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Q&A from the 2017 OAC Annual General Meeting

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Every year, the Ontario Access Coalition holds an Annual General Meeting. We appreciate True North’s support in hosting us this past June 26th, 2017. The short formal portion of the meeting allows OAC members to elect Directors for the coming year (as legally mandated). Afterwards, the AGM gives us the opportunity to connect with the membership in a loosely structured Q&A discussion session.
Discussions during the Q&A included:
* the then-upcoming Beaver Valley Climbing Festival (the Alpine Club of Canada Toronto Section offered support);
* updates on Metcalfe restrooms and improvements at Devil’s Glen;
* offers to improve the social media and general PR presence (including an Instagram account);
* how to better disseminate the gym to crag brochures (in every guidebook & via Conservation Halton);
* discussion of Conservation Halton’s strong support for climbing and the advisability of replacing old pins with bolts;
* questions about Algonquin Highlands (James Cooper Trail, Kushog) and the Hailburton Highlands Water Trails;
* questions about how to get involved (mail
info@ontarioaccesscoalition.com) and outreach efforts;
* questions about the financials (will be lightly edited to break down outgoing donations (SO Ice Fest, Conservation Halton ice climbing signs).
Thanks to those who came out to the meeting!
2017 AGM materials (minutes, access sends, survey results, financials)

Registration for 2017 Beaver Valley Climbing Festival now open!

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Preparations for the 2017 Beaver Valley Climbing Festival are well underway. Join the OAC and over 200 fellow climbers on July 14-16 for a weekend of climbing, camping, supper and entertainment at the Rob Roy Dogsled Farm!

Register for the Beaver Valley Climbing Festival

Thanks to our headline sponsors Boulderz, True North, and Arc’teryx! Members of Boulderz, True North, and Climber’s Rock get 10% off their festival tickets.

boulderz True NorthArc'teryx

as well as our title sponsor Climber’s Rock!


Niagara Glen parking clarification

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We’ve received this response from Niagara Glen park staff, in response to a question about Niagara Glen parking.

Every annual parking pass, including the one that comes with the Bouldering Permit, purchased for the Niagara Glen can have up to 2 license plates from the same household. These however, cannot be purchased at the machines, as they only accept the one plate. Individuals can buy the annual parking passes for 2 plates at the Butterfly Parking Booth with one of the attendants or from the Falls Parking office. Also note, since the change to the policy that permits up to 2 plates was only introduced on Jan 1, 2017, annual parking passes purchased prior to this policy change would only be eligible for the 1 licence plate.

[If you have] a valid bouldering permit from October 2016, [your] bouldering permit is still valid. By presenting this bouldering permit at the Butterfly Conservatory, [you] should [receive] a parking pass valid until the current bouldering permit expires.

OAC Annual General Meeting: June 26, 2017

By Access, Events, News

The OAC invites all members to partake in our 2017 annual general meeting on June 26, 2017. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions about the organization and our on-going projects in addition to sharing your input on the future direction of the OAC.

The meeting will be held at True North Climbing (75 Carl Hall Road Unit 14, Downsview Park, Toronto, ON) on Monday June 26th at 7:30 PM. Discounted climbing daypasses ($17) are available for all attendees (but not required to attend!)

To be eligible to vote at the AGM, one is required to be a member of the Ontario Access Coalition. To allow for the processing of new members, please ensure applications are submitted prior to June 9th. Please visit our membership page at https://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/join/ for further details.

The OAC is very interested in increasing its capacity by attracting new ideas, leadership, and energy. At this meeting, we will elect three members to the Board of Directors (all for a two-year term). As always, we are also looking for portfolio managers and general volunteers. While members can be nominated to the Board at the AGM, any nominations submitted by June 9th will have their profiles distributed to the membership in advance. This will facilitate a structured voting process. Interested members are encouraged to contact the OAC in advance.

Potential board members should have:
– An interest in (learning about) outdoor climbing access issues in Ontario
– A varied skill set with a self-starter attitude
– A positive, proactive team-based approach to problem solving

As a board member the individual will:
– Attend bi-monthly board meetings
– Lead projects and/or access portfolios
– Participate in developing and executing the OAC’s strategic plan

Further details will be provided to members 14 days prior to the AGM. If you do not receive notification by email, please send us a note (info@ontarioaccesscoalition.com).

2017 Niagara Escarpment Plan and Climbing Access

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by Patrick Lam, on behalf of the OAC Board

Following community consultations, the Ontario government has released the final version of the Niagara Escarpment Plan. Because much of Southern Ontario climbing occurs on the Niagara Escarpment, and because the Niagara Escarpment Commission has the power to control the use of the Escarpment (even on private land), the Plan is tremendously significant to Ontario climbers. The final version of the Plan incorporates feedback from the climbing community. Thank you for your help; together, we helped preserve access to Ontario climbing!

Impact of the new Plan

The Ontario Access Coalition does not expect immediate changes to climbing access as a result of the new Plan. As always, climbing access is tenuous and may be threatened by impacts by climbers and other visitors. Demonstrating stewardship and following Leave No Trace principles can help position climbers as a net positive for our open spaces.

More specifically, here’s what the Plan says about climbing. Rock climbing is now explicitly permitted in parks and open spaces where a climbing management plan exists. Some of our strongest partners are conservation authorities (CAs). Our understanding is that, in collaboration with the Ontario Access Coalition, CAs have developed plans for Niagara Glen, Rattlesnake Point/Buffalo Crag/Bottleglass, Mount Nemo, Kelso, and Old Baldy.

We continue to work with CAs and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to develop climbing management plans for other areas. A general principle that helps with climbing access is that the Niagara Escarpment Plan generally permits existing uses even if they are non-conforming.

Nature Reserves

The Plan contains a classification of parks and open space. The most sensitive classification is that of a Nature Reserve, to which access “will not be widely promoted [… and] activities limited to those that can further scientific understanding and education”. Many historically significant Ontario climbing areas, such as Lion’s Head, lie within Nature Reserves. Previous proposed plans explicitly disallowed climbing in Nature Reserves; we asked community input to focus on this particular aspect. The current plan does not contain a prohibition. However, climbers should be especially careful about impact in these areas, for which nature preservation is the key objective.

References

The Niagara Escarpment Commission has posted the plan at https://www.escarpment.org/LandPlanning/NEP.

OAC 2017 Strategic Plan

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We’re pleased to publish our strategic plan, which will guide our efforts in the next few years. The strategic plan includes goals of advocating for access to climbing areas; strengthening community involvement and outreach; and promoting environmental stewardship.

Please find our plan at the following page:

https://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/about/oac-strategic-plan-february-2017/

As always, we welcome new volunteers to help us achieve our goals. Please get in touch with us using the contact link on the website or by emailing info@ontarioaccesscoalition.com.