Adventure Awaits Challenge along the Seaway aims to get people off the couch and into nature
A new challenge along the St. Lawrence is asking people to get out and explore the trails in their communities, and it also helps local businesses.
Three townships have partnered together—the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, Front of Yonge and the Town of Gananoque—to promote the many trail systems throughout the area.
"The idea is to explore what we can and what is accessible to us in our back yard, which is really so many options. It doesn't have to be far to enjoy a great adventure," said Town of Gananoque community services coordinator Emily Parker.
"We know that the area is very beautiful and there is lots to do in a time when we were all looking for things to do, especially staying active during the pandemic," Parker added.
The challenge is open to anyone. There are several trails to hike and walk, including Jones Creek, Marble Rock Conservation Area, Charleston Lake Provincial Park and Landon Bay, in Thousand Islands National Park.
"Lookout Trail is one of the more common trails," said Cara Lemkay, recreation coordinator for the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. "It's shorter, more of a moderate hike for some. It depends on your pace because it is an elevation to get to the lookout at the top."
Richard Marcoux & Cara Lemkay take a stroll on the Lookout Trail. (Nate Vandermeer / CTV News Ottawa)
"It's social distancing, out in nature, (and you) can use the parkway as one of the trails along with all of the other ones," said Front of Yonge councillor Richard Marcoux.
"This is something where everybody can learn something new and the main thrust was to get people off their couches and out into nature," Marcoux added. "Get some of this beautiful fresh air and be with their families."
Residents and tourists are encouraged to take photos along their hikes, including scenic shots, family portraits, selfies and pets, and submit them online through the Leeds and the Thousand Islands website.
"You can submit your information and a photo, and then you get a chance to win a gift card," parker said. "Contest winners are announced every Tuesday afternoon until the end of August."
"We choose a winner from each township and give them a gift certificate for a local vendor to promote them," said Marcoux.
"They're finding new things, like somebody makes something with beeswax. You can explore the country and at the same time explore the vendors in your area," he added.
David Chambers and Nathalie Larocque, visiting from Ottawa, just completed the Landon Bay Lookout Trail Thursday morning.
Lookout Trail. (Nate Vandermeer / CTV News Ottawa)
"It's a beautiful walk, beautiful view, really rugged, lots of rocks but not, like it's 2.4 kilometres, it's not too hard," Chambers said.
They snapped photos at the top of the lookout and said they are looking forward to submitting them.
"Definitely going to send in a picture. We've done some walking along the Thousand Islands; it's definitely a hidden gem. Gananoque itself is really cute. The trails along the parkway are really nice. There's a bit of everything," Chambers added.
The team has even received feedback from long time residents about trails they have never explored.
"One of the things they said was, 'We enjoyed the trail we didn't know was here,' and they were surprised by the lake that ran through the area," said Lemkay about a trail along Jones Creek.
"I would say that Jones Creek is actually probably a favourite. There's a lot of diversity and it is accessible for the first part of the trail so I think that's an excellent spot to get started in our area," she added.
A woman walks her dog along the Lookout Trail in eastern Ontario. (Nate Vandermeer / CTV News Ottawa)
"Of course we're in the beautiful region of eastern Ontario. There's so much that you could go on and do an adventure every day and find something beautiful to see and enjoy," added Parker. "You don't have to go far to have a great adventure and that's kind of the idea."
For trail locations and maps, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere website is a great resource.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.