Trillium Trail Network

The Trillium Trail Network (TTN) represents an opportunity for trails to link together between regions and communities in Ontario. The TTN consists of OTC member trails registering their trail as a network member. The OTC derives its core financial support from its membership. We encourage you to join more than 100 members to support the promotion and advocacy of trails in Ontario.

DID YOU KNOW - There are over 1000 organizations supporting trails or trail activity representing over 500,000 trail user in Ontario! Yet the trails used by these groups are not securely funded or supported through any one dedicated, local, regional, provincial or national fund arrangement.

The OTC's Trillium Trail Network Business Plan has been developed to provide trail user, trail management support through products and services that support trails. In this way trail users and trail operators can self-fund their own sustainability! One way is to sell the Trillium Trail Permit.

 The Trillium Trail Network sustainability plan details a 5 part program to benefit all trail operators and is built trails architecture designed and supported by the Ontario Trails Council. We are engaging all trails and all governments to support volunteers and staff who build trails for public use.

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We support multi-use, urban, rural, northern, regional, tourism and active living trails. You can find information on all these trail types through this website. As a collective voice, the OTC has developed the Trillium Trails Network (TTN) and a business plan that supports trail operators. There are no secure funds for trail development, yet trails are the largest most frequently used recreational infrastructure in Ontario.

Overall the Trillium Trail Network will:

• Make Ontario a more attractive place to live and visit
• Promote trail travel and tourism
• Increase the number of trails available for use
• Improve trail management as TTN trails will work to implement accepted trail standards
• Promote ecological conservation
• Reduce insurance costs for members
• Provide funds for re-claimation.

In order to do these things the Ontario Trails Council has implemented a province-wide trail permit system on approved trails.

Trillium Trail Gold Trail Permit

Qualifications

Trail Development and Management Organizations (TDMO's) are organization which have legitimate approval from a land management authority to develop and use trails for permitted use. They are the qualified re-seller of the Trillium Trail Gold Trail Permit. In order to determine whether you qualify as a TDMO you must:

• Apply to the OTC to be a member
• Accept the management and evaluative practices of the OTC
• Be independently audited by a 3rd party evaluator
• Distribute permit revenues according to the schedule
• Complete the Safe Trails Manual
• Receive Insurance reciprocity approval
• Re-sell TDMO Trail Permits on accepted trails
• Sign an MOU with the OTC

Safe Trail Practices

The Ontario Trails Council has developed a trails certification program. With the support of the Ministry of Health Promotion, The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, FedNor, the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, The Ontario Federation of Trail Riders and the Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs we have circulated our guides.

Register Your Trail

A key Trillium Trail Network benefit is that the trails have distinctive signage for trail users showing your trail as part of the Network.

Trillium Trail Network Facts

The Ontario Trails Council has developed a full range of information on the Trillium Trail Network and the Trillium Trail Network Permit, as well as the Trillium Trail Gold Trail Permit which was fully developed by the OTC in 2009-2010.