bay Public School

Tree Chipping Party June 26 04

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK ON THE COOKSTOWN TRANS CANADA TRAIL

No, not exactly light work. It was very hard work, but with 28 volunteers the job got finished much earlier than expected.

From early morning to mid afternoon, six volunteer chainsaw operators cut shrubs and small clumps of trees to open up a 20 ft by 400 ft. right of way, owned by the Town of Innisfil on the old railway line north of Wellington Street in Cookstown. This is to make room for the relocation of the Trans Canada Trail from the trail's current location on private property to the lands owned by the municipality. 

The chainsaw operators were assisted by volunteer trail enthousiasts who dragged the branches and tree stumps to a commercial woodchipper, where 2 operators would process the wood into small woodchips, which will later be used for a short pedestrian side trail north of Cookstown. 

The work was intense, but other than some scrapes from the hawthorne bushes, the work party went very smoothly. As an additional bonus, we were all delighted with the new landscape that became visible from the trail, to the northwest. Brown cows grazing on the green pasture land adjacent to the trail made for a very picturesque landscape. 

The Thornton-Cookstown Trans Canada Trail committee would like to thank the many volunteers who came out to help, as well as the community service students, who needed to clock in some volunteer hours as part of their highschool graduation requirements. Thanks also go to Tim Horton's of Cookstown for sponsoring a coffee break, to CRS Contractors Rental Supply of Barrie for donating the use of the chipper and 2 chainsaws, as well as to PCL Constructors Canada Inc. of Orillia for the hardhats, safety glasses and earplugs. 

For more information, contact 705-458-4037 or tctrail@simcoecountytrails.net

RAIN DID NOT STOP STEPS TO HEALTH WALKERS

After two full weeks of glorious fall weather, with plenty of bright sunshine and blue skies, the morning of October 2, 2004, was less then encouraging for the organizers of the Steps to Health in Wasaga Beach event. Bad weather had been predicted, and no sooner did they set up the first registration tents, when it began to pour, first slowly, but then the rain started to come more persistently, the temperature dipped, and the winds along the waterfront bike route picked up a few notches. Enough to have potential cyclists decide to stay home! The bike event unfortunately got called off.

But no weather will stop the walkers! Rain or shine, they showed up.... From the Nordic Centre at Blueberry Trails, over 70 participated in either a 10.3 km walk, a 5 km walk, or a 2.5 km interpretive walk, especially geared to families with young children and strollers. Everyone walked at their own pace, and followed the colour-coded trail ribbons which identified the various trail loops through the beautiful Blueberry Plains. Town Crier Roy  Wilson did an excellent job informing participants about the event schedule, where to register, etc. At registration, all participants were provided with free water and a healthy snack, courtesy of Crystal Springs in Wasaga Beach, the Hepcoe Credit Union and the Harvest Glen Farm Market in Glen Huron. Personal trainer Barb Newell from Innisfil got the walkers warmed up before they set off on their walk.

Upon their return, participants were asked to fill in an evaluation sheet. Other than the rain, all indicated that they thoroughly enjoyed the walk, welcomed the opportunity to get to know the trails in the area, and vowed to come back! For those who were hungry, Friends of Nancy Island offered a delicious BBQ lunch, and given the weather conditions, much sought-after hot apple cider!

This Steps to Health event in Wasaga Beach was a pilot for the Simcoe County On The Move initiative launched by Huronia Trails and Greenways in partnership with the Simcoe County District Health Unit, the Wasaga Beach
Ganaraska Hiking Club and the Borden Blazers Volksmarch Club to encourage residents of Simcoe County to become more physically active.

Recent health surveys are showing that Simcoe County residents, young and old, like the rest of Ontarians, are not active enough for optimal growth and development. Physical activity is essential to improving and maintaining
health as well as preventing a variety of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in both adults and children is
of particular concern as these disease are now beginning to occur in younger adults and children. Physical activity habits established early in life can play an important role in ensuring a lifetime of good health.

Look out for more Simcoe County on The Move events in 2005 to familiarize yourself with the beautiful trails we have right on our doorstep. We can walk, bike, snowshoe, ski or ride the trails, while enjoying the natural beauty of the surrounding areas, the social interaction with family and friends, and the satisfaction from doing something positive towards a lifetime of good health.

Huronia Trails and Greenways is a registered not-for-profit charitable corporation (charitable number 869134759RR0001) and is the regional co-coordinating body for shared use trail development in Simcoe County. The organization is specifically focused on the completion of the Trans Canada Trail route through Simcoe County, and the promotion of trails for their health, social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits. For further information check www.simcoecountytrails.net or contact Frieda Baldwin at info@simcoecountytrails.net or 705-458-4037.

Trans Canada Trail Upgrades in Cookstown and Thornton

The Thornton-Cookstown Trans Canada Trail committee is very pleased with the upgrades that were carried out last fall on sections of the Trans Canada Trail in Cookstown, and in Thornton.

In Cookstown, $20,000 was spent on surface improvements with limestone screenings on the trail between Victoria Street and hwy 89, and from Wellington Street to the north end of the school. A parking lot was built at the trail entrance on Victoria Street, and a proper access from Garibaldi Street to the trail. (This particular area however currently still needs some improvements and the committee hopes to get this repaired shortly).

In Thornton, the trail surface was upgraded from Robert Street to the south end of the village thanks to a $9,000 donation from the previous Thornton Hydro funds. A pedestrian side trail was also created north of Cookstown, just south of the first bridge.

As additional funds are raised, other projects will be undertaken on the more rural parts of the Trans Canada Trail through Essa and Innisfil. One of the next projects that the committee is focusing on is repairing the washout of the trail banks north of Essa 10 SR. Donations of materials (woodchips for instance), volunteer time or cash are always welcome!

The committee would like to express its appreciation to the volunteer project coordinators Alan Hewson of Essa, Bruce Norman of Bond Head and Paul Brown from Georgetown. The committee also wishes to thank the many volunteers who came out to help at various work parties.

On June 11, 2005, the Thornton-Cookstown Trans Canada Trail committee celebrated its successes with celebrations in Thornton and Cookstown.  A recognition plaques for all donors and volunteers was unveiled in Thornton by Willy VanderPost, and in Cookstown by Brian Baker. Some attendees then took the Drysdale Trail Train along the trail to Cookstown, whereas the Mayors of Innisfil and Essa, council members, some staff, and other hikers, walked the entire 9 km of trail between Thornton and Cookstown, under super-hot conditions. Well done to all participants, volunteers and contributors to a great event!

On a recent outing by the Brereton Field Naturalists of Barrie, members identified 35 different types of wildflowers and 8 different birds, on a 2 km section of the trail south of Cookstown. We also get regular reports of trail users noticing other wildlife. Some folks use the trail to ride to work on a regular basis, one even uses the trail twice a week between Cookstown and Georgian Slots on his bike ride to work from Bond Head to Barrie.  He comments that the trail offers a nice ride, very peaceful and quiet.  Lots of deer, birds, raccoons and of course lots of rabbits.

ATVers, dirt bike riders and other motorized vehicle users should be reminded that motorized vehicles are not allowed on any section of the Thornton-Cookstown Trans Canada Trail, except snowmobiles in winter. The OPP are enforcing the by-law and have already charged several motorized users.

Snowmobilers should know that the trail is only open for snowmobile use from Victoria Street in Cookstown northward.  South of Victoria Street, the trail is not an official OFSC groomed trail, as the trail dead-ends at the municipal boundary between New Tecumseth and Innisfil, or about 500 meters north of the 14th line of New Tecumseth. Users are trespassing if they continue on this abandoned railline corridor through New Tecumseth and should be aware that this corridor is not maintained or developed as a trail. There are no safety signs, such as stop signs, bridges ahead, etc. The Town of New Tecumseth has posted No Trespassing signs at all intersections.

Dogwalkers are asked to pick up after their pets, or kick the “poop” off the trail. Please do not leave plastic bags with dog poo at the entrance of the trail. This is particularly a problem in Cookstown at the Victoria Street entrance.

For more information on the Thornton-Cookstown Trans Canada Trail, check our website at www.simcoecountytrails.net/tctrail.htm, contact 458-4037 or tctrail@simcoecountytrails.net.

American Trails Conference Oct 20-24, 2004 in Austin, Texas

American Trails Conference Oct 19-21, 2006 in Quad Cities, Iowa

Note from Frieda Baldwin:

Attending a conference like the bi-annual American Trails conference is a tremendous opportunity to gain trail related knowledge. At this year's conference, many of the conference sessions and guest speakers discussed the current trend to approach the growing problem of obesity by encouraging physical activity on trails and greenways. The sessions which dealt with trail funding also attracted many delegates. Mind you, many of these funding sources are only applicable for US trail projects, but perhaps we can lobby our governments and agencies in Canada to implement similar funding schemes. Other concurrent sessions dealt with trail construction, trail related training, commuter and bluewater trails, off-highway vehicles on trails, trails and the environment, and even art-on-the-trail.

The report is a summary of my notes taken during the concurrent sessions or summarized from handouts, from information gathered at field trips and from exhibitors, as well as from networking with other trail enthusiasts.

To download full report, click on the button below:

All material in this report is free to use with no restrictions

For more information, contact Frieda Baldwin at info@simcoecountytrails.net.

Ramara Trail Extends Simcoe County Railtrail System
Across The Narrows in Orillia

Photo of the Ramara Trail Committee near the Ramara Trailhead and sign. Left
to right: Mandy Duncan, Bob Bowles, Annalynn Faulkner, Paul Grunsten, and
Hew Bourne.

Trillium Fund application has been approved for the Ramara Trail. Work will now start on The Ramara Trails Committee of the Township of Ramara has recently learned that their the first phase of the Ramara Trail which will follow the existing CN railbed from the fishing fences at the Atherley Narrows to Queen Street in Atherley and north to the County Road 44 (Rama Road) crossing. The trail when completed will extend the existing trail system running from the City of Barrie north through Oro-Medonte to the City of Orillia and west from the Village of Coldwater by 2.5 km.

Access and the trail head will be the unopened road allowance along Queen Street North in Atherley. The trail is open year-round and intended to be a multi-use trail for walking, hiking, cycling, jogging, and cross-country skiing. Snowmobiling and horseback riding would have to be approved by council, but no other motorized vehicles will be allowed.

Ramara Trail Official Opening

On Monday Sept 19th,a gorgeous sunny day ,the first Ramara Trail was officially opened. Mayor Bill Duffy, Pat Hoover from the Trillium Foundation, Sherry Lawson from Casino Rama, Tim Lauer representing Mayor Ron Stevens and many other special guests were there. 48 in all .

There were short speeches, plaque unveiling, ribbon cutting, a walk to the Weirs where Mark Douglas spoke,then back for refreshments and mingling.
Thanks to Ron Harris owner of Tim Hortons for supplying the refreshments and everyone involved
in making this trail possible. A big thank you to the Packet who are always suportive. Watch for more trails. Now we can have a mayor's walk in Ramara.
 

Photo from left are the Committee members who made it possible.
Bob Bowles, Hew Bourne, Paul Grunsten Pat Heslin, Chair Annalynn Faulkner, Mandy Duncan Parks and Rec. Advisor and Erika Neher