• Ontario Trails Strategy
• FAQs—The Development of the Ontario Trails Strategy
• Trails For Life Program grants

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This document is developed from a presentation, to provide background information to stakeholders with an interest in trails.

The Key Elements of the Strategy

• Benefits of Ontario trails
• Vision and objectives
• Core principles
• Roles and responsibilities
• Priorities and future strategic directions
• Link the Trails Strategy to ACTIVE 2010 and the Tourism Strategy.

Draft Vision for Ontario Trails:

“A world-class system of trails that captures the uniqueness and beauty of Ontario’s vast open spaces and natural and built cultural/heritage resources. People and places are connected through quality, diverse, safe, accessible and environmentally sensitive urban, rural and wilderness experience trails for recreational enjoyment, active living and tourism development.”

Key Trail Issues

• Active Living and other health benefits
• Environmental and cultural heritage impacts
• Safety and road/highway rights-of-way
• Land owner concerns
• Multi-use/four season use
• Tourism potential
• Insurance
• Economic sustainability.

Inter-ministerial Directors’ Working Group (DWG) on Trails

• Chaired by the Director of the Sport and Recreation Branch of the former Ministry of Tourism and Recreation
• Represents the interests of other Ministries
• Attends Stakeholder Workshops as a resource on key trail issues
• Comments on the draft Ontario Trails Strategy.

Minister’s Advisory Committee Membership

• Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability-Ontario
• Bruce Trail Association
• City of Thunder Bay (municipal trails representative)
• Conservation Ontario
• Go For Green – Ontario
• Green Tourism Association
• Hike Ontario
• Nature & Outdoor Tourism Ontario
• Northern Ontario Native Tourism Association
• Ontario Equestrian Federation
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture
• Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV)
• Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
• Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC)
• Ontario Heritage Foundation
• Ontario Nature
• Ontario Trails Council (OTC)
• Stewardship Councils of Ontario
• Trans Canada Trail – Ontario (TCTO)
• Trent University – Trail Studies Unit
• Waterfront Regeneration Trust

Minister’s Advisory Committee (MAC) on Trails

• Chaired by Tim Peterson, Parliamentary Assistant to the former Minister of Tourism and Recreation
• Provides high-level expertise on trails
• Attends Regional Consultations in their communities
• Provides advice on:
   
  • Information gathered at Stakeholder Workshops
  • Consultation materials
  • Regional Consultations
  • Linkages to ACTIVE 2010
  • Priorities
  • Mapping requirements
  • Conflict resolution process
  • Draft Ontario Trails Strategy
  • Dissemination of the Ontario Trails Strategy.

Stakeholder Workshops

• Chaired by Tim Peterson, Parliamentary Assistant to the former Minister of Tourism and Recreation
• Stakeholders will be invited to one-day workshops to identify options and next steps to address key issues
• Nine workshops will be conducted between December 2004 and January 2005
• Workshop outcomes will be incorporated into consultation materials to be used at Regional Consultations and in the overall Ontario Trails Strategy.

Stakeholder Workshop Topics and Notes

December 13, 2004: Active Living and Other Health Benefits

December 14, 2004: Environmental and Cultural / Heritage Impacts

December 15, 2004: Safety and Road /Highway Rights-of-Way

January 6, 2005: Landowner Concerns

January 10, 2005: Multi-use / Four Season Use

January 17, 2005: Tourism Potential

January 19, 2005: Insurance

January 20, 2005: Economic Sustainability

February 4, 2005: Promoting Access to Trails for all Ontarians

Regional Consultations

• Chaired by Tim Peterson, Parliamentary Assistant to the former Minister of Tourism and Recreation
• Gather input from local, regional trail groups and other stakeholders affected by trails
• Minister’s Advisory Committee members and Stakeholder Workshop attendees invited to participate in their local consultations.

Highlights from the Stakeholder Workshops (PDF Format)

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Next Steps:
December 2004–Summer 2005; Stakeholder Consultation

• Conduct stakeholder workshops
• Develop consultation paper following the stakeholder workshops
• Discuss paper at the Regional Consultations
• Draft Ontario Trails Strategy incorporating input from stakeholder consultation and EBR Registry
• Launch Ontario Trails Strategy

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• FAQs—The Development of the Ontario Trails Strategy