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.

The upgrade of the tread surface of our Trail from Lindsay to Omemee was made possible by a grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading grantmaking foundations. In awarding this $75,000 Community Program Grant to the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail, the OTF noted that the trail work “will improve its use and create opportunities for recreational activities for residents and visitors.”

The Trail upgrade is now underway and will be completed by September.

In the fall of 2004 Trans Canada Trail Ontario released the findings of the economic impact of the Trans Canada Trail in Ontario, completed by Pricewaterhouse Coopers. It was the first attempt to best understand the complex relationship between estimated trail user expenditures over the length of a future connected Trans Canada Trail.

For the purposes of segmentation, the study area of Ontario was broken out into 12 regions aligned with established tourism zones. Kawartha Lakes is well within the boundaries of region 6, referred to in the study as Central Ontario. The scope of the study was regional and provincial and does not provide a concise detail of local area impacts; however, based on the length of local area Trans Canada Trail segments (or intended segments) and proximities to concentrated population centres and traditional tourism regions, local trail proponents could estimate a proportion of a regional impact.

Provincial Impacts

At a point in the future when the Trail is connected and marketed with associated services and maintenance complementing the trail user’s experience, the Trail is estimated to have the following impacts:

  • Estimated $2.4 Billion generated annually in value added income, of that $152.5 Million will be contributed by visitors (representing “new money” into the economy).
  • Over 42 000 Ontarians can attribute their jobs to the Trans Canada Trail in Ontario’s recurrent expenditures, and
  • Total recurrent tax collections to all three levels of government will add to about $1.04 Billion annually.

The Trail was not completed as of the summer 2005; as such, construction is required to achieve a provincial connection. The estimated cost to connect the trail in Ontario without in-kind support is approximately $160 Million. Consequently, the cost of building the remaining sections even without in-kind support can be recovered in less than four years from total tax revenue from trail user’s annual expenditures.

Central Region

Central Region includes the modest population centres of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Ajax, Pickering, Barrie, Midland, Penetanguishene, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville along the proposed route of the TCT. Many of these communities are gateways to and hubs within “cottage country”, often referred to as Ontario’s playground.

Of the 12 regions, Central ranks the 4th highest cost to construct the trail, without in-kind support to an estimated $28 Million. The estimated length of the trail in Central Region will total 584km with approximately 65km located in the city of Kawartha Lakes. To date this accounts for the third largest gap in the trail in all of Southern Ontario.

As a significant tourist destination, Central Region is estimated to benefit more than any other region in the province. Fully 20% of all local expenditures predicted to occur in Ontario within proximity to the Trail will be in Central Region. The greatest non-local (visitor) impact in Ontario will occur in Central Region surpassing, Toronto, the Niagara region and the National Capital area. An estimated 70% of all non-local expenditures occurring in Ontario will happen within Central Region.

Conclusion

With more than 2/3rds of the estimated provincial visitor expenditure occurring along less than 15% of the length of the trail, communities within Ontario’s Central Region stand to gain significant return on investment from the establishment of a connected Trans Canada Trail in their local/regional municipalities. Trans Canada Trail Ontario is committed to providing 10% seed funding towards Trans Canada Trail designated construction projects including those within Kawartha Lakes.

Sign up for our newsletter