Theganaraska News
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The Link To All Clubs Of The Ganaraska TheGanaraska News Fall (August – December 2016) President’s Report by Bob Bowles Canada will be celebrating its 150th birthday in 2017 determine what repairs were needed. My first job was and Ottawa, our national capital, is planning several to remove all the low and bushy staghorn sumac celebrations. The Ganaraska Hiking Trail needs to shrubs growing around and over the cairn. On April start looking ahead as well since in April 2018, we will 18, 2016 I removed all the shrubs and low vegetation be celebrating our 50th anniversary. Maybe, not as and dug out the network of sumac roots that were spectacular as 150 years but 50 years of operation for growing near the stone. This was a bigger job than I the hiking trail is something to celebrate. anticipated and took most of the day to clear the area. My next visit was May 6, 2016 and along with Neill The original idea of a hiking trail across southern Lanz, a new member of the Mad River Club we Ontario came from a meeting back in March 1967 and removed the earth around the base of the cairn and the trail officially opened April 21, 1968. The southern laid black fabric cloth around the area in order to end of the trail started in Port Hope and ran north prevent the shrubs and other vegetation from growing along the Ganaraska River. The route was explored back in. Next we constructed a wall of used paving by several stakeholders such as the Ganaraska stones donated to us by Hamilton Bros. Building Region Conservation Authority and the Federation of Supplies in Glen Huron. We also visited several Ontario Naturalists. There was talk of a trail through locations that supplied gravel and stones in an effort to Simcoe County connecting with the Bruce Trail at get enough attractive river stone to cover the fabric Glen Huron but during the late 1970s and early 1980s cloth around the base to the top of the wall platform. even with efforts by several members, the two ends of We finally obtained the stone that we needed in the trails remained unconnected. There was even a Collingwood at a reduced price. We moved the stones resolution presented at the Annual General Meeting in and rocks to the top of the escarpment in the back of 1983 to disband the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Club and my Enclave but due to the weight of the material, we give any assets to the Bruce Trail Association. The had to make several trips. motion was defeated and an effort was made to connect the two ends of the trails through the Our next job was to remove the growth of lichens that Wilderness section. were covering the lettering. We used a wire brush and chemical remover. The lettering had to be redone with The cairn in Port Hope was erected in 1993 and black paint and at first, I considered doing this myself. signified the start of the trail. The Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association was incorporated in 1994. I obtained a price from my friend Steve, the owner of Unfortunately I was unable to find any details about Sanderson Signatures in Orillia which seemed quite the Glen Huron Cairn. There’s no date on the stone expensive. I was then told that the rock is very porous but I was able to learn that the final link between the and the paint tends to wick out the engraved letters two ends of the trail was made in 1992 at McKinney’s across the surface of the rock. Once it does that, it can Hill near Glen Huron. In 2015, the cairn at Port Hope be very difficult to clean and remove. I decided to let was repaired and a new plaque replaced the faded the professionals repaint the lettering after removing lettering. There were discussions at that time the rest of the lichen growth. After some discussion concerning the cairn at the other end of the trail at with Steve, he agreed to cut his original price in half Devil’s Glen near Glen Huron. Some thought the cairn since we were a small not-for-profit group and we had could be repaired while others were embarrassed with a long friendship. I signed the work order and by the the condition of the cairn hidden under deep shrub time you read this article, I expect the lettering to be growth and covered with lichens making it very difficult looking bright and clear and very easy to read. We to read the writing. now have cairns in good repair at both ends of the trail that we can be proud of as we plan for our 50 year I decided, as president of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail, anniversary celebration events in 2018. to make it my duty to fix up the cairn and have it in condition that would make every member proud to view it. The first step was to visit the site last fall and 1 The Ganaraska News Ganaraska Trail Directors - 2016 President: Robert L. Bowles Past President: Mike Pidwerbecki The Ganaraska News (705) 325-3149 (289) 675-0060 Is published three times a year for the members of the 374 Grenville Avenue 26 Sawmill Court Ganaraska Trail Association Inc. and the generous Orillia, ON L3V 4P7 Bowmanville, ON L1C 5C2 landowners who permit the trail on their land. [email protected] [email protected] Vice President: David Royston Treasurer: Chris Rowe Please send your news, stories, poems and pictures to (705) 645-2573 (705) 325-5285 the Newsletter Editor, Rita Zeran, 110 Trefusis 240 Maple St., 222 Westmount Dr. S. Street, Port Hope, ON L1A 4J3 via mail, email Bracebridge, ON P1L 1K3 Orillia, ON L3V 6E4 ([email protected]), diskettes or photos via regular [email protected] mail. Preferably text files should be stored in Recording Secretary: Bill Zeran (905) 885-2874 “text/doc” format, and electronic images have a 110 Trefusis St., Port Hope, ON L1A 4J3 minimum of 300 ppi resolution. [email protected] Membership Director: Lois Kowal (705) 429-7692 Web Addresses: 38 Clover Cres., Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 0G4 www.ganaraska-hiking-trail.org [email protected] GHTA Archivist: Carmen Duval (705) 549-9279 e-mail: [email protected] 7 Denfield Road, Lindsay, ON K9V 0B4 [email protected] GHTA Hike Ontario Rep: Frieda Baldwin (705) 245-1005 Deadlines for Issues: 200 Bayfield Ave., Midland, ON L4R 5J5 Winter issue: November 15 (for hikes starting January 1) [email protected] Spring issue: February 15 (for hikes starting April 1) Landowners Relations: Vacant Fall issue: June 15 (for hikes starting August 1) GHTA Nature Canada Rep: Irene Bell (705) 352-1060 63 Savannah Cr., Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 0E7 [email protected] The GHTA welcomes all donations. Tax receipts for donations will be issued on request. GHTA Trail Director: Vacant Charitable registration #13450 4075 RR0001 QE II Wildland Prov. Park Rep: David Royston (705) 645-2573 CANADA PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT [email protected] #40031549 Newsletter Editor: Rita Zeran (905) 885-2874 110 Trefusis St., Port Hope, ON L1A 4J3 Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc. [email protected] Box 693, Orillia, ON L3V 6K7 Website: Rob Smith (705) 812-7906 5 Fair Street, Collingwood, ON L9Y 2H6 [email protected] Public Relations Director: Bob Bowles (705) 325-3149 [email protected] In This Edition Mission Statement…...……………………...........……page 3 Club News ........................................................ pages 3 to 7 Club Presidents: Annual General Meeting ........................................... page 7 Barrie Oro-Medonte Fall 2016 Events ............................................. pages 8 to 19 Bob Murrell (705) 456-3163 Christine Cornu (705) 733-3825 [email protected] [email protected] Kawartha Pine Ridge Barb Rimmer (705) 304-6264 Stan Muldoon (905) 885-9310 [email protected] [email protected] Mad River Wasaga Beach Major Jeremy Bonnar (705) 739-7519 Shirl McArthur (705) 429-7747 [email protected] [email protected] Midland Irene Bell (705) 352-1060 Marc Vallee (705) 527-1967 [email protected] [email protected] Wilderness Club Orillia David Royston (705) 645-2573 Marion Brophy (705) 327-5366 [email protected] [email protected] 2 The Ganaraska News meetings with potential landowners and advisors Our Mission Statement from the Bruce Trail, and formed and publicized the Ganaraska Trail Association. After the trail a. To protect the conservation and appreciation was formally opened in 1968, Jack continued to of nature; work with others to extend it from Lindsay to b. To establish and maintain a hiking trail for meet with the Bruce Trail. public use from the said Town of Port Hope to the Bruce Trail near Collingwood, and Jack remained an active GHTA member during years when the Pine Ridge Club was quite small, c. To promote similar trails in other areas as hand delivering copies of the newsletter to may be determined. spread awareness of the association. In the late 1990s, when Nicole Corbeil took over as Club President, Jack worked closely with her to revive John Winfield Lawton “Jack” Goering the club. He continued to lead hikes until 2002/2003 and in 2007 he arranged for the club 1925 - 2016 to have a stand at the Living Green Fair in Port Hope. Jack was also advisory director on the PRHC Executive until 2008, reflecting his extensive knowledge of the Club and the GHTA. In the fall of 2015, despite his declining health, Jack attended the unveiling of the new bronze plaque at the Port Hope terminus of the trail. That plaque recognizes the vision of Jack and our remaining founder, Pat Lawson, which resulted in the GHTA and the trail as it is today.