Hello, Bruce Trail Club members and friends. We hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer, especially the cooler mornings. Here's what awaits you in this month's newsletter:
- Greg Vincent: We begin with a tribute to the life of a hike leader many of our readers will remember fondly.
- End-to-end: It's time to "polish" those hiking boots, in preparation for our End-to-End challenge
- Bruce Trail Day: We're giving you a sneak peak into plans for Bruce Trail Day, Oct 2. More to come in a bulletin later this month.
- Photo contest: This one is for all you shutterbugs who post such amazing photos on social media, and any other photo enthusiasts. Read about rules, dates, and prizes!
- Hunting season: What you need to know to stay safe on the trails during the fall hunting season.
- Bus and Coach hikes: Once again, we provide a listing of bus and coach hikes you can sign up for.
Happy September, everyone.
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Farewell to a Hike Leader: Greg Vincent 1935-2022
by Charles Whitlock
 One of the Toronto Bruce Trail Clubs' most recognized hike leaders passed away in Kitchener on July 26, 2022. For those who knew him, we lost a good friend.
Greg was very proud of his long and close association with several hiking clubs in Ontario, specifically with the Toronto Bruce Trail Club and the Grand Valley Trails Association.
Greg was an active hiker, a hiker leader and a TBTC hike instructor. He led many outdoor events, from backpacking trips to day trips to end-to-end jaunts. He also took many weekends to teach Map and Compass courses at Kimbercote Farm. He enjoyed the annual orchid hike on the Bruce Peninsula and learned to identify flora and fauna and the geology
of the Niagara Escarpment.
The “Bruce Peninsula” could have been one of his favourite places but with his many trips to the Susquehannock Forest in Pennsylvania, we cannot judge what he enjoyed the most. Besides hiking, Greg enjoyed year-round activities including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, and canoeing. We must not forget that he was a marathon runner, running events such as the Ottawa marathon.
Greg was a long-serving member of the TBTC Training Committee. He, along with others, worked long and hard to ensure that a proactive hike management style coupled with safety was paramount in training new hike leaders. He paid attention to detail and fussed when things did not go well. He was one of the earliest hike instructors that wrote the “gold standard” of hike leadership.
He practised what he preached and made everyone welcome. He would go the extra mile to ensure that his trips were well organised and safe. Humour was part of his make-up; he loved telling stories and tall tales.
Greg wrote many articles titled The Right Stuff. His articles form part of Hike Ontario’s hike leadership training. The articles were titbits of information including what to carry and what to wear when hiking. He was also a guest on many radio shows, always and forever promoting the benefits of being outdoors.
We have lost Greg but his legacy lives on in those who he inspired to hike and those who he taught to lead.
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Toronto Section End-to-End
Sept 10 and 11 - the dates are coming up fast for this signature club event. Good luck to all who registered. May you do yourselves proud!
And a big thank you to the many volunteers who have offered to help.
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Save the Date: Bruce Trail Day - Sun Oct 2nd
We're excited about Bruce Trail Day, which comes up at the beginning of October. Our chosen theme this year is Biodiversity, a timely topic given the global climate crisis.
Not all of the details are finalized as of the publication deadline of this newsletter. We can tell you, though, that the day will showcase conservation and preservation projects along the Trail. You'll find out how you, too, can contribute to biodiversity, either as a Club volunteer or in your own home garden. Plus, with apps like iNaturalist on your phone, you can act as a citizen scientist and help with species monitoring and data collection.
Look for a special E-Notes bulletin coming to your inbox soon. See you on Bruce Trail Day!
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Show us your best photos and you might win a prize!
 We want to know what great photos you’ve been posting lately. Send us your best photos and you might be eligible for a prize! We’ll post the best of the bunch so you can see the array of expert talent among our amateur shutterbugs. No need for expensive camera. Just whip out your Smartphone and snap away!
Here are the guidelines
- Contest starts Thursday Sept. 1, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. and closes, on Friday September 30, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be announced in the November issue of E-Notes.
The photo judging process will be managed by our Communications Committee
- The photos must have been taken in the 2022 calendar year
- The Contest is open to all TBTC Members.
- By participating, you provide us with permission to use your submissions in future issues of E-Notes, our website or other communications channels
- Acknowledgements for photos used will be on first reference and thereafter at the discretion of the communications team
- Photos must be taken on the Toronto Section of the Bruce Trail
- You can submit up to 10 pictures per member
- There will be only one (1) first prize winner, in each of our three photo contest categories: a) Landscapes (b) Biodiversity; and (c) People/Group Hikers
- First Prize Winner in each category will receive their choice of
- $50 gift certificate redeemable at the BTC store,
- OR $50 gift certificate that can be used towards their annual member renewal fee.
How to enter
- Email to us a collection of your favourite photos.
- Each category requires a separate email, with the subject line indicating the category entered.
- Provide your name, phone number and BTC membership number.
- Email your submissions to photos@torontobrucetrailclub.org
Thank you for entering and good luck!
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- Advertisement -
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Hunting Season – what BT hikers need to know
 It’s a rare sight on the Toronto Section of the Bruce Trail, but there is a hunter’s deer blind/tree stand that is close to the trail, just north of Limehouse.
The tree stand is between the Fifth and Sixth Lines. Hiking by and looking up, you may wonder, Should I be worried? Are we in hunting season? or, What precautions should I be taking? These are all good questions and we’ll take you through them all!
Should I be Worried?
No! But be aware.
Much of the Toronto section of the Bruce Trail passes through Conservation Areas, Provincial Parks, or Bruce Trail Conservancy land where hunting is generally prohibited. With private lands, owners may permit hunting. Landowners may request a temporary closure and re-route of the Bruce Trail in hunting season, but there have been no such requests or closures in the Toronto section. Adam Brylowski, BTC Manager of Conservation and Trail says: “We value our relationships with landowners and neighbours along the trail. We respect their wishes to hunt where it is permitted and they in turn are responsible for safely following provincial hunting regulations.”
Our Club’s Land Management Director Neal Stein adds: “It’s important as hikers to be aware of your surroundings at all times of the year – and please stay on the trail. We want you to be safe.”
Are we in Hunting Season now?
Yes and No!
Hunters can be granted a small game license which is for the entire year. You can obtain a license for wild turkeys for the spring season and purchase seasonal migratory bird licences. The most popular hunting season in the Toronto section is in the fall with the annual deer hunt. Each area of Ontario has its own “Wildlife Management Unit” which dictates when controlled deer hunts begin and end. For the Toronto section, deer hunting is allowed from Nov. 7-11 and Oct. 1-Nov. 6 and Nov. 12 – Dec. 31 for just bow hunting.
What precautions should I be taking?
Be Informed. Be Seen.
Follow these six safety guidelines to enjoy a fall hike during hunting season: 1) be aware of trail closures, 2) wear bright colours, 3) make noise while being respectful of other trail users, 4) stay on the trail, 5) keep your dog on a leash and, 6) avoid hiking at dawn or dusk.
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Leave the Driving to the Professionals!
 In what has become a regular feature of E-Notes, we provide you with a convenient listing of upcoming bus and coach hikes. In the next weeks our bus and coach hikes let you explore parts of the Bruce Trail, Algonquin Provincial Park and the history of the Niagara Region with departures from either York Mills or Kipling.
Remember: Masks are still required on the buses and coaches. Please cooperate and make these trips safe and enjoyable for all our members and participants.
Also, non-members are welcome on Bruce Trail Club hikes unless otherwise stated. If you wish to register for a hike as a non-member, you will first need to create a free account. You can find the link for that here.
Sept 3: Bus Hike - Crawford Lake. Join Victor Ramautar and Michael Humpage for a beautiful walk in the Crawford Lake and Rattlesnake Point Conservation Areas. If time permits, the hike will take in the boardwalk on the Crawford Lake Side Trail. Registration is open: Crawford Lake. Departs York Mills at 8:30 am.
Sept 10: Coach Trip - Petroglyphs Provincial Park. This trip is fully booked. Departs York Mills at 8 am.
Sept 17: Bus Hike - Wilder Forest and Wildlife Preserve, Glen Major, and Brock Tract. Join Martina Furrer and Michael Humpage for an easy walk on soft, sandy trails with small rolling hills. We will walk at a 3.5 to 4 km/hr pace and enjoy wildflowers, views of Lake Ontario, and lunch at a lookout. Registration opens September 3rd at 8 pm: Wilder Forest and Wildlife Preserve. Departs York Mills at 9 am.
Sept 23-25: Coach Trip - Hiking weekend on the Saugeen Peninsula. This trip is now fully booked. Register to add your name to the waitlist. Saugeen (Bruce) Weekend. Depart York Mills at 7 am.
Oct 1: Bus Hike - Beaver Valley End to End, Part V. Join Wayne Crockett for the continuing trek to complete the Beaver Valley end to end by bus. You will be able to order your badge for the section when you book for this event. We’ll be climbing Old Baldy and hiking into Eugenia. Registration opens September 17th at 7 am: Old Baldy. Departs Kipling at 8 am. See the calendar for the remain 3 hikes in this series.
Oct 2: Bus Hike - Preserving Biodiversity on the Escarpment – Bruce Trail Day. Join George Lennon and Martina Furrer for an exploration of how our local Toronto Club volunteer land stewards and members of the Biodiversity Team work alongside BTC staff ecologists to protect lands along the Bruce Trail from destructive human impact and to restore native habitats. Registration opens September 18th at 8 pm. Biodiversity Bruce Trail Day. Departs York Mills at 8:30 am.
Oct 8: Bus Hike - Queenston to Niagara on the Lake. Join Wayne Crockett for a ‘walk and talk’ on the Battle of Queenston Heights (October 1812) and walk from Queenston to Niagara-on-the-Lake along the beautiful Niagara River. After the walk you’ll have 90 minutes for refreshments or to explore the beautiful downtown of Niagara on the Lake. If time permits Wayne will take those interested to view the ruins of Fort Mississauga, about an extra 3 km in total. Registration opens September 24th at 7 am. Queenton Heights. Departs Kipling at 8:30 am.
Oct 22: Coach Trip - Algonquin Park – Centennial Ridges Trail. Join Martina Furrer and Michael Humpage for an awesome fall hike with spectacular views of the Algonquin Park wilderness. We will split into two groups and hike the Centennial Ridges Trail in opposite directions. Both groups will hike the entire trail at similar paces so that we finish around the same time. The trail is hilly and challenging, with some rocks and routes underfoot. We hope to complete the loop in about 5 hours (including all breaks), no drop-outs. There will be many great views and water stops along the way, and a scenic lunch spot. Registration opens September 10th at 8 pm. Algonquin Centennial Ridge Departs York Mills at 7 am.
Of course, don't forget to check out the many car hikes and urban hikes on offer as well. Click here for the full hiking calendar.
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