Chair person: Gloria Yeung

Those attending: Jim Bauman, Mark Bauman, Murray Beaco= m, Joyce Cummings, Loretta Dunn, Jan and Jamie Hember (GVTA), Brenda Kempel, L= isa Nadon, Inga Rinne, Ann Roberts, Nancy Stayzer.

1. Guidebook Distribution: Eleanor was= not available to report.

WTG M= embership Report and renewal package: There has been no change in membership since the last meeting, i.e. 65 members for 2006 (34 lifetime, 31 yearly). A decision was made to send out the membership renewal packages in January.&nb= sp; The hike schedule and annual report will be needed for the mail-out. The hike schedule is almost complete. Kathy Beisel= is working on publishing the first draft of the annual report. Gloria offered to provide some Hea= rt Health quick facts for the report. Agreed to have the membership cards for life members laminated.

2. Investment Options: Gloria will connect with Don regarding best options for invest= ing the group’s money.

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3. November hike report: Archie McKee, a member of the Elmira Lions Club, led the h= ike on the Lions Ring Trail. 19 p= eople came out to hike.

4. Mill Race Trail walking circuit map: Gloria is working on this map. It is a 10 km route suggested by L= ucien around the St. Jacobs area. N= ancy will talk to the Martin family about having the route pass through their fa= rm and retail store. A note will= be added to the circuit map advising users to take caution on Lobsinger Line.<= /p>

5. School Hike Day: School hike day= was held on Friday Oct. 27 with St. Jacobs PS. Nancy reported t= he following: 330 students and s= taff participated and loved it; there were 4 interpretative stations (birds, wildlife, history of the mill race and trees); the weather was awful; the g= rade 8s acted as interpreters on a hike at a later date with the kindergarten students. Nancy will work with staff to finalize an annual date for the hike for future years. The group suggested helping other schools run hike days: John Mahood and Lions Ring trail; Park Manor (grades= 6, 7 and 8); Riverside and the Kissing Bridge Trailway; Floradale school on the Lions Lake Trail. Inga will c= ontact folks at Riverside and John Mahood. Nancy will try to connect at a staff level as well. Thanks to Nancy for coordina= ting the logistics with the school staff. Thanks to Jane, Clint and Gloria for helping at the interpretative stations.

6. April 2007 Healthy Communities Month Planning:

The group decided on the following hikes for April: 1- GVT hike at Snyder’s Fla= ts on April 29. 2- Mark will lead a birding hike on April 15. 3- Seniors hike. Details yet to be confirmed. April 21 is Woolwich Community Cle= an-up day. There will be a CITO (“cache in and trash out” by the geo cache group) day at Snyder’s Flats as well as tree planting. 85 trees will be supplied by the GRCA. TWEEC will organize the= tree planting. Other groups are in= vited to help as well. Jan and Jami= e will see if GVT members might be available/interested. Loretta suggested a soccer clinic organized by her daughter. Lo= retta also noted that a health fair was held at Breslau Mennonite church sometime last spring (possibly in April). This might be another item to post on the calendar. Ann passed this information = along to the WHC coordinating committee on Dec 1, 2006.

7. Grand Valley Trail Updates: by = Joyce Cummings

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REPORT -- GRAND VALLEY TRAILS ASSN.

&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1.General: Nothing special to report. Our annual general meeting has been scheduled for Sunday April 22, 2007. All Woolwich Trails Group members are welcome. More information later.

A Spring Clean-up Day has been scheduled for Saturday = May 12, 2007, for the northern part of our trail, north of Belwood, where we ha= ve no trail captains. We would like as many people as possible to show up; no experience necessary. Followed by pie and coffee at the Super Snax in Belwo= od.

The Walter Bean Trail, and consequently the GVT is sti= ll closed in Kitchener from Zeller Drive to Otterbein. The GVT in Natchez Woods can still be accessed from the north or from the Ebydale Access Trail.

II. Woolwich Trails Group Section:

From our recent Trail Markings:

&= nbsp; “Hail to Nick!

That’s right: HAIL! Also snow, rain, and wind. On Wednesday October 14, there was= only a slight drizzle in the morning so the work party led by Nick and Anita Kur= et went ahead as scheduled. But as soon as the materials and equipment were carried in to the work site, it began: hail, snow, rain, and wind! But in spite of this, and a very slippery trail, Nick’s work party managed to construct two 12 foot bridges and one box culvert. = Assisting Nick and Anita were Jenn and Will Lennon, Russ Brown, Alf Lemp, and Joyce Cummings. This took place at approximately= km. 74 in the Black Walnut section, just off of Middlebrook Road, cl= ose to the Wellington County boundary. Three stiles were previously put in along this section, to go over an electric fence.”

On Nov. 18, Isobel Ruby, Alf Lemp and I put up blue bl= aze boards and signs indicating the mandatory seasonal reroute around Mervin Brubacher’s sugar bush, off of Middlebrook Road. Thanks to Jamie Hemb= er for creating the signs.

Due to the GVTA annual general meeting, we have to reschedule Jamie Hember’s hike on Snyder’s Flats to Sunday April 29, 2007.

8. 2007 draft hike schedule: Most= of the schedule was set at the October meeting. Joyce note that November is too we= t to hike on the GVT section north of West Montrose. Joyce wondered if this could be sw= itched with another hike. Ann will c= ontact John to see if he would be willing to change his geocache hike scheduled in September at Floradale to November. &= nbsp;

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9. Breslau Updates: Lisa noted that = there is a chronic wet problem on the service road/trail along the north side of = the east pond in the Thomasfield development.&= nbsp; Ann will forward the information.&n= bsp; Lisa is also concerned about the steep access at the west end of the west pond.

Mark asked if there would be interest from volunteers in Breslau to help with tree planting around the Township-owned wetland at the south end of Breslau (Fountain St. and Woolwich St. near Ayr= Bus Lines).

1= 0. <= b>Other Business.

1-Snyder= ’s Flats: Jamie Hember asked about future plans for the Preston Sand and Gravel lands. Seegmiller is the curr= ent owner. Inga has heard that th= ey would like to develop this area. Mark assured the group that this area is not “in the urban envelope” and there are no plans for development.

Dates to remember……

3D"Text Next WTG Meeting: Thursday Janua= ry 11, 7 pm in the downstairs meeting room at the St. Jacobs fire hall.