If you happen to be in Guelph on Thursday around noon, why don’t you head on over to the University and here a talk being given my IMBA Canada’s Trail Specialist Dan Scott.

He’ll be at “The Pit” in the School of LA & RD Building, from 12:15 to 1:00.

Designing Trails for Canada’s Outdoor Adventures flier

In my IMBA Ontario MTB Summit post I touched upon the formation of a Ontario MTB Leadership Council, and then left you all hanging with “later for that.” Later is now.

The short version is we are having the inaugural meeting of the IMBA Ontario Leadership Council at the Toronto International Bike Show, on Friday, March 5, 2010. The meeting is  scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Better Living Centre’s seminar room, located next to the show office.The full press release: Ontario Leadership Council Press Release

The long version is after the jump. Continue reading this post…

All the delegates in front of the Subarus

Way back in September of 2009 we held the first ever IMBA Ontario Mountain Bike Summit. The premise was simple: for too long the many mountain bike advocates in the province had been acting in isolation. While they were doing a good job in there area, there was very little connection to the rest of the advocates in the province. We wanted to get all of those advocates in the same room, to share success, talk about challenges, and learn what we can do to make mountain biking in Ontario even better than it is already.

We lined up a a good suite of speakers that included land managers, bike park builders and operators, long time advocates, and successful club leaders.

So what happened? Continue reading this post…

If you’re got big ideas for a MTB riding destination, and a whole  bunch of money burning a hole in your pocket, you might be interested in this. Big Thunder (aka Little Norway) is up for sale, kind of. The Ministry of Tourism is seeking “Expressions of Interest” for the use and re-development of the former Sport Park. Here is some detail from the EOI document:

Originally established as a competitive ski event and training centre, this unique 360 acre (146ha) property will be of interest to innovative and creative proponents seeking site locations with diverse characteristics, rugged terrain, natural beauty, a rich cultural heritage and proximity to urban amenities and services.

While the site is ideally suited for alpine and cross-country ski operations, preliminary submissions are encouraged to identify any compatible uses and development proposals that are complementary to the social, cultural and environmental values of the land and its surroundings.

Sounds like it ideally suited to a multi-discipline mountain bike facility too. XC, DH, 4X, could all easily be accommodated. Think you might be able to make something of this location? Then the Ministry of Tourism wants to hear from you before March 1, 2010.

Interested parties are encouraged to outline their ideas in a written Expression of Interest describing your proposal in a maximum of 10 pages (exclusive of attachments or other supporting documentation) and should include an overview of:

• Your firm’s core business, mandate and financial resource capacity
• Experience in similar development types as proposed
• Experience in multi-stakeholder partnerships, including government
• Experience in aboriginal consultation
• Preliminary methodology to deliver the project including, but not limited to the total cost of the project, financing plan, marketing and stakeholder consultation
• Qualifications of key associates to be involved in the project
• Investors must be able to demonstrate the ability to secure capital and provide a financially sound business plan for sustained operations

Proposals will be assessed for their compatibility to the area’s natural and cultural environments and those which provide a social and economic benefit to surrounding communities.

It would be a cool mountain bike destination. Hey a guy can dream can’t he?

Details here. You can download the entire request document here.

The Shorthills Cycling Club, who hosted the Canal Days mountain bike race, are at it again. This time they are hold a race in the cruelest month of them all, February. The Frostbike, on Feb 7, is part of Port Colborne’s 10th annual Winter Sportsfest. It is an individual time trial event on a course similar in route to the Canal Days event. After the event the Funky Monkey Bar & Grill is hosting the riders and volunteers to a chili feast.

So break out your studded tires, bundle up, and register for the race. Or just lend a hand volunteering, race organizers can always use some help.

I got a hit on one of my Google Alerts the other day. And lo-and-behold it was an article about GORBA in the Guelph Mercury. The article goes into a fair amount of detail about what the club is about, how much the contribute the the local community, both from a cycling and non-cycling perspective. I’d love to see more clubs get this kind of coverage. From the article:

They hurtle past, one by one, then disappear down the trail as fast as they appeared, leaving nothing behind but the impression of their tire treads in the snow.

These members of the Guelph Off-Road Bicycling Association are the antithesis of the stereotypical bike gang, or any fairweather cyclists for that matter.

While most people have consigned their bicycles to the shed or garage to languish in silent hibernation until the warmth of spring returns, these perpetual pedallers look for any excuse to hit the trails.

Be sure to go read the entire article at the Guelph Mercury’s site.

PS if there are any other mountain bike clubs out there that are getting press let me know and I’ll post it up here. It’s good for morale.

I’m a bit tardy with this one, so if you’re interested act fast the deadline is Jan 25th, this coming Monday.

The TRCA is seeking members for the next term of the Don Watershed Regeneration Council. From the invitation email:

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is seeking committed members for a new term of the DON WATERSHED REGENERATION COUNCIL.

The Don Council is comprised of a diverse group of individuals, including residents, community groups, businesses, universities and colleges, all levels of government, public agencies and TRCA who work together to protect, regenerate and celebrate the Don.

As a member of the Don Watershed Regeneration Council, you will:

• Act as local champion for your watershed;
• Make connections with environmental professionals and organizations;
• Participate in projects to achieve the TRCA vision for The Living City;
• Assist with implementation of the Don River Watershed Plan;
• Attend seminars, technical training sessions and other educational programs;
• Share knowledge, experience and skills on environmental topics; and
• Work with communities to build capacity to deliver programs.

For more details information regarding the Don Watershed Regeneration Council and to download an application form, visit our website at: www.trca.on.ca/watershed-champions.

Please join us at our PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS to learn more about the Don Watershed Regeneration Council and how you can assist to protect, regenerate and celebrate the Don!

Bayview Hill Community Centre East York Civic Centre – Council Chamber
114 Spadina Road, Richmond Hill                                850 Coxwell Avenue, Toronto
Tuesday, January 19^th - 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm                        Wednesday, January 20^th - 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

The application deadline is January 25^th.

The Don Council has some serious clout with respect to what happens in the Don Valley, so if you’re a civic minded mountain biker who can handle a serious dose of bureaucracy please consider being a voice at the table. Right now our sport has not seat at this particular table.

I read over on Take the Lane (an excellent cycling blog that focuses mostly on road based cycling issues) that Cambridge is forming a cycling committee. It will be a sub-committee of the Cambridge Trails Advisory Committee and ultimately report to Council through the Transportation and Public Works Department.

The group will do its own research and then provide input about on-road cycling facilities and other cycling initiatives in the city (emphasis mine). Because it is a sub-committee of the Trails Advisory Committee some of those other initiatives could legitimately be mountain biking related.

If you’re a civic minded mountain biker who lives in Cambridge who would like to sit on this committee get in touch with Jason Leach at 519-740-4682 or by emailing leachj@cambridge.ca.

Late in 2009 a thread showed up on MTBR, asking “who is representing mountain biking in Hamilton?” Good question. To the best of everyone’s knowledge no one was, at least in a focused organized fashion. The kind of representation that you need if you’re going to become a stakeholder in land access discussions, not be relegated to a mere “interested group.”

On January 6th a group of about 20 Hamilton mountain bikers, and me, got together upstairs at The Coach and Lantern in Ancaster. Some were local riders who frequent MTBR, some where locals who organize rides via email, some were from the Hamilton Cycling Club (HCC). I was just there to pledge IMBA support and to meet some Hamilton mountain bikers. A number of options were discussed including forming a new MTB specific club; joining HCC as part of its MTB initiatives; one person spoke about some of the research and background preparation he’s been doing in this area. The discussion kept coming back to a few key issues. What everyone in the room was concerned with was:

1. Advocacy, specifically for mountain biking,
2. Trail Access, specifically legitimizing many of the currently illegal trails,
3. Effort required to get a club going, and then maintaining it.

When I asked the question “Who is willing to step up and take a leadership roll?” a number of people raised their hands. An excellent sign. Overall I think the meeting was a success and a huge step forward. I think most everyone in attendance thought so as well. Here’s the summary of the meeting.

But wait it gets better.

The HCC invited those brave folks who raised their hands to come to their next executive meeting. Two where able to make it, and reported that the HCC executive voted to:

1. Create two board positions dedicated to mountain biking,
2. Affiliate with IMBA.

As garage monster reports:

Both were PASSED UNANIMOUSLY with no hesitation! To say that the executive was eager to have us would be a gross understatement. Furthermore, they will amend the club’s constitution at the next AGM to include specific verbiage with regards to mountain biking.

Suffice to say the general feeling all around is very upbeat and positive. So if you live or ride in Hamilton and have been concerned about who is representing mountain biking there, worry no further. The combination of passionate local riders, and a well established and respectable club is a very good step (or 2, or 10) in the right direction. Now it all depends on you, the Hamilton rider, to lend your support. For the trails’ sake join the HCC today.

I just got word from Jeff Jackson in the Ottawa Valley about an excellent legal precedent to trail use. Here’s what Jeff has to say:

The Ont. Court of Appeal just decided a cross country ski case, which has some good language for trail liability and defining the standard of care, and does a clear job of explaining Occupier’s Liability in relation to trails. In essence, the judge stated that going off the trail and getting injured (ala Kolapore) is still under Occ Liab:

the objective of s. 4(4)(f) of the Act is to encourage landowners to allow recreational use of marked trails on their lands by imposing on them a lesser duty of care.  It would make little sense to limit this lesser duty of care to users when they remain on the marked trail, only to impose a greater duty of care when they venture off the trail.  As the occupier has no effective way of policing the use of these trails, this would, in effect, impose a duty on the occupier to make the off-trail portions of his or her property safer than the trail itself.  This would defeat the purpose of the Act.

This is a good clarification, and offers protection to trail managers and land owners. The full text is here.

Did you catch the reference to the former Kolapore case? The last I heard that one had been dismissed or abandoned. So things are looking up on a legal front, in Ontario at least.