An option for willing landowners to voluntarily enter agreement—no property owner would be compelled
To the Expositor:
I am pleased to have this opportunity to inform you about Bill 100, the Supporting Ontario’s Trails Act, 2015 which is currently being debated in the Ontario Legislature.
We introduced the Supporting Ontario’s Trails Act to improve access to Ontario’s trails, building both a healthier and more prosperous Ontario. If passed, Bill 100 would help the trails community to cultivate, operate and promote trails while enhancing the trail experience for all users.
To develop the Supporting Ontario’s Trails Act, our ministry held consultations with over 250 organizations, including municipalities, Aboriginal groups, trail organizations and not-for-profit organizations. The feedback my ministry heard during these consultations was integral to shaping the proposed legislation.
We know that trails encourage people of all ages and abilities to visit our unique communities and support local economies. Each year, millions of Ontarians and visitors from outside the province experience Ontario’s trails. Hiking use alone in 2014 was the source of close to $1.4 billion of economic benefit to our province and created more than 18,000 jobs across the overall Ontario economy.
This legislation would connect and expand trails across the province, increasing the economic benefits for local communities. It would promote tourism and encourage use of the trails system by enabling the recognition of trails of distinction and proclaiming an annual Trails Week to coincide with International Trails Day in June.
This legislation would provide an option for willing landowners to consider entering into an agreement to allow some or all of their land to be utilized for trail related activities. To be clear, an easement pursuant to Bill 100, if passed, would be a voluntary agreement between a landowner and an eligible body or bodies. No property owner would be compelled to provide an easement unless they agreed to do so.
The Supporting Ontario’s Trails Act would help us to protect and improve thousands of kilometres of the province’s trails network while encouraging its expansion. I look forward to continuing debate on this important piece of legislation.
Michael Coteau
Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport
