April 2024
Hello, Bruce Trail supporters and friends. Spring has sprung, all weather evidence to the contrary! Here's what you'll find this month:
- AGM: Sunday, April 21 is the date. Haven't booked your tickets yet? Do it NOW, and also register for buses and hikes.
- Volunteering Milestone: Patti Guminny, a volunteer who has been helping maintain our trails, is marking 30 years of continuous service. That's impressive!
- Nina Carlisle: Sadly, this past month we lost another valued member of our Club. You'll recognize her name from the volunteer award that is named for her. There will be more about Nina in next month's E-Notes.
- Meet your Hike Leaders: This month we introduce you to Sajadeh Zahraei, whose work as a social worker/psychotherapist informs her understanding of how hiking builds interconnectedness with nature and with each other.
- Hike Leader Training: Perhaps Sajadeh's story inspired you to join our team of hike leaders? This year we kick off our training program with a "hike leaders hike" where interested people can walk and talk with veteran leaders before they commit.
- Humans of the Bruce Trail: Meet Rolland Hervieux, whose motto of "Use it or Lose it" applies as much to his first love, hockey, as it does to hiking.
- A Hiking Adventure in Costa Rica: Margaret Corner tells us about her trip with fellow Bruce Trail members that took them from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 12 days.
- Hike with an Alpaca: This sure sounds like fun - a bus hike on April 27 to Presqu'ile Provincial Park followed by a tour of an alpaca farm. Sign up quickly to ensure your spot.
- Mark your Calendars: We've selected some highlights to show you the variety of hikes in our program.
Happy April, everyone.
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AGM Month has arrived
 Have you ordered your tickets for the AGM on Sunday April 21? It isn't too late -- yet! But don't delay, use this handy link to the Eventbrite page and do it right now.
The admission price of $27 gives you a delicious lunch followed by an excellent program that will give you highlights of life in the Toronto Bruce Trail Club in 2023 and will then feature speaker Shameen Al-Ayesh. Check-in begins at 11 a.m; lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m.
The Annual Report to be presented at the April 21 meeting is available on our website here.
We know many of our members will work in some hiking in the morning to make it a full day. We've got buses and hike leaders available, or you can make your own way there and explore the grounds of the Kortright Centre on your own.
Sign up here for the bus leaving from Kipling Subway Station, or here for the one from York Mills Subway Station. Bus fare is $25 for adult members and $10 for child members. Once you get to Kortright, you can choose any one of 3 hikes on offer – a nature photography hike, a biodiversity hike, and a 7.7 km loop hike with some hills to give you a bit of a workout. You can also explore the trails on your own.
For those who are driving to Kortright, you may wish to join Frank Ye & Jen Zhang on a 9k hike starting from Centre at 9:00 a.m.. Sign up for their hike here.
 We'll round off the day with a stimulating presentation from our guest speaker, Shimeen Al-Ayash, who will explore what it means to foster a sense of belonging as it relates to the Bruce Trail. She will be drawing on her personal experience and on her role at the BTC where she chairs the inter-club Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging committee.
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Patti receives special volunteering milestone award at our 2024 AGM
 The spotlight will be shining on 30-year volunteer Patti Guminny at our Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Patti is one of our spectacular volunteers that has been carrying out her duties quietly and without much fanfare, for 30 years. That will change April 21, 2024 when she will be presented with a special certificate to honour her commitment in looking after a special side trail during for that length of time as a trail captain.
At the club’s AGM she will be recognized for looking after the Walking Fern Side Trail. The trail itself has some notoriety because it is the only place on the Toronto Section you can see the Walking Fern plant. Patti started hiking with the Club in 1991 and she joined in on a number of bus hikes and eventually she completed her End-to-End. By 1994 at the age of 32, she took on the trail captain responsibilities for the Walking Fern Trail, even though she was living in Whitby and working in Scarborough.
“I have always loved the outdoors from an early age and have a background in horticulture. Trail maintenance isn’t difficult, I enjoy doing it and love seeing the trail as it transitions over the different seasons,” Patti says. “In the spring there are some beautiful wildflowers and of course the walking fern itself.” The trail has its rocky spots and is close to some swampy areas, but the valley comes alive in the fall with the change in colours.
Patti was an active participant in the Toronto club bus hikes, particularly in the 1990s. However, due to her proximity to the east end of the GTA she now spends more time hiking in Whitby area, including the Durham Forest and Rouge Valley. On her vacations she is still an active outdoors person, hiking, biking, kayaking and backpacking on every continent, including places like Baffin Island, Colorado, Vermont and swimming with whale sharks in Baja, California.
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Club Will Miss Long-time Volunteer Nina Carlisle
Club members will be saddened to learn that long-time volunteer, board member and hiker Nina Carlisle has died. We received the news on March 6, 2024, and have been in contact with the family. They will let us know when an obituary is published and we will pass along contact information should you wish to leave a note to the family or make a donation to the Bruce Trail Conservancy in her name.
Nina was an End-to-End hiker, hike leader and was credited with starting the Club’s ski and snowshoe winter program. She will be remembered at our Annual Meeting on April 21 and E-Notes will feature a story about her in our next issue.
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Getting to Know Your Hike Leaders: Sajedeh Zahraei
The Club is continuing a hike leader profile series so you will get to know more about our team. Today we asked Sajedeh Zahraei to tell us more about herself.
 When and why did you decide to become a Hike Leader?
I decided to become a hike leader in 2021. Hiking with my friends and family during the COVID-19 Pandemic was a very special time, the only time that we could connect with each other and with nature. It helped us reduce social isolation, maintain our physical and mental health. When I saw the recruitment emails about training new hike leaders, I was immediately drawn to it and responded right away. I missed going on bus hikes and I thought this would be a great way to connect with other BTC hike leaders and learn new things and dream about leading hikes. I am a social worker/psychotherapist by training and I’m very much interested in offering holistic services incorporating nature hikes, yoga, and mindfulness and bringing people together to build community and connections.
Why should GTA residents get outside and enjoy the Bruce Trail?
Going out to the Bruce Trail, being in nature, learning about the history and building connections with the land and its original inhabitants is a great way to feel our interconnections as human beings and work together to act on our responsibility to protect our natural habitat, and be part of the solution to the many challenges facing us today.
What do you love about volunteering with the BTC? What are all the ways you're involved with the Bruce Trail? (e.g. Hike Leader, trail maintenance, booth volunteer, etc.)
What I love most about volunteering with BTC is meeting enthusiastic hikers who come out on the hikes. It brings me so much joy to see them enjoying the hikes, connecting with each other, sharing joy, laughter, ideas, tips and memories of different hikes they have been on or sharing plans of new hikes they like to go on. They are so encouraging and motivating me to plan future hikes. It’s so wonderful to connect with other people who share the same passion and love of nature. It makes me feel that I belong to a caring community with a common vision.
What types of hikes do you lead?
I like planning and leading urban hikes in Toronto. Mainly because I have lived in Toronto for most of my life. I came here in 1987 as a 19-year-old refugee. I love Toronto with all the diversity it has to offer both in terms of nature and community and infrastructure. That’s why I like to lead urban hikes that focus on the history of Toronto’s parks and neighbourhoods. Last fall I led a series of hikes entitled “Fall Colours in Toronto Parks and Ravines” and I’m currently leading a series of hikes entitled “Graffiti Art, Culture, and Nature in Toronto.”
What is an upcoming hike that you're leading that you'd like to promote?
I am continuing the series of Graffiti Art, Culture, and Nature in Toronto with a hike on April 27th when we will explore Parkdale - Queen West neighbourhoods. Starting on May 25th, I will be venturing in offering a series of E-2-E hikes to complete the Caledon section of the Bruce Trail.
A longer version of this interview can be found on our website https://bit.ly/49XuRVF
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Do You Want to Become a TBTC Certified Hike Leader?
 Do you love to hike? Do you enjoy sharing that love with others? Then think seriously about signing up for our hike leader training course in June.
The course is being offered in collaboration with Hike Ontario. Topics will include risk management, leadership, trail guides, navigation, outdoor techniques, environmental protection, hike planning, and practical problem solving on a group hike. The course will be delivered by Hike Ontario instructors via Zoom, followed by an outdoor training session in a park in the GTA.
Dates:
+ Sunday April 14, 2024. Hike Leader’s Hike to learn more about the course (see below)
+ Monday April 15, 2024. Registration opens (see below)
+ Wednesdays June 5 and 12, 6:30 – 9 pm. Classes offered via zoom
+ Saturday June 15, 9:30-12:30. Outdoor session in a GTA park.
Participants will receive their student manual electronically in advance of the first session. There will be an assignment to complete between the two sessions, and participants will present a portion of it during the second session. “Level C” first aid training, including CPR/AED, must be completed to qualify for leading TBTC hikes. The cost is $60 which will be covered by the Bruce Trail Conservancy for TBTC members. The full cost of the first aid training will be reimbursed after the new hike leader has led three hikes, following the completion of their apprenticeship.
If you would like to learn more about the course and leading hikes, please join current Toronto Bruce Trail Club Hike Leaders for a “Hike Leaders Hike” on Sunday April 14, 2024. There will be the opportunity to chat with Hike Leaders who have completed the training as well as an optional social afterwards. Register via the BTC Hike Calendar after April 2. More details about this hike will follow shortly.
To register for the Hike Leader training, please contact Jacquie Van Dyke at vdyke0946@gmail.com after April 15. You must be a current member of the TBTC and have participated in several of its organized hikes. Space is limited so register early. Please provide Jacquie with your first and last name, your email address, and your BTC number (which will be verified).
Three apprentice hikes and a graduation hike must be completed within one year of the Hike Ontario training. Potential hike leaders are required to apprentice on an urban hike, a car hike, and a bus hike (or two of one and one of another) each with a different hike leader, and will be assessed on their performance. Finally, a Graduation Hike, designed by the potential hike leader and approved by the TBTC Hiking Director, must be executed. A hike leader will accompany the graduation hike and provide an assessment.
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Humans of the Bruce Trail featuring Rolland Hervieux
On a regular basis, we introduce you to members of the Club. We are, after all, humans of the Bruce Trail, joined by our love of the outdoors, and hiking. This month, we meet Rolland Hervieux.
 Where do you live?
Georgetown, Ontario
Why did you join the Bruce Trail Club?
I wanted to volunteer with the section that was closest to me and since the Toronto section runs right through Georgetown, easy choice.
What is your most memorable outdoor experience?
Completing my first Bruce Trail End to End.
Words to Live by?
"Use it or lose it" You just never know what tomorrow brings; therefore, for as long as you can remain active, "Use it or lose it."
Hobbies and interests?
As much as I enjoy hiking, hockey will always be my main passion. As I complete my 36th year as an on-ice official, this has led to some off-ice official opportunities with the OHL, AHL, PWHL and IIHF. My ultimate goal is to get to the NHL.
Most admired person and why?
There are many people I admire. My parents for teaching me right from wrong, my wife and daughter for their support throughout my journey. Smadar Junkin is a person I also admire for her love and devotion to the Bruce Trail. Once I became a certified Hike Leader, Smadar mentored me and showed me how to fully enjoy this wonderful Trail and how to pass on that passion to my groups when leading.
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Bruce Trail Hikers Go From Atlantic to Pacific in 280k, 12-day Journey in Costa Rica
By Margaret Corner
 Looking for a hiking trip that is off the beaten path? Look no further than El Camino De Costa Rica. This 280 km trail not only takes you across an entire country, it takes you across an entire continent!
I joined fifteen other Bruce Trail hikers in completing this trail in February of this year. Every day brought some form of adventure. Although we were tired from our first day of travel, there was no need for us to set an alarm. We received an early morning wake up call from the howler monkeys in the jungle. A “no swimming" sign by a water’s edge was due to the presence of crocodiles.
 Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Not a day went by when we didn’t see beautiful flowers, unusual plants, land crabs, or colourful lizards, frogs and snakes. One of our guides walked with a snake hook out in front of the pack to ensure we didn’t encounter any poisonous snakes in our travels. The country also has many beautiful birds and we were blessed to see egrets, great blue herons, a scarlet macaw, toucans, swallow-tailed kites and oropendolas to name just a few.
The trail takes one through a very diverse landscape which includes two beautiful beaches, a view of volcanoes in the distance and lots of steep ascents and descents through the mountains. In addition, the rich landscape includes navigating a trail in the jungle, a walk through a cloud forest, a boat ride through canals and a dense forest near the Caribbean Sea. We were not disappointed by the number of water crossings, suspension bridges, and quiet country roads that passed by cattle farms and through many palm, banana, papaya, pineapple, sugar cane and coffee plantations.
All the villages that we passed through had a soccer field as their central focus. There would also be a church and a school in the village. While it was obvious that people didn’t have a lot in some of these small villages, they always had a large beautiful smile for us and a well-kept garden bursting with colour. There might also be a couple of chickens running around the yard. Our group had the pleasure of helping a young girl celebrate her 5th birthday and one of our nights was a home stay with a local family. It was an honour to learn more about their local culture.
This is the first long distance hiking trip I have completed where I didn’t lose weight, the food was that good and that plentiful. I especially enjoyed the freshly squeezed fruit juices that were so refreshing after a long day of hiking.
For me a highlight was the Verdesana Forest Lodge, a spa resort just off the trail. We were housed in beautifully hand-crafted cabins made from the cypress trees on the property. I loved watching exotic birds eat from the bird feeders on their deck. The food was over the top, especially the ceviche and the chocolate coconut banana ice cream.
After 12 days of hiking, having successfully reached the Pacific Ocean, we enjoyed a perfect evening celebrating our achievement while we watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
Does life get any better than this? I can certainly see why the New York Times recently put this trail on their “Must Visit” list. I strongly suggest that you add it to yours.
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Hike with an Alpaca Sounds Like Fun!
 The Club has an interesting and fun new bus hike scheduled for Saturday April 27 which includes a chance to pet, feed and maybe even walk with your own Alpaca.
Lisa Ruth Lifshitz and Nijole Mockevicius will be taking the group on a hike in Presqu'ile Provincial Park (easy/moderate) followed by a tour of Old Mill Alpacas, an Alpaca farm near Brighton.
The group will hike the best trail of the Park, visiting paths along the shorelines, woodlands and meadows. Hikers will also stop at the second oldest operating lighthouse in Ontario. You’ll eat lunch in the park and then take the marsh boardwalk trail accessing the largest protected marsh on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Registration will be opening on March 23rd and the cost is $30, in addition to bus fare. Here is the link to sign up https://bit.ly/43oHTZT
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Mark your calendars
April 14: Hike Leaders Hike
April 15: Registration opens for Hike Leaders training (see above)
April 21: AGM at Kortright
Bus Hikes:
April 14: Martina's Birthday Hike (fundraiser)
April 27: Presqu'ile Provincial Park Alpaca Hike
Selected car hikes
April 27: Spring Indigenous Teachings with Alan Colley
April 26: CHBTC 60th anniversary combo badge hike
Selected Urban Walks
April 13: Toronto Urban Badge Hike, 1 of 7
April 27: Graffiti Art, Culture and Nature in Toronto
For the latest in all our hikes (bus hikes, car hikes, urban hikes and coach hikes), check the Hiking Calendar.
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