The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association, Director Doug Baker and President of Heart of Ontario Snowmobile Club is pleased to announce that the WEST section of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail is open for snowmobiling. The west section stretches from Highway #7 by Lindsay to Durham Road #2 (Simcoe Street) and beyond. There are a number of interconnecting Ontario Federation Snowmobile Clubs(OFSC) trail routes off this main corridor check out their web site: www.heartofontario.ca

The Trail is an official OFSC sanctioned trail and requires a trail permit that can be purchased at outlets listed on their web web site. The East section of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail is not officially open. Efforts are being made to have this section manged by an OFSC Club.

For more information contact: Doug Baker by email- use email address listed on web site or check out the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club web site: www.ofsc.com

blane harvey map

A map of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail was presented to former Director Blane Harvey on December 12th, 2008 for his commitment to the efforts of the Association. Blane has stepped down as a director due to a recent promotion to Vice President of Sir Sandford Fleming College. We wish Blane all the best.

On October 16th the Lindsay Post reported that over the Thanksgiving weekend a police ATV patrol conducted a check in the former Emily Township that resulted in five ATV-related charges.

What wasn’t mentioned in that report is that the charges were laid against ATVs that were on the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail.

Our Association has worked hard to prevent ATV use on the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail: there are signs at each access point, bollards to prevent entry, and rocks strategically placed to stop ATVs from ducking around the bollards.

We, and the many trail users concerned about ATV use, appreciate the efforts of the police to monitor ATV use.

For a detailed explanation of and rationale for our policy on motorized use of the Trail, refer to the FAQ section of the blog.

students with mural

After observing flora and fauna along the trail, Ms. Johnson’s grade 4 students at Jack Callaghan P.S. created a mural. Wade and Emily, standing in front of the mural, explained the process. They used markers to colour, cut out their creations (Wade seemed particularly proud of his poison ivy) then glued onto mural paper. The mural is posted along a hallway, to encourage other classes to continue to use the Trail

Principal Kathy Spaeth tells us that the school has been using the trail for cross-country running training and a number of classes have been out exploring the trail.

With the Official Opening just a week away, the Trail surface in fine shape, and some signage in place, the Operations Committee, under the direction of Jim Paterson, continues to make improvements. Jim sent in this report:

This next phase includes the placement of rocks adjacent to each of the sets of bollards at various intersection locations between Lindsay and Omemee. This will further restrict access to the trail by motorized vehicles such as ATV’s. In addition, there are existing drainage problems on each side of the section of the trail just east of the Slanted Road. We are having some ditching work done on this section and also having a culvert installed to move the water away from this area of the trail. Once the ditching and culvert work is done we will have the trail re-graded.

You can check out photos taken by Bill Elliott in a gallery. One photo shows the old bridge just west of the hamlet of Reaboro. This bridge did not have any decking on it and was recently covered by our KTCT volunteer from Reaboro, Denis Grignon. Thanks Denis!

trail lessons assembly

No fewer than four elementary schools have schoolyards adjacent to the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail.

On August 28th, staff at three of these schools were presented with a set of ten lesson plans. These lessons, intended for grade 4-6 classes and linked to Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum expectations, were commissioned by one of our managing partners with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion.

In the photo you see Green Trails Directors Ellen Woodward and Marg Fevang turning over the binder and a knapsack packed with field guides, magnifiers, and bug boxes to Jack Callaghan principal Kathy Spaeth.

The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association has been able to arrange assistance from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Stewardship Rangers Program to do trail maintenance on Monday, July 28th, and Tuesday, July 29th, along the section of the Trans Canada Trail from the Pigeon River bridge in Omemee eastwards towards Fowler’s Corners. They will be picking up litter and removing brush that overhangs the trail.

On Monday, June 23rd, Fleming College hosted a sod-turning ceremony for the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail. This article appeared in the Lindsay Post.

On Saturday, June 9th, in celebration of International Trails Day, a group of cyclists rode the Lindsay to Omemee section of the newly-designated Kawartha Trans Canada Trail. Although the Trail was officially “non-operational,” this was a chance to view the terrain and learn about Trail plans from Al MacPherson, KTCTA President.

ribbon cutting ceremony

On Tuesday, October 7th, with the Lindsay to Omemee section completed, we celebrated the official opening. In the afternoon, under blue skies, Valerie Pringle, TCT Chair, cut the ribbon in Omemee as the 500 schoolchildren thronging the trail cheered. At 7:00, in Fleming College’s Crombie Theatre, a crowd heard from KTCT President Al MacPherson and Valerie Pringle, enjoyed a slide show presented by Dan Andrews, head of the Ontario Trans Canada Association, and heard singer David Archibald singing a song composed for the event.

Here’s how Jeanne Pengelly, Communications Officer for the Trillium Lakeland Board of Education, described the Omemee event:

“The only thing bigger than their smiles, were their hurrahs. As students from Lady Eaton Elementary School and Scott Young Public School in Omemee formed an audience to the east and west, national television personality Valerie Pringle cut the red ribbon to officially open the newest section of the TransCanada Trail. The section, from Omemee to Lindsay, was completed this summer. The trail runs behind both Omemee schools.

To celebrate the event, entertainers, dignitaries, neighbours, teachers, principals, cyclists, walkers, and even a horseback rider joined the students in the yard of Lady Eaton Elementary School. “This is spectacular, wonderful country,” said Pringle, who is also chairperson of the Trans Canada Trail. “You and this trail right here connect you like a thread to all of Canada. It is a magnificent dream, and it’s yours.”

The longest trail in the world is being completed section by section, by local volunteers and donations. Karen Cook, co-ordinator of Community Relations for the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association, told students they would be the “guardians of the Earth in the future.”

“I almost get teary,” Cook said as she prepared for the event. “To me it’s about preserving the environment and giving future generations a place where they can enjoy it. What better place to hold this event than here at the schools, where we can open a window for those future generations.”

Lady Eaton Elementary School Principal B.J. Mailloux-Brown urged students to look to their own backyards. “Leave the computers, the cell phone, the electronic games,” she said. “Put on your sneakers or your skis or your snow shoes. It’s all about connecting with nature and connecting with each other. It’s very exciting that this is right here in our back yard.”

Scott Young Public School Principal David Sornberger said the event is exciting for students, who already use the path for science classes, Terry Fox Runs, bike trips, and phys ed classes.”

Pictures of both events will be posted in a gallery shortly. We will also be posting David Archibald’s song as an audio file.

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