Ontario Access Coalition

Metcalfe “Clean & Climb” On May 27

adam.reeve — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:07:01 +0000

Join the OAC and Free Spirit tours for a “Clean & Climb” at Metcalfe Rock on Sunday, May 27 from 10:00am until 1:30pm

Free Spirit tours originally started this event as a garbage clean up around Metcalfe Rock after the spring melt in the year 2000. Since then they have added to it by to spreading wood chips along the trails thanks to “Blue Mountain Four Season Landscaping”. If you have a wheelbarrow or a rake please bring it along and meet us in the Metcalfe parking lot at 10am.
In exchange for people coming out and donating their time and energy we have some great prizes to give away that have been donated by local stores. Additionally, the OAC will be chipping in on the prize front with some great prizes from MEC that you wont want to miss!

We hope you can join the OAC and Free Spirit tours for this great chance to help keep Metcalfe rock clean and to show the local community and land managers that climbers care. Stick around after the clean for the great climbing that Metcalfe has to offer.”

2012 Garlic Pull

Bonnie — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:41:53 +0000

Join the OAC and friends at Rattlesnake Point on Sunday, May 6, 2012 for the second annual “Garlic Pull, BBQ and Climbing Session.” This event is a great opportunity brought to you by the OAC and Conservation Halton to help preserve the environment in the places we climb.

Garlic mustard is an invasive species that slowly destroys the existing ecosystem. The plant is spreading on Conservation Halton lands and will eventually decimate large parts of the forests. Join your fellow climbers for the garlic mustard pull and enjoy free access to Rattlesnake Point for the day, a delicious BBQ, big prize draws and, of course, a great day of climbing. We look forward to seeing you at 9am! All you need to bring is a pair of gardening gloves, a big appetite and your climbing gear.

Please help spread word of the event and bring along friends and family. This event is rain or shine. See you there!

Come Climb at Lake Kushog

Bonnie — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:33:39 +0000

The rock and ice climbing around Lake Kushog offers wonderful opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but amazingly it isn’t well known. The Firehouse Restaurant has reached out to the OAC to reach out and build a long-term relationship with the climbing community. Together, we have identified areas of concern and erected signage clearly communicating best practices for that area. Even a Climbers’ Special menu item has been announced to encourage climbers to refuel in the restaurant after climbing.

2012 Ontario Crags Calendar update

adam.reeve — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:47:34 +0000

Thank you for those of you who helped make the Ontario Crags calendar fund-raising drive a success! This project raised over $1,700 towards supporting sustainable climbing access initatives in the province.

It has recently been brought to our attention that dates for the month of July are incorrect on the OAC 2012 Crags Calendar. The printing company has kindly offered to correct the misunderstanding free of charge and a limited edition of corrected calendars are currently available for exchange at the Toronto MEC. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope this results in many accidental extended climbing vacations being booked!

2011 Top Ten Access Sends

adam.reeve — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:15:57 +0000

Hey there Ontario rock buckaroo. Wonder what good stuff the OAC did on behalf of the climbing community in 2011? Here’s the Top Ten Ontario Access accomplishments of 2011.

1. Helping Land Managers understand

OAC volunteers presented climbing management best practices to the Niagara Escarpment Parks and Opens Spaces Council (NEPOSS Council). The presentation reached NEPOSS Council members who consist of all major land management agencies for the Niagara Escarpment. The Niagara Escarpment hosts many of the most popular cliffs and bouldering areas in the province.

2. Legal support for climbers and land managers

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Canada’s largest law firm, signs on to provide pro bono legal council to the OAC. BLG will provide valuable expertise to the OAC in helping land managers to understand, minimize and mitigate liability associated with climbing access.

3. Help from the Access Fund

OAC wins sponsorship from the Access Fund to attend the National Access Stewardship summit conference in Colorado. MEC, OAC, and private contributions enable an OAC representative to attend the conference, network with peers, attend seminars, and learn from other access groups across the continent.

4. Formal Access to Bouldering Established at Niagara Glen

Ontario’s largest and most popular bouldering area, the Niagara Glen, was nearly closed in 2009. In just two years, the OAC worked to turn this situation into one in which the NPC announce the formal management of bouldering, thus legitimizing bouldering as an permissible activity at Niagara Glen. With the introduction of a waiver and fee system, and some restrictions on bouldering access, the Niagara Glen is now formally open to bouldering and recognized as an environmentally sustainable activity. The OAC is continuing to work with the NPC to refine the plan for the benefit of all.

5. Earth Day Halton

2011 saw the re-instatement of Earth Day activities with Conservation Halton. The OAC has committed to a multi-year plan to help work to try to eliminate the invasive species Garlic Mustard that threatens the forests of Conservation Halton. This year, think about what you are doing to help save mother earth and consider joining us to help preserve the environment on Conservation Halton’s lands. Enjoy a BBQ with friends and have a chance to win some great prizes.

6 Niagara Escarpment Commission Conference

OAC volunteers presented the results of a qualitative research study on sustainable bouldering at Niagara Glen to the Niagara Escarpment Commission Conference. The presentation brings the value of bouldering, access issues and the importance of working with the OAC to the attention of various land managers in a new light.

7. Volunteers Recognized

OAC volunteer Harry Hoediono and longtime ACC member Kit Moore win the 29th annual Conservation Halton award of excellence. Amongst other items, Harry and Kit have worked on behalf of the OAC and Conservation Halton to establish and implement the installation of hundreds of fixed top anchors at Buffalo Crag and Rattlesnake Point. The anchors facilitate safety for climbers while helping to minimize environmental impact to the area.

8. Old Baldy Re-bolting

With only a handful of routes left to go, the Old Baldy re-bolting project reaches near completion with hundreds of aging pieces of fixed hardware having been replaced by volunteers with new hardware donated by MEC. Grey Sauble Conservation Authority has been very supportive in facilitating the project, so in 2012 please buy a permit and check out the great work that has been done at Old Baldy by whipping on a few of the new bolts.

9. New, Improved OAC website

2011 saw the launch of the new OAC website to provide easier access to information and improve the experience of visitors. The site allows for online membership enrolment and online volunteer signup. If you haven’t checked it out yet, there are loads of resources on the site for climbers and Land Managers, the latest confirmed access information for Ontario crags, and more. Also, don’t forget to like our Facebook fanpage to get all the news from the site and more right on Facebook.

10. You’re Invited

Recognizing the value of including climbing and bouldering in thier management planning activites, Bruce Peninsula National Park has invited the OAC to participate in formal park planning processes. A photo of boulderers is featured on the cover of the planning brochure delivered to every home on the Bruce Peninsula.

This is just a taste of all of the great work done by OAC volunteers this year. If you would like to help out too or find out more about what the great steps towards improved access taken last year check out www.ontarioaccesscoalition.com.

2012 Ontario Crags Calendar

adam.reeve — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Hey you! Do you forget what day it is? Do you often day-dream of climbing? Are you looking to figure out when long weekends are for planning the next road trip? Do you like great pictures of climbing in Ontario?

Voila! The 2012 Ontario Crags calendar from the OAC are on sale now at the Toronto MEC to meet your needs. Loaded with photos from some of the areas’ best photographers, the calendar features beautiful scenery and sports action at a variety of Ontario crags! Check out great shots from Grey County hot spots: Devil’s Glen, Old Baldy and the Swamp. Drool over bouldering at Niagara Glen and Halfway Log Dump, and be inspired by the incredible shots of Skeleton Lake and Lake Papineau. Get your psych on month after month in 2012! Here’s a sneak peak inside:

A huge thanks to the photographers who donated their images to the project and the OAC volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this happen! There’s a limited number available so be sure to head to Toronto MEC and pick up your calendar today for only $16.95 + tax. Funds raised from this project go directly to keeping access open at Ontario cliffs, boulders and ice.

Presentation to the Niagara Escarpment Parks and Open Spaces Systems Council

adam.reeve — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:04:30 +0000

On Friday, October 18, OAC volunteers presented to the Niagara Escarpment Parks and Open Spaces System (NEPOSS) Council. The presentation represented a significant opportunity for the climbing community to reach out to a large group of conservation land managers ranging from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Parks, Conservation Authorities, the Niagara Park Commission,, municipalities, the Ontario Heritage Trust, Bruce Trail Conservancy and Parks Canada. The presentation introduced the mission and objectives of the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC), identified collaborative projects between the OAC and NEPOSS Council members, and promoted climbing and its management as an environmentally sustainable activity.

To become more familiar with the NEPOSS Council, please visit their website at http://www.niagaraescarpmentontario.ca/

The following is a brief introduction to the NEPOSS Council:

The NEPOSS Council is organized to advance the NEPOSS objectives identified in the Niagara Escarpment Plan. It was created in recognition of a need to foster dialogue on NEPOSS issues and improve liaison, shared resources, and coordinated action among various NEPOSS agencies.

The Council provides advice to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) on NEPOSS policies and programs and bring awareness to Council issues.

Key Council Responsibilities include:

Providing effective leadership for coordinated park management and stewardship
Protecting natural and cultural heritage features of NEPOSS
Supporting the growth of NEPOSS through land securement initiatives
Building strong relationships with key stakeholders to address common park and open space issues and interests
Working together to provide an interconnected system of trails and educational and recreational opportunities

With the goal in mind of educating Council members on climbing management, the presentation encouraged incorporating climbing as an environmentally compatible activity where appropriate on the Niagara Escarpment through sharing best practices and case studies of access successes in the province.

The response to the presentation was very encouraging and the presentation was well received. Discussions revealed that several Council members had climbing experience ranging from climbing at Buffalo Crag, years of climbing gym membership, to South American glacier travel.

Both the OAC and the NEPOSS Council will be posting copies of the presentation on their respective websites. The OAC looks forward to continuing to work with the Council and its members in the near future.

A big thanks to the OAC volunteers who took time out of their personal obligations to research, create and deliver the presentation on behalf of the climbing community.

Canada’s largest law firm signs on to support access

adam.reeve — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:27:38 +0000

The OAC is pleased to announce a new sponsor: the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. BLG will assist the OAC in responding to landowners’ concerns about climbing-related liability. BLG is Canada’s largest law firm. Many of its lawyers are active climbers. Dan Zacks of BLG’s Toronto office has climbed for over a decade–primarily on the Escarpment–and will work with the OAC’s Board of Directors.

10% off for OAC members at MEC Burlington on Nov 20th 2011

tony.berlier — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 02:53:35 +0000

Dennis Barnes slide show-10% off for OAC members!

NPC offers explanation of fee and waiver management plan structure at Niagara Glen

tony.berlier — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:43:46 +0000

Through the coordinated efforts of the OAC and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), the Niagara Glen now formally permits bouldering. With the new establishment of a formal management plan for bouldering many in the bouldering community are questioning why they would pay for access to something that has been free for so long. In response to these questions the OAC has reached out to the NPC and asked for clarification on the fee. The Niagara Parks Commission has provided a statement that explains the need for the fee, why boulderers and not other users pay, and how the funds collected from the fee are used:

“Bouldering Activities in the Niagara Glen

During the 1980′s, The Niagara Parks Commission moved to limit the recreational pursuit of cliff-face climbing within the Park, by restricting it to emergency and maintenance purposes only. At the same time, the Commission continued to allow the recreational activity known as bouldering to take place. Over the years, bouldering has increased in popularity and the Niagara Glen has become a noted world-wide bouldering site. The need for a more formal program to oversee this activity was therefore needed to protect the physical, cultural and ecological integrity of the Parks and Niagara Glen.

Following consultations with the public, the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC) and other interested groups, new rules were developed to permit the continuation of this sport in the Niagara Glen. Annual Bouldering Permits will now be issued to encourage safe access by users, while protecting the greatest concentration of Species at Risk, which are found in Ontario within the Niagara Glen. However, there are costs in doing so in terms of staffing, insurance, legal, monitoring, mapping and maintenance, which Niagara Parks would not otherwise experience, if it did not allow this sanctioned activity to occur.

As a self-funded agency of the Province of Ontario, The Niagara Parks Commission operates in a commercial manner with revenues raised reinvested back into the Park to support its much needed stewardship and preservation activities. The bouldering community, by way of this new permit fee, will also be contributing to the responsible continuation of the sport and protection of the most sensitive aspects and nature of the Niagara Glen.”

Climbing in the Niagara Glen was first recorded in 1922. After nearly 100 years of free access to Niagara Glen the recent growth of the sport has resulted in the need for change to allow bouldering to continue to grow. In Ontario and around the world the climbing community and land managers are challenged with how to incorporate environmentally responsible activities on their land. The OAC continues to believe climbing to be a low-impact self powered recreation opportunity. We encourage climbers and boulderers to follow our code of ethics in promotion of Leave No Trace practices. Please support this partnership by purchasing your annual bouldering permit at the Butterfly Conservatory this Fall/Winter; hours of operation here: http://www.niagaraparksnature.com/things-to-do/butterfly-conservatory.html

More bouldering info at: http://www.niagaraparksnature.com/things-to-do/bouldering.html