Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Wall Map was presented to the Green Team and Students of Mariposa Public School for their continuous support in the improvement of wildlife habitat along the Trans Canada Trail by Trans Canada Director Bill Elliott.
Trail Blog
Jack Callaghan Public School Plant Trees and Shrubs along Trail
With the asistances from the Victoria Stewardship Council and Kawartha Trans Canada Trail volunteers students from Jack Callaghan enhance the beauty of the Trans Canada Trail by planting over 150 trees and shrubs within their Environmental School Zone.
Earth Day Lady Eaton Public School Omemee
Lady Eaton Public School in Omemee invited Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Managing Partner Omemee Lions Club members Brian Brown and John Jones, President of KTCT Al MacPherson and KTCT volunteer Ron Fevang to help plant trees in the school yard and to pick up litter along the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail. Photo above is Brian Brown with two of the schools Green Team students helping plant a tree.
Illegal Use – NO ATVs or DIRT BIKES
Over the last few weeks due to the nice weather we have had and increase in illegal use of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail by ATVs and Dirt Bikes. They are trespassing. The Police have been notified for assistance in dealing with this illegal use. If you notice this type of use while on the trail please record licence number, description of the ATV and Dirt Bike and rider and time and date and email us with this information. DO NOT confront the individuals.
Emily Road Sculpture
(left to right) Jack Murphy, director (and Omemee Lions Club member) Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association; Al MacPherson, president Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association; Dave Birch, president Fowlers Corners Lions Club; Bill Hawman, president Omemee and District Lions Club; Sam Pittman, secretary and past president, Omemee and District Lions Club.
New sculpture marks Trans Canada Trail in CKL
OMEMEE – A sculpture has been added to the Trans Canada Trail in Omemee where the trail borders the City of Kawartha Lakes with Peterborough County.
An inukshuk in the shape of a ‘K’ now welcomes trail users and passing cars on Emily Park Road, about half a kilometre north of Highway 7.
The artwork by Creemore-based blacksmith and sculptor Rene Petitjean was commissioned by the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association using an $8,000 grant from the provincial National Trans Canada Trail Foundation.
KTCT Association president Al MacPherson, his wife Barb MacPherson and Petitjean began designing the sculpture in August of 2009. The construction started in November and was completed this month.
Members of the Lions clubs in Omemee and Fowlers Corners were on hand with MacPherson this month to mark the completion of the project. The Lions clubs work with the KTCT Association to maintain the portion of the trail that passes through Omemee.
Facts:
The sculpture is made of steel that was hammered to look like stone. It sits on a limestone base. ‘Trans Canada Trail’ and its logo are written on the base. The sculpture is designed to require no upkeep.
Rene Petitjean has been sculpting since 1972 and teaches at theHaliburton School for the Arts in sculpting and blacksmithing. His work can be found in public and private collections across North America, including with private collectors in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Quotes:
“The sculpture lets people on Emily Park Road know we have a trail. It’s like a little billboard.” – KTCT Association president Al MacPherson
“It was fun to make but the guys who work for me are upset because their arms hurt. There were 80 hours of banging.” – Sculptor Rene Petitjean
Special Thank You to our Managing Partners and Volunteers
The Board of Directors for Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association would like to thank all the managing partners and volunteers for their effort and time in 2009. Without your assistance we would not be able to manage the Kawartha Trans Canada.
I. E. Weldon High School Makes Trail Connection
Students from IE Weldon Construction Trades Course build and install a boardwalk from Jack Callaghan Public School to Kawartha Trans Canada Trail to provide access for students to the trail including some students who are physically disabled.
Warm Up to the Vancouver Olympics
Students and Staff at Jack Callaghan School practice carrying the replica Olympic Torch along a section of the Trans Canada Trail. The “real thing” arrives Dec. 16th, 2009 in Lindsay.
Students and Staff at Mariposa School carry replica Olympic Torch along section of Trans Canada Trail by their school in a warm up to the arrival of the Torch Dec 16th in Lindsay
Lilac Park is part of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail
Lilac Park- located corner of Lindsay Street South and Logie Street in Lindsay has had a new trail constructed through the park as part of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail route
The trail will be a welcomed addition to the annual Lilac Festival held each year in May.Funds for the trail construction were provided from the National Trails Coalition.
TCT Volunteer of the Year National Award
Al MacPherson, Volunteer of the Year
The Trans Canada Trail is one of the largest volunteer projects ever under taken in Canada. Each year we honour a Volunteer of the Year who has made an exceptional contribution to the Trail.
At the AGM, Valerie Pringle announced this year’s Volunteer of the Year –Al Macpherson of Lindsay,ON.
Al has been involved with the Trail since its early years when, as adirector of the Ontario Trail Council, he attended the founding conference ofthe Trans Canada Trail in Banff and helped chart the Trail’s route acrossOntario. Today, he is a member of the Trans Canada Trail Ontario board and adriving force behind a 44-km section of the Trail in the Kawartha Lakes area insouthern Ontario.
Al has a wealth of knowledge about recreational trails and he is committed to volunteerism and community involvement, which has driven the success of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail. It has developed an innovative model for community partners to “adopt” sections of the trail. By involving service and church groups,municipalities and college and schools as “managing partners”, it has close to 200 active volunteers and powerful links in the community.
Al is a trail visionary. He believes trails can be much more than physical routes on the ground. : With four primary schools, two secondary schools and Fleming College backing on the Trail, Al is working hard to make the Trail a resource for learning. He has played a pivotal role in the development of primary school curriculum that gets students out on the Trail for physical education, geography and biology classes.
