2008 Fall - Elora Cataract Trailway Association

Elora Cataract Trailway Association
N O V E M B E R
IN SHORT:
 Two special volunteers,
2 0 0 8
From the Chair
Wayne and Joan
Prowse, make daily trips
to the trail between
Fergus and Elora to keep
the birds well fed and
thus visible.
 Tree planting practices
for the Trailway
(reviewed) with an eye
towards improving species selection and increasing the survivability rate
of what gets planted.
 A golden opportunity to
have parts of the Trailway incorporated into
the new hospital plans.
 Wetlands provide important habitat for one third
of wildlife species at risk
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Trail Nuggets
2/6
New hospital lands
3
Family walk
3
As you‘ll read in this newsletter, it‘s been a
busy and good year for the Elora Cataract
Trailway Association (ECTA).
I often get asked, and rightfully so, ―What is
the benefit of membership?‖ As you read
through this newsletter, you‘ll see that your
membership support and dollars go a long
way. The ECTA works to Promote, Enhance, and Protect the Trailway. We also I
believe, provide an important voice for the
Elora Cataract Trailway and the importance
of trails in general. A strong membership not
only provides funding for projects, but
shows the community how important the
Elora Cataract Trailway is to us. Without a
strong membership, it‘s hard to convince
others this is true.
This past year the ECTA has worked on
projects with several members of the general
public, local politicians, development companies, other Trail Groups, the Township of
Centre Wellington, The County of Wellington, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph in motion,
The Grand River Conservation Authority,
The Credit Valley Conservation, Centre
Wellington District High School, Hike Ontario and quite a few other local groups.
We‘ve held events such as the very successful Family Walk, planted trees, produced
two newsletters and maintained our Web
site. We answer questions submitted to us
on the Web site. We get asked everything
from where to stay, ideas for hiking, general tourism, shopping, dining, bike rentals,
camping plus general information requests
on the area, the Trailway and where to get
maps. The Trailway Maps are produced
and funded by the ECTA which we make
available in as many locations as possible.
We averaged 40-70 unique visitors a day
to the Web site from spring to fall.
We already have several new projects on
the go for 2009. We will update you with
more details in the next newsletter.
I‘d like to take this opportunity to thank
all the volunteers and board members that
helped out this year. If you haven‘t had a
chance to volunteer yet, we‘ll
have many opportunities,
starting in the spring. Our winter newsletter will outline
these opportunities.
In closing, I‘d like to ask that
you continue to support the
Elora Cataract Trailway Association. Enjoy the newsletter
and most importantly, enjoy
the Trailway.
ECT—one of CVC’s 4
“Core 10” C. A. s
Membership expires
4
Mark your calendar 4
The vital role of
wetlands
5
Donation form
5
Membership application form
6
J. Raymond Soucy
Trails Open Ontario Family Walk - October 4, 2008
Photo: Peter Szmidt
-2-
ELORA
CATARACT
TRAILWAY
ASSOCIATION
TRAIL NUGGETS
93 different Wildflowers Identified along the
Trailway
Soucy (ECTA Chair) at 519-843-7703 or email
info@trailway.org.
If you‘ve visited our website this summer,
(www.trailway.org), most likely you saw the wonderful
list Wayne Prowse put together of the 93 different Wildflowers he identified along the Elora to Fergus section of
the Trailway. I encourage you to have a look at Wayne‘s
list and maybe even bring it with you the next time
you‘re on the Trailway. We would like to publish similar
lists, perhaps a list of Birds, or Wildlife, Trees, Shrubs? If
this is something you would like to do, feel free to send
us your list for publication on the Trailway website.
Pictures Needed for Our Website
Arborist Walk Event Held June 12th
We walked a section of the Elora Cataract Trailway
(Beatty Line to just past the Wellington Terrace Access
Road) with a GRCA Arborist. The purpose was to review
tree planting practices for the Trailway with an eye towards improving species selection and increasing the survivability rate of what gets planted. We looked at soil
types along this section of the Trailway, what tree and
scrub species would do well or are not desirable to plant
on the Trailway. We had very good support from the
GRCA for this event and hope to put the information
gathered to good use in future plantings.
ECTA Participated in Several Events This Year
The Trailway Association has attended several events this
year to help increase the awareness of our Trailway and
of the importance of all Trailways:
▫ Erin Community Activity Information Day
▫ Annual General Meeting, Belwood
▫ Fergus Lions Home Show
▫ Arborist Walk
▫ Elora Festival ―Fair in the Square‖
▫ Family Walk Event (Trails Open, Sensational Elora,
in motion, Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health
Unit)
Interested in Becoming a Board Member?
Are you a Trail user? Have ideas about what should be
done to promote, enhance and protect Trailways? Would
you like to be involved with other like-minded people?
The Elora Cataract Trailway Association board might be
just what you are looking for. The board meets 7 times a
year. We have several projects on the go that will provide opportunity for you to be involved. If you are interested or have questions about the board, call Raymond
We are always on the lookout for Trailway pictures for
our website. If you‘ve taken a picture(s), you can easily
share them with the rest of us. Email your picture(s) to
webmaster@trailway.org.
Trailway Notes # 3
(This article was originally published
in Fergus Elora Express, March 1, 2006 – Ed.)
When winter returns, and it soon will, if you are still
hiking the trail, you will notice an abundant presence of
birds. This is no accident. Two special volunteers,
Wayne and Joan Prowse, make daily trips to the trail
between Fergus and Elora to keep the birds well fed
and thus visible. Wayne began modestly over ten years
ago with three carefully crafted wooden feeders. Since
then, he has expanded to fifteen feeding stations using
much simpler forms of construction, plastic bottles, cans
and flower pot saucers to entice all types of winter
feeders. There are three basic menus: sunflower seeds,
nyger (a type of thistle seed from India which the
finches love) and a concoction of lard, peanut butter,
cornmeal and oatmeal. Wayne estimates that it costs an
average of $300 a year to purchase the required foods.
Most feeders are well above the reach of trail users,
away from ground predators and amazingly enough,
rarely raided by squirrels. On any given day from December through March, you can see Wayne and Joan
out for their daily walk with their dog visiting each station. Wayne uses an extendable pole to bring down
each feeder to fill it with goodies. At the end of the season, he collects, sterilizes and stores the feeders until the
following December.
There is a glint in Wayne‘s eye as he describes the variety of winter visitors – three types of finches, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, mourning doves, woodpeckers, blue jays and cardinals. He is a skilled photographer
and you can view samples of his stunning close ups at
the trailway website at www.trailway.org. Wayne
deserves our respect and admiration for creating a sanctuary for the birds and increasing their presence for our
enjoyment. It is volunteers with such dedication who
keep many aspects of the trail running smoothly.
Cont. P. 6, Trail Nuggets, Trailway Notes # 3
ELORA
CATARACT
TRAILWAY
ASSOCIATION
-3-3-
New Hospital Land
Borders Trailway
Recently, Wellington County & Groves Hospital
purchased a 105 acre parcel of land that will
include 30 acres for a new hospital. One section of the land borders the ECT and another
section borders the Trestle Bridge Trailway, see
included map. It‘s important the ECTA works
with the planning board to protect the Trailway. We have had one very productive meeting
already. This is also a golden opportunity to
have parts of the Trailway incorporated into the
new hospital plans. The Trailway could become
a transportation corridor for staff and visitors,
be used by Staff and others as a healthy physical
activity during the day and maybe even incorporated into patient programs? We are researching other hospitals and medical clinics that have
Trail programs. If you know of such programs,
we would like to hear from you. Email us at
info@trailway.org, talk to one of our board
members or call me (Raymond Soucy) at 519843-7703.
Trails Open Ontario Family Walk — October 4, 2008
More than 150 people, including five athletes from Canada‘s 2008 Beijing Olympic Team, Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj,
Councillor Bob Foster and Member of Parliament Michael Chong, met at the Elora Public School to walk a 6.8 km.
loop along the Elora Cataract Trail and adjoining trails. This Elora Cataract Trailway Association event was cosponsored by a partnership of community groups including Ontario
Heritage Trust, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph in motion, Sensational
Elora and the Guelph Wellington Dufferin Health Unit.
Many participants commented on how much they enjoyed taking
part in a group walk. A wide variety of age groups including families
with young children joined in the activity. We counted over 40 children and 20 dogs on leashes.
The intent of the walk was to encourage trail usage and physical
activity. The loop route was designed to highlight where future urban development will take place along the Trailway. The route also
took walkers onto portions of several lesser known trails that are
adjacent to the ECT.
Photo: Peter Szmidt
We wish to thank the organizations who joined us in sponsoring the
event in particular ―In Motion‖ and the WDG Health Unit provided
prizes for children and apples and water for the snack table. Thanks
also to the community volunteers, in particular the students from
Mr. Bruce‘s grade 12 outdoor education class at C.W.D.H.S., for
their help. We look forward to planning an equally exciting event
to celebrate Open Trails 2009.
Tom Skimson
-4-
-4-
ELORA
ELORA
CATARACT
CATARACT
TRAILWAY
TRAILWAY
ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION
ECT Named One of CVCs ―Core 10 Conservation Areas‖
watershed.
The Credit River watershed runs from the headwaters of
the Credit River in Orangeville, through the Greenbelt
and Niagara Escarpment, and southwards towards Mississauga to the shores of Lake Ontario.
For over 50 years now, Credit Valley Conservation has
been acquiring high-priority natural areas within the
Credit River watershed for the purpose of natural heritage protection and appreciation. CVC owns over 50
properties that consist of a cross-representation of the
features and green spaces within the watershed. Core to
these landholdings are ten beautiful and unique areas
that we invite residents and visitors to come enjoy and
explore. CVC‘s Core 10 Conservation Areas are the basis
for a new membership program that has been launched
in 2008. CVC‘s ‗Our Credit‘ program encourages people to become a vital component of protecting nature in
the Credit River watershed by contributing to and enjoying our unique, biodiverse and natural conservation areas.
Centrally located within the Credit River watershed is
the Elora Cataract Trailway, a unique linear conservation
area that CVC is proud to promote as one of our Core
10 Conservation Areas. CVC recognizes that the Elora
Cataract Trailway offers an excellent opportunity for
visitors to participate in a number of recreational activities. These include hiking, bike riding, horseback riding,
cross country skiing, snowmobiling, wildlife viewing and
sightseeing. The Trailway also provides a unique opportunity for visitors to gain an appreciation for both the
natural and community landscapes of the Credit River
As a result of the importance of the Elora Cataract
Trailway in our conservation areas system continual
efforts are being made to ensure the safety and satisfaction of our visitors. Over the course of 2008, CVC has
re-surfaced 4.5 kilometers of the Trailway, and over the
fall of 2008 an additional section of trail between Mississauga Road and Shaw‘s Creek Road will be widened
and re-surfaced.
The upkeep and safe use of the Trailway by all visitors
is important to CVC, and as such we would like to remind all users to please stay on the trail and practice
appropriate trail etiquette. Additionally, for all equestrian users on the Trailway, please keep in mind that
horseback riding is not permitted on the Trailway between March 15 and May 31. The temporary closure
of the trail for horse-use is put into effect in order to
maintain trail safety and surface conditions. Also, CVC
would like all visitors to note that motorized vehicles,
with the exception of snowmobiles in designated areas,
are prohibited at all times along the Elora Cataract
Trailway.
For further information about CVC, our conservation
areas, or events and activities, visit our website at
www.creditvalleycons.com or call 1-800-668-5557.
For information regarding CVC‘s membership program,
see the ‗Our Credit‘ website www.ourcredit.ca or call 1800-367-0890.
Victoria Maines, Lands Technician,
Credit Valley Conservation
When does my membership expire?
―Thank you!‖
to Sentex for providing ECTA
with Free Web Hosting.
Please consider Sentex when looking for an ISP.
www.sentex.net
If you look at your mailing label, the top right corner will have the word EXPIRY: year of expiry. For
example if you see EXPIRY: 2008, this means your
membership is due. If you are receiving your newsletter electronically, your email notification will include this information. Your membership runs on a
calendar year.
Mark Your Calendar Now
Our Annual General Meeting is scheduled for
Sunday April 5th, 2009 @ Belwood Lions Hall
in Belwood.
ELORA
CATARACT
TRAILWAY
ASSOCIATION
The Vital Role of Wetland Habitats
Throughout history, swamps have been viewed as mysterious wastelands full of foul odours and inhabited
only by the lowest of creatures. Today, however, times
have changed and swamps and other wetland areas are
viewed by many as a significant habitat necessary to the
overall health of a watershed. During times of heavy
precipitation vegetation growing around wetlands
helps to trap, filter and slow the rate of runoff. This
allows for a buffer zone between areas of human activity that cause pollution in runoff such as eroded silt,
sediments and other contaminates nd stop them from
entering streams and rivers. In the spring time wetlands
absorb and retain melt waters and help prevent flooding by slowly releasing moisture into waterways.
Marshes, swamps, bogs and fens, each a classification of
wetland, provide exceptional habitat and essential
breeding areas for a large diversity of plants and animals. These vital areas are still at risk due to habitat loss
from commercial, industrial and agricultural pressures
for development and land use.
Did you know?
▪ Cattails, a common wetland plant, have the ability to
absorb low levels of heavy metals with no toxic effect
on the plant.
▪ Currently research is being conducted to study the use
of constructed wetlands as an alternative for waste-
water treatment for cold-climate communities.
▪ Wetlands provide important habitat for one third of
wildlife species at risk identified by the Committee on
the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC).
▪ Wetlands are significant carbon sinks for reducing high
levels of carbon in our atmosphere as a result from
the burning of fossil fuel.
Learn more about wetlands or become involved in a
local habitat restoration project from one of the agencies below.
Conservation Ontario
P.O. Box 11, 120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket, ON L3Y 4W3
Tel. (905) 895-0716
www.conservation-ontario.on.ca
Ducks Unlimited Canada
566 Welham Road, Barrie, ON L4M 6E7
Tel. (705) 721-4444
www.ducks.ca
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Contact the local office
www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/
See www.trailway.org., News Section, for references.
DONATION:
To give a donation please make cheque payable to either one of the foundations listed below. All donations to
the foundations will receive an income tax receipt. The funds will flow back to the ECTA for trail improvements
and capital projects.
Credit Valley Conservation Foundation
The Grand River Foundation
Mail to:
Elora Cataract Trailway Association, PO Box 13, Elora, ON N0B 1S0
VOLUNTEER:
I would like to VOLUNTEER, please contact me.
TRAIL CAPTAIN:
I would like to Trail Captain, please contact me.
We are looking for pictures of the trailway that we can use on the trailway website. If you have pictures you
would like to contribute, email them to general@trailway.org. You can also mail a CD to the our PO box.
Have a look at your mailing label. It will tell you when your membership expires.
-5-
-6-
ELORA
CATARACT
TRAILWAY
ASSOCIATION
TRAIL NUGGETS,
CONT.
Trailway Notes # 3, cont. from p.2
You can help make a contribution to feeding the birds
or to other special projects of the ECTA along the trailway by buying a membership yearly for $25 or encouraging friends, neighbours and family to do the same.
Gail Brown
Strength in Numbers
How many people does the ECTA represent? This is
important for the Association to know when we talk to
council and other groups about supporting the Trailway. We know that we have over 180 membership
representing individuals and families. But how many
people do the 180 memberships represent? We‘d like to
ask for your help in figuring this out. When you send in
your membership renewal this year, would you please
include the number of people in your household that
are covered by your membership?
If your membership is not expiring this year, you can
send us an email at info@trailway.org.
Electronic Newsletter and event Notification
Are you interesting in receiving our newsletter electronically instead of in a printed form? If so, send us an
email at info@trailway.org indicating you would like to
be on our electronic newsletter distribution list. We can
also notify you via email of any upcoming ECTA
events. Same procedure here, send an email to
info@trailway.org with your request.
Please Renew your Membership
As you have read in this newsletter, your association has
been busy this year and we have a lot planned for the
coming years. Please take the time to renew your membership. By renewing your membership, you provide
the necessary funds to continue to operate the association and all the ongoing projects. Equally important is a
large membership demonstrates to everyone that many
people care about the Elora Cataract Trailway and
what happens to it. We should never take it for
granted. With all the development about to happen,
this is a very important message to get out.
We have two options, a one year membership for $25
and a five year membership for $100.
You may also choose to make a donation to either the
Grand River Foundation or Credit Valley Conservation
Foundation. A donation to either of these foundations
helps us fund projects on the Trailway.
Elora Cataract Trailway Association
Membership Application Form
www.trailway.org
Renewal
New Membership
No. in your household _______
Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________
City: ______________________________ Prov: _____ Postal Code: _______________
Telephone: ________________________ email: _______________________________
$25—1Year
Mail to:
$100—5 Years
Elora Cataract Trailway Association, PO Box 13, Elora, ON N0B 1S0