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ontario parks association

Protecting Tomorrow Today®

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  • Trails Specialist Workshop

Trails Specialist Workshop


Instructed By: 

Zane Davies

Presented in Partnership with:


In partnership with the Ontario Trails Council, OPA offers this two-day course as an introduction to understand professional trail development and how it relates to trail maintenance. You will receive instruction on how to observe, detect, document and mitigate potential risk resulting from poor trail design, construction and maintenance. This workshop combines in classroom theory and hands-on experiences. Participants will leave the course with a tool kit on how to create and implement a successful trail maintenance program. This course will cover all types of trails from natural surface single track to 3 metre wide crushed aggregate. 


This course will cover:

  • Overview of Professional Trail Development
  • The Science and Art of Trail Building
  • Maintenance of Trails
  • Environmental Impacts
  • Liability Issues
  • Handwork and Trail Construction Techniques

    Participants are required to have a hard hat, safety glasses, closed toe footwear (CSA rating preferred), and gloves. 

    This course is being delivered in partnership with Ontario Trails Council.

    This course is worth 2 credits towards your Parks Practitioner Designation

    Want to host this session? 
    The ideal location should be comprised of both an indoor facility and outdoor environment with a variety of existing trails. The goal of the facility is to provide the best possible representative sample of the actual trail terrain to be expected by participants taking the course. This will allow the course to be tailored to your specific region which will have its own unique set of strengths, weakness and opportunities. The classroom should be able to accommodate approximately 15 people in size (group dependent), have a projector available, and a means of writing via white board, flip chart and/or chalk board. The outdoor environment ideally should have an existing trail of both natural and soft surface (crushed aggregate). The overall topography of the property should be of mixed terrain ideally with flood plains, rolling hills, mixed bush and meadow areas. 

    Recommended equipment for participants to use include: pin flags, clinometers, pulaskis, mcloed rakes and/or any other trail building tools/equipment the organization, government agency or participant intends to use for trail design, building and maintenance. This idea behind having your own tools/equipment onsite is to allow the opportunity for it to be integrated into the course and suit the specific needs/wants/desires of the participants.

    Here's what people say about this course: 

    • "It was an excellent course!"
    • "Well done, our instructor (Zane) was interesting and definitely has a passion for trails"
    • "Covered all areas very well"
    • "Zane is knowledgeable, engaging & passionate in what he is teaching"

    Upcoming events

    • Trails Risk Management - Level 3 Presented in Partnership with Ontario Trails Council

      • 22 Jun 2026
      • 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
      • Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr, Port Hope On. L1A 3Z7
      • 7
      Register

      This in-person training course combines classroom discussion with on the ground trail assessment exercises and evaluation of existing trail risk factors and requirements. Risk assessment for multi use or activity optimized trail networks is the core process that identifies risk management needs. This applied training prepares participants as trail inspectors and risk assessors. This is the third training in the trail risk management progression.

      The on-the-ground training covers:

      •  Trail inspection and risk assessment process and procedures 
      • Risk assessment tied to trail management objectives
      • Objective versus subjective assessment criteria
      • Inspection forms and documentation

      This in-person training is taught by Jeff Jackson, Ph.D., a recognized expert in trail risk management and long-time facilitator of the OTC’s risk management training. His experience ranges from provincial level trail policy development, expert opinion in trail-based legal proceedings, publishing a number of risk management chapters in trail related publications, and work as a risk consultant, trail builder and manager in both winter and summer.

      Participants are to bring footwear, rain jacket and water bottle, plus their existing inspection forms or inspection documentation.

      Pre-requisite: OPA’s Trail Risk Management – level 1 & 2 online webinar

      NOTE: this 8 hour training course is delivered in-person, in class and outdoors.

      Course Date: June 22, 2026

      Course Time: 8:00am-4:00pm

      Course Location: Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr, Port Hope On. L1A 3Z7

      This course is being delivered in partnership with Ontario Trails Council and counts as 1 credit towards your Parks Practitioner Designation.

      Please register online, an invoice will be sent to you within 24hrs of registering. Payment can then be made online through the invoice you will receive or via cheque (made payable to Ontario Parks Association).



      Show details

    • Trails Risk Management - Level 3 Presented in Partnership with Ontario Trails Council

      • 23 Jun 2026
      • 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
      • Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr, Port Hope On. L1A 3Z7
      • 9
      Register

      This in-person training course combines classroom discussion with on the ground trail assessment exercises and evaluation of existing trail risk factors and requirements. Risk assessment for multi use or activity optimized trail networks is the core process that identifies risk management needs. This applied training prepares participants as trail inspectors and risk assessors. This is the third training in the trail risk management progression.

      The on-the-ground training covers:

      •  Trail inspection and risk assessment process and procedures 
      • Risk assessment tied to trail management objectives
      • Objective versus subjective assessment criteria
      • Inspection forms and documentation

      This in-person training is taught by Jeff Jackson, Ph.D., a recognized expert in trail risk management and long-time facilitator of the OTC’s risk management training. His experience ranges from provincial level trail policy development, expert opinion in trail-based legal proceedings, publishing a number of risk management chapters in trail related publications, and work as a risk consultant, trail builder and manager in both winter and summer.

      Participants are to bring footwear, rain jacket and water bottle, plus their existing inspection forms or inspection documentation.

      Pre-requisite: OPA’s Trail Risk Management – level 1 & 2 online webinar

      NOTE: this 8 hour training course is delivered in-person, in class and outdoors.

      Course Date: June 23, 2026

      Course Time: 8:00am-4:00pm

      Course Location: Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr, Port Hope On. L1A 3Z7

      This course is being delivered in partnership with Ontario Trails Council and counts as 1 credit towards your Parks Practitioner Designation.

      Please register online, an invoice will be sent to you within 24hrs of registering. Payment can then be made online through the invoice you will receive or via cheque (made payable to Ontario Parks Association).



      Show details

    For more information on hosting or attending, please send an email referencing the course title to training@ontarioparksassociation.ca

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