Welcome to
The Trail Research Hub Digest |
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The Trail Research Hub: How We Came to Be ... Website Launch a Huge Success: The Trail Research Hub Goes Live! A Look Inside: Being a Research Assistant with the Hub Research Expedition: Northern Ontario Gravel Biking Community Service Learning: Ontario Trails Research Projects |
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THE TRAIL RESEARCH HUB
How We Came to Be |
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The Trail Research Hub undertakes research and educational and outreach initiatives to support sustainable trail development, construction and maintenance across Canada while establishing best practice guidelines for trails governance and management. The Trail Research Hub (the Hub) was conceived by Kelsey Johansen (Lecturer at University of Waterloo), Kirsten Spence (Trail Consultant and Project Manager for the Group of Seven Trail) and me, Jane McCulloch (Trail Consultant and Co-Chair of the New Brunswick Provincial Trail Advisory Committee). The idea to develop the Hub arose over the course of many conversations centered on the need to generate a more collaborative approach to trails and trail-based research in Canada. Our team brings decades of experience to the Hub and its various projects. From extensive experience in community-based outdoor recreation and tourism development and academic research to trail management, and boots on the ground projects including hands on trail building and trail tourism and trail programming implementation – we cover it all while working from coast to coast to coast with a wide representation of the Canadian trails community! The Hub Team also includes Harvey Lemelin, a Professor from Lakehead University’s School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, whose research in trails focuses on impact management, and designing and implementing regional tourism strategies. By bringing together leaders in trail development and partnering with educational institutions, such as the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University, the Trail Research Hub aims to grow trail-based research and evidence-based practice to support the professionalization of the Canadian trails sector. Our vision is for the Trail Research Hub to act as the central coordinating body of trail research, information and leadership in Canada while providing a central hub for the trails community to share information and resources; to foster collaborative research and innovation; and, to create community through outreach and relationship building. Furthermore, the aim of the Hub is to provide transparent access to academic research which can be used by industry and government to inform policy and practice decisions while also providing educational and outreach opportunities and engaging in community-driven research projects of direct benefit to both community trails and University students who will become the next generation of Canadian trail ambassadors. |
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This is an exciting time for trails; the demand for new trails and the need to maintain and manage existing trails has never been as high as it is now. The Hub endeavours to support this increased demand by conducting innovative research projects such as the Trails and Social Enterprise project currently underway at the University of Waterloo, and in partnership with myself and Kirsten. This research project focuses on how community-based trail models can function under a social enterprise and collective impact model. It seeks to identify key trends impacting trail user and trail use in Canada, and to determine what governance structures can best support and grow trails in communities across Canada as meaningful outdoor recreation and tourism resources. You may be wondering what social enterprise is and how it pertains to trails? Broadly speaking, social enterprise is a way of doing business with social objectives serving as its primary purpose, as such it is often seen as fundamental aspect of corporate social responsibility due its de-emphasis on economic gains. Social enterprise models allow organizations to create a platform that positively influences communities, in this case related to trail design, development, and management, as well as creating revenue. We believe that social enterprise and collective impact principles can have a positive impact in trails, creating more sustainable trail management and including a wide variety of stakeholders, while making trail organizations more resilient and adaptable. Starting this summer, the Trails and Social Enterprise Research Team will be undertaking focus groups and interviews with case study trail organizations from across Canada to better understand the potential impact of social enterprise and collective impact within the trail sector. Online interviews and focus groups will be conducted with representatives from trail organizations from across sectors (private, public, and non-profit) to determine existing governance models employed across the Trails sector, strengths and weakness of each approach, the current impacts and stresses of COVID-19 and experiences of recovery, and other areas of management concern on organization’s governing bodies, staff and volunteers, and each organization’s capacity to: - respond to the increased visitation resulting from the COVID-19 lockdowns while continuing to offer meaningful outdoor recreation experiences,
- provide meaningful, relevant, and timely information to both new and existing trail users regarding safe trail use during COVID-19,
- provide educational, public health, and health promotion communications to new and existing trail users regarding the benefits of trails and how to recreate safely on trails, and
- maintain trails as viable outdoor recreation infrastructure in light of the increased administrative burden of creating and implementing COVID-19 protocols while facing sub-optimal operating conditions imposed by COVID-19 Lockdowns, working remotely, and physical distancing requirements.
With the support of Research Assistants, we have spent nearly a year doing the background work to get to this stage of the project. We are very interested to learn about what is taking place across the country and are keen to hear about what groups may already be doing regarding social enterprise and collective impact. We are extremely excited to see how the Trail Research Hub and its various projects evolve over the years. We invite you to learn more about them in this edition of the Hub Newsletter, and to reach out to us with any questions you may have, or to discuss collaborative opportunities with our Researchers, Educators, and Community Liaisons. |
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WEBSITE LAUNCH A HUGE SUCCESS The Trail Research Hub Goes Live! |
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On May 1st, 2021, the Trail Research Hub's website went live. A labour of love undertaken by founding members Kelsey Johansen (University of Waterloo), Jane Murphy McCulloch (Terminus Consulting) and Kirsten Spence (Quercwood Consulting), the Hub website is a central repository and information hub for work undertaken by the Hub's Researchers, Educators, Community Liaisons and Community Partners, and aims to support sustainable trail development, construction, and maintenance across Canada while establishing best practice guidelines for trails governance and management. |
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AN INSIDE LOOK
Being a Research Assistant with the Hub |
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My name is Tijhiana Rose Thobani and I am a fourth-year Public Health student at the University of Waterloo. I am currently working as a Research Assistant for the Trails and Social Enterprise project, one of several ongoing projects being undertaken by the Trail Research Hub. Funding for this position was provided by the University of Waterloo, through the Hallman Undergraduate Research Fellowship. This is my fourth and final cooperative education placement for my undergraduate degree. In this position, I have been working closely with Kelsey Johansen, a Lecturer from the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, and Chair of the Trail Research Hub. The project aims to understand the experiences and goals of motorized and non-motorized trail organizations across Canada and the ways in with a social enterprise and collective impact approach to trails governance can help make these organizations more resilience and adaptable. |
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Right now, I am focusing on conducting an environmental scan to inform who is invited to participate in a series of regional focus groups. While conducting the environmental scan, I have become much more informed about the different snowmobile, quadding, off-highway, and non-motorized trail associations and organizations across Canada and the different aims of these organizations. Another one of my responsibilities included contributing to the Literature Review, which provides an in-depth analysis of social enterprise, collective impact, the status of trails in Canada, including the benefits of trail use, and the concepts of community adapation and resiliency. This particular task allowed me to gain stronger academic writing skills, and enabled me to focus on consistency in my written work. I am also assisting in the knowledge translation of social enterprise and collective impacts in trails, through visual infographic and blog post development. Through this process, I am learning how to break down complex topics into simpler language, for a general, non-academic, audience. This task is teaching me how to tailor my graphics and information to the audience I am designing work for, in a way that best addresses their needs and concerns. Preparing an ethics application is also a skill I am learning in this role, as I am working with the research team to prepare this document for submission to the University of Waterloo’s Research Ethics Board. |
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In addition to the Trails and Social Enterprise Project, I have been given the opportunity to work with another qualitative trails research project which will help to further expand my skills in academic writing, survey design, and ethics application preparation. As a Research Assistant, I have gained many valuable skills which will be applicable to my future career goals. Skills such as conducting environmental scans, knowledge translation, and ethics application preparation are skills which will be directly transferable to research projects I take on, outside of this role. In general, I am very passionate about conducting qualitative research since it allows you to learn about the personal experiences of individuals and / or groups. I am hoping to continue working in research as I advance in my career. Overall, this Fellowship position has also given me the opportunity to collaborate with several other researchers, both within the University of Waterloo as well as external organizations. This has allowed me to strengthen my overall communications skills, in an online environment. Coming from a Public Health background, I am fairly new to trails. However, the team has been extremely supportive and is always more than happy to answer any questions I have. I am very excited for the rest of my term with the Hub Research Team! |
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RESEARCH EXPEDITION Northern Ontario Gravel Biking |
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Harvey Lemelin, Joshua Schultz, Joshua Short,
Jacob Coupland and Glen Quinn |
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Whether it is a leisurely roll down a backroad, a forest-road ramble, or participating in gravel fondo, the openness and accessibility of gravel roads has resulted in a new biking culture known as gravel cycling. While still in the early stages of its development and foundational rooting, gravel biking has risen steadily in popularity over the last few years. Although there are no steadfast rules on what a gravel bike is, a gravel bike for the purpose of this discussion resembles a road bike with a drop bar, but has a slacker headtube angle for comfort, longer wheelbase and lower bottom bracket for stability, disc brakes for stopping power, a wide gear range, plus wider tires (smallest 25 mm to the larger 45 mm) for multiple terrain use (Gerow, 2020; Max, S., 2019). Cell phone mounts for handlebars and various navigational apps provide cyclists with a slew of riding opportunities, circuits, and places to visit. |
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The growth and diversification of gravel cycling is evident due to the availability of guidebooks, dedicated websites, festivals (e.g., the Gravel Festival in Angers, France), specialized guided tours (e.g., the Almanzo 100), and of course, gravel bike races like the Dirty Kanza 200 in Kansas and the Barry Roubaix in Michigan. While gravel cycling has been firmly established in Southern Ontario and in Minnesota for nearly a decade, organized gravel cycling events and routes are relatively new to Northwestern Ontario, and more specifically at the “Lakehead” in the Thunder Bay region. |
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Gravel Cycling at the Lakehead |
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The Thunder Bay Cycling Club (TBCC) has been at the forefront of providing these opportunities in the region. The Thunder Grinder provides opportunities for gravel bikers to race or ride various designated circuits in the region. In 2019, the event hosted nearly 59 riders. A similar race was held in the Fall of 2020 and featured 43 riders and numberous volunteers. The TBCC has also created virtual gravel rides, like the Lappe gravel grinder, which has help met the growing demand for cycling, and cycling events, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research Informed Best Practices in Gravel Bike Development By integrating gravel cycling in field courses, students from Lakehead University's School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism (ORPT) are given experiential learning opportunities related to gravel cycling, including researching the growth and diversification of cycle tourism, developing gravel cycling opportunities in the region, creating standard operating procedures pertaining to future field courses and expeditions involving gravel cycling, and developing and producing a Code of Ethic for Gravel Cyclists spanning the do’s and don’ts of gravel cycling, all why applying theory to practice and gaining valuable job-ready skills for the tourism and recreation sectors. Work conducted by ORPT students over the past three-years has also included development of several gravel cycling routes within Thunder Bay and the wider region; these routes range from an introductory “point-to-point” 25 kilometre ride, to a 70 kilometre circuit, and a 217 kilometre loop spaning the greater Thunder Bay area. |
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1. The Pass Lake Push is a 25 km gravel ride from the North side (McVicar Township) to Sibley Bay. - This ride is best suited to individuals with beginner to intermediate skill levels.
2. The Hurkett Hoedown is a 70km mixed surface day ride. - This ride is best suited to individuals with an intermediate skill level.
3. The Black Sturgeon Bender is a 216km dirt road/off road cycling route in the Thunder Bay/ Black Sturgeon River Provincial Park area. - This ride is best suited to individuals with an advanced skill level who are comfortable in a backcountry setting.
Maps, GPS coordinates, planning advice and risk management info can be found here. |
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When riding these routes, students noted that cell reception was weak or non-existent, therefore, riders are advised to plan accordingly, and to have a back up means of communication such as an InReach or SPOT device. |
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Next Steps: The Evolution of Gravel Riding in the North Building on the findings stemming from the past three years of research collaborations between TBCC and Lakehead University's School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, the goal in the upcoming years will be to develop an annual or bi-annual gravel cycling expeditionary course to be offered through the School while continuing to promote safe gravel cycling practices in the region. Additional research opportunities include developing new rides and events with the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and with the TBCC, networking with other provincial, state (i.e., Minnesota), and national organisations like the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail/TCT and showcasing gravel cycling opportunities in the region through apps. and maps, and social and traditional media. |
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COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING The Winter 2021 Ontario Trails Research Projects |
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The Winter 2021 Ontario Trails Research Projects arose out of a partnership between myself, my colleague Dr. Karla Boluk, the Ontario Trails Council and several Ontario Trails Organizations, including the Waterloo Cycling Club’s Trail Committee, or the Hydrocut, the Bruce Trail Conservancy, and Hastings Destination Trails. Each Ontario Trail Research Project entailed a unique student led, instructor supported, research project where students from my second year Introduction to Tourism class at the University of Waterloo worked to address a specific research need identified by their Ontario Trails Organization partner, in conjunction with Project Leads from Karla’s fourth year Advanced Seminar in Tourism Development, also offered at Waterloo. These projects ran from January 11th to April 16th, 2021 (the end of the Winter 2021 semester at Waterloo). The Ontario Trails Council provided logistical and in-kind support for this project, including assisting with recruitment of Trail Organizations through a social media campaign. Patrick Connor, Executive Director – Ontario Trails, also delivered a Guest Lecture on Applied Trail Economics and the Value of Recreation to both classes, participated in a Q and A with students, and provided feedback on students’ interim findings. Through the Winter 2021 projects, students had the opportunity to address some of the following Trail Organization-identified needs: - Development of a Social Media Tool Kit and set of Social Media Best Practices for Tourism,
- Completion of a literature review and identification of industry best practices related to effective communication with trail users,
- Completion of a COVID-19 and Trails Media Analysis, and
- Development and piloting of several Trail-Specific User Experience Surveys.
To support project completion, each organization nominated two staff members, Board members or volunteers to act as Project Liaisons. Project Liaisons met with students for an initial consultation meeting, to discuss their organizational needs with the student research teams. Later in the semester, Project Liaisons provided feedback on students’ presentations of their interim findings, which were incorporated into the final deliverables. At the end of the semester, each organization who participated in the Ontario Trails Research Project program was invited to a final presentation were student research team present their findings, and answered organization questions. Organization also received an Executive Summary, Project Report, and a series of infographics highlighting their study's findings. |
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As these classes are offered on an annual basis there are opportunities for additional partner organizations to participate in Winter 2022. Furthermore, several current partners have hired Co-Op students and summer students from these classes to continue their research over the summer while providing valuable hands-on industry experience to the students. |
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You can learn more about our Ontario Trails research projects, view deliverables, and read about upcoming opportunities to collaborate with University of Waterloo student's by visit the Education Initiatives section of the Trail Research Hub Website. |
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