Message from the President

As the new year begins, I not only look ahead but glance back and see many things.

Looking back, I see significant information delivered by knowledgeable and passionate speakers at our recent Summit to Remember:

  • Terri LeRoux presented eloquently on the need to get our youth actively engaged in the outdoors
  • Holly Nadalin gave us many great reasons and ways to use trails to support Environmental Stewardship
  • Patrick Connor gave information on the economic values for health costs that walking and hiking trails provide.
  • Allen McPherson gave us an effective model to involve the public in trail creation and maintenance during his enthusiastic presentation.
  • The Friends of the Trail from Quinte West made us feel welcome with their hospitality and excited by their new trail creation activities.


Opportunities and Potential:

As I look forward, I catch a glimpse ofconsiderable opportunities for Hike Ontario to fulfill its Mission Statement to encourage hiking, walking and trail development in Ontario. We see tremendous potential to achieve our vision as the province’s most valuable support resource for hiking and walking groups and pedestrian trail users with a new Grant Policy, a new position statement on The Use of Trails and Programs such as Young Hiker, Safe Hiker, Best Practices to Increase Trail Usage by Hikers and Walkers, and Hike Leader Certification.


Compass 2015 – Direction for the Future:

We are moving forward with important strategic directions which we are examining through the process of creating Compass 2015. In the year ahead we will update our Best Practices in the area of Risk Management. We will provide resources for trail maintenance, audit procedures and hike leadership. Look on our website for information from the Bruce Trail Conservancy through their extensive “Guide for Trail Workers”. We thank them for permission to use this resource. We are continuing to train Hike Leaders. Please look at the schedule for these trainings. We are also training Safe Hiker Instructors. I am pleased to see many recently trained instructors now offering courses to the public.


Presentations and Engaging Others:

We expect to make many presentations to some of our community partners at the clubs and trail associations, to conservation, provincial parks and municipal parks and recreation and community health unit staff. Using the resources noted above we hope to educate, providing leadership and information about hiking and the natural world, especially to our youth. Many young people need help discovering nature. By lobbying government and making trail creation and maintenance achievable by volunteers and other groups we hope to bring our new Vision Statement into reality far and wide across Ontario.


Your Part:

We can use your help. We need talented people on Hike Ontario committees to help with the following:
doing presentations which we can provide through our Ambassador program helping local clubs with maintenance, hike leadership or publicity
encouraging the public to use trails through Ontario Hiking Week and other programs.


Please join us in 2010. It promises to be an exciting year as we provide a voice for the hikers and walkers of Ontario. Together we can make it happen.

 

Tom Friesen
info@hikeontario.com