February 2023
Hey, everyone! We're back, again with a ton of Club news and information. A special thank you to this month's many contributors.
- Guides and Scouts outings: Are you a guides or scouts leader? We've got ideas for you! There's even a badge involved.
- Our Club in the 80's: Should people be allowed to smoke on the bus? That was just one of the issues in our Club's history in the 80's decade. A happening time, as our writer says.
- TBTC AGM: We want to see you. April 23rd is the date. We'll have hikes, a hot lunch, and a great keynote speaker.
- Volunteer award nominations: If the AGM is on the horizon, it means it's also time to nominate that special volunteer for one of our two main awards.
- Report trail issues using the BT app: It's a new feature on the app - now you can drop a pin on the spot when you see an issue that needs maintenance.
- Ask us Anything: You'll be amazed to learn what it takes to maintain 900 km of main trail and 450 km of side trails. It's enough to make you proud!
- Land Management Team: Speaking of trail maintenance, you should see what this team has been up to in the last 6 months. Wow.
- Winter Coach program: It looks like winter is here at last. Martina lets you know how to get out and enjoy it with your fellow club members.
- Run the Bruce Relay: E-Notes shares a story from the news about a Hamilton group that is raising support for marginalized women who are victims of violence.
- Mark your calendars: There's so much going on, we thought a calendar of upcoming events would be useful.
Happy February, everyone.
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Calling all Girl Guide and Scout Leaders!
by Louise Kent
 Did you know that Toronto Bruce Trail Club has a Youth Hiker badge? As volunteers ourselves, we know that you are busy people, so let us help you create a low-planning, high-fun and high-adventure meeting/outing that your youth are sure to speak about for months.
You don’t need to complete a full piece of Scout or Girl Guide program to earn this badge. You just need to hike with youth 13 years or younger on the Toronto section of the Bruce Trail for at least 3km or 1 hour.
As a Guider/Scouter, you can submit (or have your youth help you build and submit!) a report on your hike (date, distance, duration, section) with your email/phone, the name of your Unit/Troop and your BTC membership number if you have one. You can cover mailing costs or submit a stamped envelope, depending on the number of badges you’ll need. It’s about $2 for every 6 badges you order (see the badge page for details).
 This is a perfect meeting that we know young people love. Add in some biodiversity or survival skills programming on the trail, or just use it for some mental wellness and reconnection to nature.
Not sure where to go? Check out some routes on our website. You can also contact us (info@torontobrucetrailclub.org) if you’d like to explore doing a different type of activity, such as a guided biodiversity hike or a clean up where your youth work alongside our volunteers.
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The 80's: Miles to Metric, Route Changes and Smoking on the Bus!
by Margaret Corner
 In the summer of 1962, the Toronto Bruce Trail Club was established and the first blaze on the trail was painted close to the beginning of the Toronto Section. In this third of a seven-part series to celebrate our 60thanniversary, we’ll share some highlights from the 1980s:
In the spring of 1982, the Club started hosting an annual End-to-End which continues today. This two-day event, limited to 40 people, required participants to hike 27.1 miles in total. A new badge was issued for the event. Prior years’ events had required the End-to-End be hiked in one day! By the end of the 80s the Club had three different End- to-End badges. One for the annual End-to-End, one for completing the trail in one day and another badge, a new green and silver chevron for anyone completing the entire section in a calendar year. Come the spring of 1983, those completing the entire Bruce Trail End-to-End were issued a blue and gold chevron and a numbered certificate in addition the already existing blue and gold diamond badge.
Canada’s adoption of the metric system meant the distance of hikes were now described in kms. Confusing times for hikers raised on miles!!! Hikers had to bone up on their math skills multiplying by six and then dividing by ten.
The Niagara Escarpment Commission’s final report was finally approved in the mid 80s. It was felt that the plan leaned slightly in favour of trail protection.
 Just like today, the trail was constantly changing in the 1980s. Land purchases, re-routes off Hwy 7, re-reroutes back onto Hwy 7 and new side trails such as the Esker. The 13th edition of the BTC Guidebook lists the Toronto Section in 1981 at 27.1 miles, starting at Dark Corners and ending at the Kelso gate. Seven years later the section now starts in Cheltenham, ends at Hwy. 401 and Appleby Line and is 48.5 km long, the equivalent of 31.1 miles. A new tea room at the gas station in Speyside has opened up in the winter of 1986! (Pictured here - the tea room as it appears today.)
Not having websites or email in those days made it challenging for the Club to communicate with all of its members in a timely manner. In response to this, the Club opened up a HOT-LINE and Dial 690-HIKE was born. Pre-recorded messages made it easy for hikers to get details for any upcoming events.
The physical appearance of Footnotes in the 80s reflects the evolution of computer technology during those years. The Fall of 1984 brought the first edition where typeset was used rather than a typewritten copy. This issue was also the first to be printed on recycled paper. In the summer of 1985, the BTC decided to purchase its first computer system. Computerized membership records negated the Toronto Club’s need to find drivers to transport copies of Footnotes to Hamilton each month. Subsequent issues reflect the technological revolution using a memorex typewriter, a desktop publishing program on a Macintosh SE and lastly typesetting directly from disk.
During this time period, smoking on the bus caused a lot of concern for some members with good reason. The Club began to offer backpacking weekend and organized backpacking expeditions to the U.S. and Europe. There were several weekend get-aways to be found on the hiking schedule. The spring of 1989 listed 105 events alone. Slide show evenings were organized where hikers could share their recent hiker adventures and dreams were planted in the minds of those that attended.
Yes, the 80s were a happening time.
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Annual General Meeting: Celebrating 60 years of the TBTC!
by Louise Kent
 Please join us on April 23rd for the 2023 Toronto Bruce Trail Club AGM. Did you know this is the TBTC’s 60th year in operation? This year’s theme is Biodiversity and we will be meeting in-person at the Kortright Center.
To help us get into the spirit, we have planned a fulsome agenda for you to connect with nature, hear about the impact we’re making, and enjoy connecting with others. If you’d like to stretch your legs, why not select from two popular bus hikes in the morning? The bus leaving from York Mills station offers a choice of a Photography Hike or a Biodiversity Hike. The other bus leaves from Kipling station. If you drive, you can still hike. We’ve arranged for hike leaders to meet you at Kortright in the morning. All hikes will get you back to the Kortright Centre in time for lunch. Use our hike calendar to register for these hikes.
AGM check-in will begin at 11am with a delicious hot lunch being served at 11:45am. The formal AGM program will begin promptly at 1pm, followed by our honoured speaker, Dr. Justina Ray, President and Senior Scientist with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, who will speak on biodiversity to close out our day.
To help cover costs, including lunch, the AGM is $15 for all attendees. Please be sure to register here (even if you’ve already registered for a bus hike!).
AGMs are important moments for us to reconnect to one another and the roles we play as stewards of the land and as members of the TBTC. We hope you’ll join us!
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Nominate a Deserving Toronto Club Volunteer
Do you know a special person who gives a whole lot to our Club?
The deadline for nominating a deserving volunteer working for the Toronto Bruce Trail Club is Feb. 28, 2023. It’s easy to nominate a person, since we now have an on-line form on our website that goes directly to the judging coordinator.
There are two major awards that are given out at the Annual General Meeting on April 23. The Nina Carlisle Award is given to a longstanding volunteer (at least five years) who is actively involved in the activities of the Club. Such volunteering could be in the areas of trail maintenance, hike leading, social event planning, communications, administrative tasks, fund raising and Board service. The award is not restricted to any one volunteer specialty.
The Todd Bardes Award is given annually to outstanding persons who have made significant volunteer contributions to the TBTC in the prior year or two. Such volunteers could be in the areas of trail maintenance, hike leading, social event planning, communications, administrative tasks, administrative tasks, fundraising and Board service. The award is not restricted to any one volunteer specialty.
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Bruce Trail App Now Allows you to Report Trail Issues
 Recently the Bruce Trail Conservancy upgraded the Bruce Trail app so you can now report trail issues. It is very simple to use and already it is having a major impact on helping our trail maintenance crews to resolve trail problems more quickly and easily.
All you have to do is drop a “pin” on the spot where you saw the issue. A very short form appears on your cell phone screen, so you can describe the issue in a few words, take a photo, and give it a category name. GPS coordinates are sent to the trail maintenance director along with your information. “This feature makes it easy for hikers to report issues. It also makes it easier for us to locate the problem with the use of GPS,” says Land Management Director Neal Stein.
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Questions about hiking? Our E-Notes columnist, Peter Leeney, has the answers.
Q: Who looks after the trail? And how do you know when something needs fixing?
A: Wherever you hike on the Bruce Trail, you can expect to see the same blazes, the same signs, and similar construction techniques. (With the possible exception of those quite attractive blaze boards in Dufferin Hi-Land with the dark brown background instead of the usual black). Every two or three km stretch of Trail has a “trail captain” who is responsible for maintaining that section of Trail. A substantial yellow binder, “The Guide for Trail Workers” describes all aspects of trail construction and maintenance. A smaller version of that volume, the “Basic Trail Maintenance Guide” provides trail captains with the essentials for keeping their section in a safe condition. Both publications can be viewed on the BTC website.
Trail Captains inspect their section two or three times a year and submit “trail status reports” to the Club Trail Director. The trail captains will look after painting blazes and cutting back overgrowth along the trail. If there are problems the trail captain cannot deal with (tree removal or structure repairs) they will refer the matter to the Trail Director and the team of trail maintenance workers. The land management article in this issue of E-notes gives more examples of the kind of activities that trail workers are involved in.
Despite the trail maintenance guide, differences can creep in and familiarity with a stretch of Trail may result in potential problems being overlooked. One further step is needed. For about the last twenty-five years the Bruce Trail Conservancy has been conducting an audit of the Trail – a methodical review of blazes, signage, structures, and various trail hazards that may arise (e.g., trees or water). The practice is to audit the entire Trail (including all side trails) over a five-year period – so two Club Sections are audited each year. At present there are two audit teams of two or three volunteers each.
The Audit is also an opportunity to update the inventory of structures, their condition and exact location. Every structure on the Trail (boardwalk, bridge, or stile) should have a metal plate with a number, usually affixed on the “Niagara” or south end on the right hand side. If you are hiking and notice a problem with a structure, you can report it to the Club by noting the number. All structure numbers in the Toronto Section will start with a “3”; in Caledon Hills, with a “4” and so on up to “9” in the Peninsula Section.
The new Bruce Trail app has a feature that allows hikers to report an issue on the Trail and to send in a photo. Take a look at the article in this issue of E-notes for a more detailed explanation of how this works.
In addition, the past year the Bruce Trail Conservancy introduced “Trail Ambassadors” – usually two for each Club Section. An interesting summer job for students who walk the Trail and engage with other trail users to ensure that everyone is safe and following the basics of the “trail users code”, but they will also report on any significant problems they encounter along the way.
Do you have a question about hiking? Submit it to info@torontobrucetrailclub.com.
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BTC Properties are Well Cared For
by Neal Stein
 Our Club is lucky to have a dedicated group of volunteers, the Land Management Team, who manage our trail on lands owned or managed by multiple partners. Those partners include the Bruce Trail Conservancy, Credit Valley Conservation, Conservation Halton, Ontario Heritage Trust and numerous private landowners.
It’s a busy team. They manage 740 acres of land in the Toronto section on Bruce Trail Conservancy owned property. Here are some of the projects they have been involved just in the last 6 months, under the leadership of Neal Stein:
- Networking with the Credit Valley Conservation and Conservation Halton to discuss trail issues and biodiversity.
- Placing new boundary signs marking the north and south ends of the Toronto Section in cooperation with our neighbouring clubs and land partners. Editor’s note: a good place to take a selfie!
- Conducting Trail Maintenance on sections of the main trail and the Phil Gosling side trail, and planning for future maintenance on the Walking Fern, Irwin Quarry, and Great Esker side trails.
- Adding three Zone Coordinators to assist the Trail Captains in supervising volunteers who maintain our trails.
- Reviewing Bruce Trail routes on the Credit Valley Conservation’s Silver Creek property, which will result in structure improvement such as adding handrails to the side of stairs and minor route changes on the Irwin Quarry and Great Esker side trails.
- Working with the Bio-Diversity team and our land partners to offer educational and ecological training opportunities and collaborate on research projects.
- Providing Overnight Rest Areas. The one at Terra Cotta reopened after a COVID-19 hiatus, and a second, new location at Duff Pit is awaiting further approvals from the Niagara Escarpment Commission.
- Expanding the parking lot at Pear Tree on 15th side road, conditionally approved by Conservation Halton and awaiting approval by the Niagara Escarpment Commission.
Wow, right? What an awesome team.
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Winter coach program
by Martina Furrer
 Mother Nature presented us with some challenges at the start of the season. Warm temperatures and lack of snow meant we had to cancel the first two trips. Thankfully winter has returned and on Saturday January 21 we ran our first ski and snowshoe trip of 2023. We had an awesome day in Arrowhead Provincial Park.
Hopefully winter is here to stay. Join us for winter fun every Saturday until March 11.
For program details visit the winter coach program page and for details about individual trips visit the hiking calendar.
Registration opens at 8 PM on the Sunday before each trip. Coaches depart from 10 York Mills Rd and the Major Mackenzie Dr @ Highway 400 Park and Ride (for all trips except Kawartha Nordic). Non-members welcome on all trips.
February trips
Sat Feb 4: Come feed the chickadees and enjoy trail side warm-up huts at Kawartha Nordic. Fun for all levels. Lots of skiable terrain for beginners.
Sat Feb 11: Come discover Awenda Provincial Park. This is a new destination for us and should be great fun.
Sat Feb 18: Come explore the beautiful Copeland Forest at Horseshoe Resort, always a favourite destination.
Sat Feb 25: Come ski and snowshoe at Scenic Caves on trails with fun hills and great views of Georgian Bay, then enjoy an après ski and shoe party with new and old friends in a cozy, private log cabin.
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In the News: We Run the Bruce
 A group of Hamilton trail runners is planning an ultra-relay along the full length of the Bruce Trail this spring. There is much about their story that is captivating, but what really grabbed this editor's attention was the fact that they are using the relay to support marginalized women who are victims of violence.
"When they began planning the run, each participant wrote down reasons why they wanted to take part and a common theme arose from the answers.
Jetté said many runners brought up concerns regarding a lack of equitable access to the trail for racialized and queer folks as well as the lingering stress from the string of violent attacks on Hamilton’s trails last summer.
“A lot of us (women runners) that used to train solo no longer felt safe doing so, even in the daylight,” said Jetté, who is also the founder of We Run Club (WERC). “It shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be something we can all enjoy.”
Click here for the full story.
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Mark your calendars
Volunteer Awards
Tues Feb 28 Deadline for nominations
Hike leader training - details to come in March E-Notes
Thurs April 6 Hike leader training session 1 (online)
Thurs April 13 Hike leader training session 2 (online)
Sat April 22 Hike leader training session 3 (in-person, outdoors)
TBTC AGM
Sun April 23 AGM, Kortright Centre
And, as always, be sure to check the Hiking Calendar for the latest in hikes.
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