(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

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.

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.

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- 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.

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.

Jim Paterson left and Bill Elliott right were recognized by the Board of Directors of the KTCTA at the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association AGM October 20/09 for their outstanding efforts in the construction of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail. Al MacPherson President of KTCTA presents a small token of everyone’s appreciation for their contribution.

Kawartha Trans Canada Trail is pleased to have received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Trans Canada Trail Foundation, Eastern Ontario Development Fund and the National Trails Coalition.

Although more signs and barriers need to be installed along the west section of the Kawartha Trans Canada trail with the assistance of the Unity Church and Al Bambra all the gates have new signs installed.

Outdoor Adventure Program Students of Fleming College, Fleming Campus working on the KTCT in cooperation with the Heavy Equipment students.

The two programs have united their efforts in the construction of a traffic control barrier to provide a safe passage to visitors using the trail. The Heavy Equipment Backhoe operator student is digging a hole for cedar posts. The trails students construct a barrier and fence where the trail crosses the Heavy Equipment Road.