Category Archives: outdoors

University of Waterloo Study Promotes Trail

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Georgian Bay Coast Trail
A view of the water from the Georgian Bay Coast Trail

Quoted from – The Georgian Bay Coast Trail: Utilizing Case Studies to ensure Implementation of Sustainable Trail development within the Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve by Breanne Card

“This report is a comprehensive look at the theory and practice of how a coastal trail system, embedded within a protected area, can bring sustainable economic and community development to the surrounding region. The purpose of this study was to research past practice, define the terms and issues, and assemble recommendations for use in the development of a sustainable coastal trail system along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay, Ontario. Both the West Coast Trail (WCT) and the Bruce Trail have achieved world recognition for their success and were thus chosen as the two major case studies for this report. In addition to their international reputation: their coastal characteristics; general topography; and the similarity of organizational challenges made them ideal models for the Georgian Bay Coast Trail concept. Both of the established trails provide valuable insights that will assist the Georgian Bay Coast Trail advisory committee to create a sustainable coastal trail within the UNESCO Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve.”

Full Document Here

Georgian Bay Destination Development

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Some of you may already know that we have been working with the consulting team at Ferrell+Partners to develop a new business model and a 3-Year Strategy for the Georgian Bay Coastal Route. The team has met with key stakeholders around Georgian Bay to gather input, and is working with the steering committee to develop the strategy. Much has been accomplished since the Coastal Route was launched in 2008, and we are energized by the potential to work together to enhance and further develop tourism product around Georgian Bay.

Communication and engaging with stakeholders is a major priority for the GBDDP going forward. We will be in touch early in the New Year with more details, once our business model and 3-Year Strategy are complete.

We have also been focusing on the development of a new website. To ensure the website will be up to date, we are working with DMO partners aroundGeorgian Bay to review the current theme touring routes and identify new attractions and operators that meet the criteria for participation. We are looking forward to sharing an update on the website with you in the coming months.

We would like to extend a warm thank you to Muskoka Tourism, the Manitoulin Tourism Association, Gordon’s Park, Georgian Bay Islands National Park, Ontario Ferries, Bruce Grey Simcoe, and Sudbury Tourism, who have provided us with photography for the new website.

Gaby MacFarlane
Tourism Coordinator
Georgian Bay Destination Development Partnership
200 Brady Street
Sudbury ON P3A 5P3

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Georgian Bay Coast Trail
A view of the water from the Georgian Bay Coast Trail

The Trail

When complete, the Georgian Bay Coast Trail will be a rugged, 200-kilometer trail stretching along the coast from Bayfield Inlet to Point Grondine. The trail will provide an opportunity for hikers to explore and discover the diverse environments and spectacular views of Georgian Bay through passive recreation. Hikers will utilize water taxis, limited infrastructure and are expected to get their feet wet as they immerse themselves in the beauty that is Georgian Bay and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The concept for the Georgian Bay Coast Trail is based on the West Coast Trail in Parks Canada’s Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. The WCT is a rugged, 70-kilometer coastal hiking trail that generates roughly $7 million a year into the local economy with a one-year waiting list during peak season. The Georgian Bay Coast Trail will be based on a user pay trail system for sustainability of the organization.

The trail will be a community development project and link the communities along the coast of Georgian Bay leading to job creation, natural and cultural heritage interpretation opportunities, and economic development.

We look forward to chatting with you. Sign up here to stay in the loop with trail development information and volunteer opportunities!

– See more at: http://www.gbcoasttrail.com/the-trail/#sthash.33Lln030.dpuf

Our condolences to family, friends and wilderness canoeists – George Luste

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Loss of a Legend: George Luste, 1940-2015

Remembering an inveterate wilderness traveler

April 02, 2015By

George-luste

On a snowy February day in Toronto, I’m feeling inadequate standing at the podium in a high-school auditorium—not because of the 500 people in the audience, but for one larger than life man in the front row. Retired physicist George Luste founded theWilderness Canoe Symposium 30 years ago as a way for paddlers to share stories of their northern expeditions and to inspire new trips. The event has the feel of a latter-day Beaver Club—the exclusive gang of fur-traders who explored and mapped Canada in the 18th and 19th century and gathered to chat about it in wintery Montreal.

Following in the paddle strokes of explorers David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie and Samuel Hearne, Luste spent 55 summers traveling Canada’s far north. He immigrated to Canada from Latvia in 1948 and made his first canoe trip in 1963, a solo journey on Ontario’s Abitibi River. He completed a Ph. D. at Johns Hopkins University before returning to Canada in 1971 for a professorship at the University of Toronto.

Canoeing was Luste’s passion. He paddled Canada’s iconic wilderness rivers—the Missinaibi, Rupert, Eastmain, Kazan, Nahanni, Coppermine, Stikine, and George—often in the company of his wife, Linda, and their children. What’s more, he was part of a group that made the first complete descent of the Dubawnt River in the Canadian barrenlands, pioneered many other multi-watershed routes, and was amongst the last to paddle Labrador’s Grand River before a massive hydroelectric project was completed at Churchill Falls.

Full Article – https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#search/googlealerts-noreply%40google.com/14c829842c123947

Ontario Investing in Cycling Infrastructure – should help tourism and trails

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NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Investing $25 Million in Cycling Infrastructure

Province Supports Safe, Active Transportation

April 1, 2015 8:00 A.M.

Ministry of Transportation

As part of Ontario’s 20-year #CycleON strategy, the province is moving forward with a $25-million investment over three years to create a more cycling-friendly future for the province.

This includes $15 million for cycling routes that provide key connections and linkages on provincial highways, such as paved highway shoulders and barriers on bridges that separate cyclists from vehicles. Early proposals include:

  • Highway 33 west of Kingston (part of the Waterfront Trail)
  • Highway 137 structure over the 1000 Island Parkway (part of the Waterfront Trail)
  • Highway 6 on Manitoulin Island and south of Highway 17 at Espanola (part of the Georgian Bay Cycling Route)
  • Highway 17B and Highway 17 between Sault Ste. Marie and Espanola (part of the Lake Huron North Channel Cycling Route)

The province has also dedicated $10 million to the Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program to help municipalities:

  • Expand their local cycling routes
  • Connect with provincial cycling routes
  • Launch pilot projects to make cycling improvements

Consultations on the municipal program have concluded and the launch is on track for spring 2015. Work is also underway to identify a provincewide network of cycling routes in collaboration with a broad range of cycling stakeholders.

Investing in infrastructure is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.

Quick Facts

  • According to the National Trauma Registry, Ontario has the second-lowest cycling injury rate of all Canadian provinces.
  • Ontario has enhanced the Driver’s Handbook to include information about sharing the road safely with cyclists.
  • Ontario’s public education efforts to promote cycling safety include Cycling Skills, Young Cyclist’s Guide, a partnership with TVOKids targeting children and parents and support for stakeholders to deliver public education resources at the community, regional and provincial level.
  • According to the Canadian Medical Association, a 10 per cent increase in physical activity could reduce direct health-care expenditures by $150 million a year.

Additional Resources

Quotes

Steven Del Duca

“We know that working with our partners is key to creating a more cycling-friendly Ontario. We’ll continue to engage municipalities, road users, businesses, advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations to make sure we get it right.”

Steven Del Duca

Minister of Transportation

Kathryn McGarry

“Cycling helps to build more healthy, active and prosperous communities as it generates a wide range of health, economic, environmental, social and other benefits.”

Kathryn McGarry

Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation

There is some debate in the cycling community that this is a re-commitment to an announcement made in April 2014.

Some Indigenous Peoples are joining us for Trailhead North – welcome!

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First Nations want management control of Ogoki Forest

By: Northern Ontario Business staff
Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon, Chief Elizabeth Atlookan and Marten Falls Interim Chief Bruce Achneepineskum sign Ogoki Forest unity agreement.
Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon, Chief Elizabeth Atlookan and Marten Falls Interim Chief Bruce Achneepineskum sign Ogoki Forest unity agreement.
The northwestern Ontario First Nations of Aroland, Eabametoong and Marten Falls have signed a forest tenure agreement on the Ogoki Forest in northwestern Ontario.

The three First Nations say they will play “a leading role in forest governance” toward obtaining a long-term forest license for the Ogoki Forest Management Unit.

The communities want take control of forest management planning, harvesting, road construction, silviculture, environmental monitoring, reporting and also establish forest-based First Nations business ventures.

Located 250 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, the Ogoki Forest is considered part of the traditional land of the communities in providing a place to hunt, fish, trap, and provide medicine.

Link to full article – http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/Industry-News/aboriginal-businesses/2015/03/First-Nations-want-management-control-of-Ogoki-Forest.aspx

Baited traps on recreational trails? – caution needs to be used and postings examined

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2015-03-28-1427564070-9791215-iStock_000057806914_small.jpg

The trapper feels he took ‘reasonable precautions’ to protect the public. Well, I strongly disagree.

Last December, a friend and I were walking along a public snowmobile trail on Crown Land just north of Peterborough, Ont., with my two yellow labs. My dog George was killed that day by a baited conibear trap set beside the trail.

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), through a local Conservation Officer, has investigated the death and informed us by telephone that the investigation is closed; the trapper broke no laws.

I have to ask: How can it be completely legal to put a lethal, baited trap right on a public trail? It was bad enough with my pet. What if I’d been walking with a child?

Link to full article – http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/valerie-strain/baited-trap-dog_b_6961554.html

Good roads make for improved trail access, improved board walk

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Highway 6 saved!

by Expositor Staff – Mar 25, 2015

22

MTO blinks first, provides funds for critical culvert fix

ESPANOLA—Great news arrived recently concerning funding for the 40-year-old Black Creek culvert on Highway 6 on the outskirts of the Town of Espanola. The culvert is on a section of the connecting link that is Manitoulin Island’s vital year-round link to Highway 17 and the world beyond.

According to a recent announcement from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) concerning the fund’s application-based component, the Town of Espanola will receive up to $1,316,931 toward the replacement of the Black Creek Culvert.

“We have budgeted 1,466,900 for this project with an additional $150,000 for the adjacent boardwalk known as the Al Secord Fitness Trail,” confirmed Espanola CAO Cynthia Townsend, who added that the town was hoping to finalize the tenders for the addition shortly.

Complete article