Mackey Funeral Home of Lindsay was the first business to commit financial support for maintenance and awareness of the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail. Linden Mackey said, “We believe the trail speaks to the quality of life we all enjoy in our community and it’s worthy of our community’s support.” 

The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association launched their Love Your Trail Campaign on Tuesday, October 27, at the new Days Inn and Suites in Lindsay. The event attracted about 100 people to hear from the Association’s Chair, Al McPherson and their Campaign Chair, John Hagarty. The two Chairs addressed the status of the Trans Canada Trail and the accomplishments of their association. They also introduced components of their campaign, volunteer Trail Champions, and their first business sponsors.

“I use the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail because I enjoy running and I know that many other people walk or ride their bike on the trail,” said Mackey. He continued, “the trail is important to our community because it provides great outdoor, education, and heritage connections.”

The sponsor component of the campaign is intended to attract what are referred to as ‘Five. Five. Five.’ Sponsors. Those sponsors each agree to provide $1,000 to the association each year for five consecutive years commencing in 2016. Campaign Chair John Hagarty said, “our thinking is that we need to establish some assurance of continuity in support of the trail for the next five years.” It is believed these key sponsorships will come from five businesses, five service clubs, and five individuals. Additional, smaller donations are expected to help bolster the support offered from the major sponsors of which Mackey Funeral Home is one.

Other businesses have since come forward to support the trail association. Their campaign goal is $125,000, while their objective is to obtain $75,000 from business sponsors.

About Mackey Funeral Home

The Mackey Funeral Home is proud of its longstanding relationship with families in Lindsay, Ontario and surrounding communities. It is independently owned and operated by a third generation of caring Mackey family. The ‘Mackey’ quality of care is renowned throughout this region.

33 Peel Street, Lindsay, ON K9V 3L9
705-328-2721

www.mackeys.ca

By Marnie Callaghan

Two of the best things in life are working outside on a crisp fall day and sharing good food and wine with friends. That’s just what the residents of Reaboro did on a beautiful September day. About a dozen neighbors gathered with chainsaws and muscle power to remove Manitoba maple and dead elm along our five kilometre section of trail. We gathered in the evening for a hearty potluck meal.

The village no longer has a church or school, but we all share a love of this treasure in our back yards.

It’s the Trail that brings us together.

Dear Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Supporters,

It has been another year with lots of accomplishments thanks to our volunteers, managing partners and Board of Directors.

Here is a list of accomplishments for 2015:

1. Held, a very successful first annual Trail-a-thon in May with many volunteers and over 100 students from Mariposa Public School.
2. Hosted a Speakers Series. Welcomed Robin Esrock (global adventurer, travel writer, TV producer and international TV personality) in the spring; and Gary and Joanie McGuffin (renowned explorers, conservation photographers, writers and presenters) in the fall.
3. Completed and approved the KTCTA Business Plan and Fundraising Strategy.
4. Cut grass along the Trail in the spring and late summer. Experimented with a sickle mower. Special thank you to five volunteers and Callaghan Farm Equipment for supporting this initiative.
5. Completed new website with easy to use online donation option. www.ktct.ca
6. Conducted ~80 trail user surveys.
7. Sent out 41 adjacent landowner surveys. Posted report on website.
8. Added 20 new names to the Fred DeNure Donor Wall.
9. Launched new Five. Five. Five. fundraising strategy in October, with four sponsors signed on already.

Our volunteers continue to do many tasks to keep our trail safe and to maintain its quality, such as bridge decking replacement, grass cutting, painting, sign installation, tread repair, gate and barrier repairs, and the list goes on. Thank you.

If you are able to help out financially please use our new online website donation form. Remember tax receipts are issued for all donations of $20 and above. A donation also makes an excellent Christmas gift for someone who is hard to buy for.

Happy Holidays!
Al MacPherson
President, Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association (KTCTA)

Congratulations to Ted Abbot, the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association ‘2015 Volunteer of the Year’!

Pictured above is Ted Abbot being congratulated by KTCTA President Al MacPherson at the Annual General Meeting on November 25th, 2015.

Travel with us through the heart of ‘Group of Seven’ country in our presentation on Building the Lake Superior Trans Canada Trail water trail, presented by Joanie McGuffin.

November 23, 2015 – 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Room 250, Fleming College Frost Campus, Lindsay, Ontario

Admission is by donation. All funds go directly to supporting Kawartha Trans Canada Trail maintenance. We look forward to seeing you for this great presentation!

Thank you for making our Love Your Trail campaign launch a huge success! Check out our Trail Gallery or follow this link to see some great photos of the event!

We’d like to thank everyone who attended the Love Your Trail campaign launch on October 27, 2015. It was great to see so many people come out to offer their support for the trail.

Today, we celebrate Canada and everything that makes us proud to call this country home. We also celebrate how far our national Trail has come, thanks to you! Watch TCT’s Canada Day video on the TCT National Youtube page.

#OurJourney #TCTrail

On June 6th, help us celebrate International Trail Day 2015! Join your community and enjoy your section of Canada’s national trail.

International Trails Day is an annual celebration of trails to promote trail development, the use of trails and the healthy lifestyle they encourage. We’re incredibly fortunate to have hundreds of kilometres of trails winding their way through our region, allowing for biking, walking and a variety of other uses. Not only do trails connect communities, but they also allow people to get out and about and become more physically active. International Trails Day is celebrated each year on the first Saturday in June. This year we celebrate on Saturday, June 6 and we encourage the public to join in the fun and participate in the International Trails Day!

Thank you very much to our excellent sponsors for their promotion of the Great Canadian Bucket List event. We are grateful for local support of the trail and activities!

  Cable Cable

  91.9 Bob FM

  myKawartha.com

Photo: President KTCT Al MacPherson (left) with Author Robin Esrock (right)

On April 26, 2015 Robin Esrock, the author of The Great Canadian Bucket List spoke at our local fundraiser. We’d like to thank Robin for his efforts, it was a great event!

Renowned travel writer and TV host Robin Esrock spent years visiting every province and territory to craft the definitive national Bucket List. Having travelled to over 100 countries on 6 continents, he never expected Canada to offer so much, and neither will you. This isn”t your typical travel guide – it is an inspiration for your next trip. Full of adventure, humour, photos and fun facts, The Great Canadian Bucket List is the definitive list of things to do in Canada before you die.

For more information on Robin Esrock and the book, you can visit his website: canadianbucketlist.com