News
Funding Announced for Two Saskatchewan Urban Parks
On Apr. 1, 2011, the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport announced grants for two of Saskatchewan's urban parks; the Wakamow Valley Authority in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon's Meewasin Valley Authority. Meewasin received $100,000 while $40,000 was earmarked for Wakamow.
The Wakamow Valley Authority has a well-established system of trails, and provides a venue for special events in Moose Jaw. The money it has received under this grant will go to trail maintenance and development. With this contribution, Wakamow has received a total of $192,000 from the Province of Saskatchewan this fiscal year.
Stretching along the bank of the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon's Meewasin Valley Authority is a popular walking and recreation destination. With this contribution, the provincial government's total support of Meewasin has grown to $995,000. The money will be used to extend a 60km stretch of trail an additional 5km, which is an integral step toward linking the Meewasin Valley to Wanuskewin Heritage Park. The University of Saskatchewan and the City of Saskatoon also provide support to the Authority.
Taking Safety on the Trail
With summer on the way, trail enthusiasts look forward to another summer of biking, hiking and riding through Saskatchewan's many beautiful trails.
For anyone hitting the trail, it is important to take steps to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you. For individuals exploring trails on an ATV, safety is particularly important. If you plan to navigate the outdoors on an ATV this summer, the Saskatchewan All-Terrain Vehicle Association (SATVA) wants you to be part of its ATV safety courses that have been newly introduced this year.
Courses will be offered to SATVA members and non-members. For a youth rider, a five to seven hour training program costs $75, and $125 for adults. Adults who are members of the SATVA will receive a $25 deduction from the registration fee. Courses are offered in conjunction with the Canadian ATV Safety Institute (CASI) and a certified instructor will lead registrants through a field-tested curriculum. Topics covered through the course include terrain reading, ATV control, hill climbing and much more.
"The SATVA is very proactive with regards to safety," said SATVA president Vera Connolly, adding environmental preservation is also part of the group's mandate. "We practice the 'tread lightly' concept, which means travel responsibly, respect the rights of others, educate yourself, avoid sensitive areas and do your part."
To register online for an ATV safety course, visit http://registration.atvquad.ca, and for more information on the SATVA, visit www.satva.ca.
Lumsden-Area Trails are Brought Together and Improved
An 8km trail that runs through Lumsden, and a 9km stretch of trail known as the Saw-whet trail, which runs toward Regina from Lumsden along the Wascana and Deer valleys, have been brought together as the Lumsden/Deer Valley Trans-Canada Trail System (LDVTCTS).
Since they were created, the trail in Lumsden has been maintained by Lumsden Parks and Recreation, and the Great Plains Trans-Canada Trail Association (GPTCTA) has cared for the trail outside the town. The Town of Lumsden founded their portion of the trail in 2000, and the GPTCTA followed suit the next year with their segment.
Increasingly, the two trails were maintained cooperatively, as if they were one system. This cooperative approach has now been made official. A coordinating committee has been created to continue caring for the trail, with members from both Lumsden Parks and Recreation and the GPTCTA.
Upgrades made to the LDVTCTS include five kiosks featuring large display boards with maps and information on the trail. Three of these kiosks are distributed through the old Saw-whet trail, one is at Deer Valley and the other is at the Lumsden River Park. All of the signage on the trail was redesigned for clarity, and five look out areas were renewed with benches and interpretive signs.
An investment of $14,200 was made to improve the LDVTCTS. Half of this amount was paid by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Action Plan. These funds were channelled through the National Trails Coalition, and came as a result of an application submitted by the GPTCTA.
The other 50 per cent of the cost for the trail renewal was covered by the Town of Lumsden, the GPTCTA, Scarecrow Festival, Deer Valley Golf and Estates, and individual donors including Bill Shurniak of Assiniboia. The Rural Municipality of Lumsden and the Information Services Corporation also contributed to the project with services and in-kind donations.
If you have a story about a Saskatchewan trail that you would like to see featured on the Sask Trails website, please send an email with the details to info@sasktrails.ca.
Report from the National Trail Leadership Roundtable
It seemed like an impossible task. The gathering of 49 people representing all geographic areas of the country and most motorized and non-motorized trail interests had two days to "create a Canadian vision for trails and trail collaboration". The event was sponsored by the Trans Canada Trail and Parks Canada. They had contracted MASS (LBP) which was a company highly skilled in facilitation techniques to reach a conclusion in a process that was conducive to open and respectful discussions.
At the end of the two days a long list of areas of agreement were produced. Other areas yet to be resolved were identified for work in the future. As well a commitment was made by each person to move the agenda along in their jurisdictions. Seventeen people came forward to continue to investigate the options for finding the next steps in determining a mechanism for collaboration. Deadlines were established. This group will have a teleconference the week of January 10th after they have received the draft report from MASS. Feedback from the participants and the groups they represent will be encouraged in the coming months.
Saskatchewan Trails Association will work very hard to contact all user groups and members with the final report which will be available by mid January 2011. As part of a national trail community it seems like a positive move in the right direction. Areas that will be of interest to all trail groups will be the general profile of trails in the country, funding and resources, conduct (respect our differences), information and problem solving, and interaction with government.
The bottom line is that a unified voice for trails in Canada will benefit all. Stay tuned. We will want to hear from you.
Submitted by,
Cathy Watts
President
Sask Trails Association
The Community Initiative Fund Offers Grant for Physical Activity
The Physical Activity Grant Program (PAGP) will support strategic projects and initiatives that encourage the advancement of physical activity for the people of Saskatchewan. The program guidelines are meant to encourage collaboration at regional and provincial levels with physical activity partners drawn from human services, and sport, culture and recreation. Applications will be accepted twice each year, on Nov. 1 and Feb. 1. Funding will be delivered to community organizations for projects of provincial and regional scope.
For more information, or to apply for funding, visit the Physical Activity page of the CIF website, or contact Rhonda Newton with the CIF at (306) 780-9308.
