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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 1 (Daytime Sessions) - Presented in Partnership with Ontario Trails Council

      • 27 Jan 2026
      • 12:00 PM
      • 29 Jan 2026
      • 3:00 PM
      • Online - Zoom (Link will be provided via email to registrants)
      • 23
      Register

      Managing trails is about managing risk. Offering trail opportunities creates a significant community asset with immense tangible and intangible benefits. Balanced against these positive effects comes an obligation and responsibility to do it right. There is an inherent tension between providing recreation opportunities and at the same time protecting against their possible negative side effects. This is the mediating role risk management plays.

      This live webinar lays the foundation for trail managers, builders and volunteers to plan and organize their risk management practices. This introductory theory course is part 1 of a three-part risk management progression, and is the prerequisite to the level 2 and 3.

      The theory session covers:

      • Mandatory baseline trail risk management practices
      • The legal environment, legislative requirements, and defenses against negligence
      • Trail risk management systems, user safety, and trail management objectives
      • Access, information and signage principles

      This live webinar 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.

      NOTE: This 6 hour training program will be delivered via two - three hour online sessions 

      Session One: Tuesday January 27, 2026 from 12pm to 3pm

      Session Two: Thursday January 29, 2026 from 12pm to 3pm

      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 2(Daytime Sessions) - Presented in Partnership with Ontario Trails Council

      • 03 Mar 2026
      • 12:00 PM
      • 05 Mar 2026
      • 3:00 PM
      • Online - Zoom (Link will be provided via email to registrants)
      • 31
      Register

      This live webinar builds upon the basic legal requirements and user safety concepts from Level 1 to examine the key roles of signage, trail inspection and documentation. This starts with an accurate risk assessment for multi use or activity optimized trail networks. A process is introduced to inventory and assess trail hazards and build a customized signage and inspection system that addresses key management and user safety concerns.

      The theory session covers:

      • Risk assessment theory and process
      • Identifying signage needs; signage system and placement best practice
      • Customized inspection procedures and documentation
      • The trail management plan contents and uses in meeting trail management objectives

      This live webinar 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.

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

      NOTE: This 6 hour training program will be delivered via two - three hour online sessions 

      Session One: Tuesday March 3, 2026 from 12pm to 3pm

      Session Two: Thursday March 5, 2026 from 12pm to 3pm

      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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