Woolwich=
Trails
Group
Thursday=
, January 11,
2007
Meeting =
Minutes
Those attending: Mark Bauman, Joyce Cummings, Merle Ho= ffman, Brenda Kempel, Ann Roberts, Clint Rohr.
1. Guidebook Distribution: Eleanor was not available to r= eport.
2.
WTG Membership Report and renewal package=
: There has been no change in member=
ship
since the last meeting, i.e. 65 members for 2006 (34 lifetime, 31 yearly).<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Most information is now ready for =
the
renewal packages. Brenda will
prepare packages for mailing next week.&nb=
sp;
3. Investment Options: Gloria will inves= tigate low risk mutual funds at BMO.
4. January hike: Brad, Eleanor and Jim w= ill lead the January hike at Sandy Hills Pinery for snow shoeing and skiing if = snow conditions permit. Otherwise = there will be a hike. See end of th= ese minutes for more info.
2007 = Healthy Communities Month: A draft calendar of events planned for April was circulated. Activities include:
1- April= 12 is hike-on-a-bus and blue bird.
2- Birdi= ng with Mark on April 15.
3- April= 21 is Woolwich Community Clean-up day.
4- April= 14: Alternative Energy Tours
5- April= 16: Local food event.
6- April= 18: GVT Whacky Women’s work party. Call Joyce at 519 742-5197 for more info.
7- April= 24: GVT work party and clean waterways tree planting.
8- April= 28: Yellow Fish Road project, Breslau Soccer clinic, KBT run/walk/bike
9- April= 29: Canoe/kayak, fly fishing and hike at Snyder’s flats, Canadian Cancer = Ride & Stride.
Please c= ontact Inga, Joy or Ann if you would like to help with any of these activities.
5. Mill Race Trail walking circuit map: Gloria is working on this map. It is a 10 km route suggested by Lucien around the St. Jacobs area. Nancy talked with the Martin family about having the route pass through their farm and retail store. Due to safety concerns they would = prefer that people do not walk up the lane. The Martins are suggesting that walkers use the front grassed sectio= n of their property parallel to Lobsinger Line.= Gloria will investigate further.
6.
School Hike Day: Nancy has been following up with E=
lmira
schools regarding School hike day for fall 2007. Nancy will keep the group po=
sted.
7. Grand Valley Trail Updates: by Joyce Cummings
REPORT --
GRAND VALLEY TRAILS ASSN.
I.GVTA General:
A. We are in the proc=
ess of
scheduling trail clean-up parties for the spring, the months of Marc=
h to
May, to be listed in the next issue of Trail Markings. There will be one re=
ally
big work party, for everyone, to help clean up the Pinnacle section north of
Belwood where there are few trail captains. It will be Saturday May 12=
th,
with a meeting place at the Lions Park in Belwood, 9:00 a.m. We will split =
into
groups and go out and work on the sections that need it and meet back at Li=
ons
Park at 3:00 for free pie and coffee.
We hope that a lot of you can make it to help us out. Please put thi=
s on
your calendar.
B. There are two upco=
ming “Learn
to Hike” workshops,
Saturday February 24th in the Belwood Hall, corner of Que=
en
and George Streets in Belwood, and one on Saturday March 31 at Lakes, Trails
and Travel, 417 King Street West, Union B2, in downtown Kitchener. Please contact Joyce or Ann for=
more
information.
There is also an all =
day Hike Leader Training course
offered on Saturday March 7th at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation
Centre (the Swimplex), 101 Father Bauer Drive, Waterloo. We are now requiri=
ng
our hike leaders to become certified. There is a minimal charge for both of
these courses. I have flyers for both of these. Please contact Joyce or Ann for=
more
information.
C. There is a Chai=
nsaw
Course being given by Dave O’Drowsky on Feb. 17-18th. =
Four
GVTA members will be getting trained to be certified chainsawers, easing the
burden on Nick Kuret, who at present is our only chainsawer.
D. The GVTA will be
participating in a Volunteer Action Fair, Saturday Jan. 17th
at Fairview Mall in Kitchener, in case anyone would like to volunteer a few
hours to staff a table and talk to people about hiking.
II. GVTA Black Wal=
nut:
A.Please note that the
section of the GVT from Zeller Drive to Ebydale is still closed; well, the =
Walter
Bean Trail is closed due to construction; there is a big ditch across the
trail. One can still hike in Natchez Woods by using the Ebydale Access Trai=
l.
The City of Kitchener hopes that the Walter Bean Trail will be reopened by =
late
spring.
III. Woolwich Sect=
ion:
A..There will be a hi=
ke this
coming Saturday, January 13th, at Snyder’s Flats for those=
of
you who have not had a chance to walk it yet. Please meet at the parking lot at =
the
Bloomingdale Community Centre on Sawmill Road at 9:00 a.m. If there is enou=
gh
snow, they will be snowshoeing.
B. There have been so=
me
problems at Snyder’s Flats, with a somewhat abusive encounter between=
a
dog walkers and a hunter. Be advised that hunting is allowed on the Preston
Sand and Gravel part of this loop, with a letter of permission from the
President of PS&G. Many people mistakenly think that all of this land is
GRCA land where hunting is forbidden. Also, dog walkers should be aware that
under a Woolwich Township by-law, dogs should be leashed.
C. There are three cl=
ean-up
parties scheduled for the spring for the WTG section: the first on Wednesday April 18
The second work party=
will be
on Tuesday April 24 to clean up the section from Highway 86 to Middlebrook
Road. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the parking lot at West Montrose. This outing is=
for
everyone! We will probably go to Elmira Donut and Deli for pie and coffee, =
or lunch,
afterwards as well. Som=
e of
us may check this section ahead of time; it may be desirable to erect a few=
tee
bars with blaze boards on some of the around-the-field sections. The landow=
ner,
Grant Bauman, is ok with this as long as the tee bars are off of the edge of
the field. Thanks to Clint for helping decide upon the date!
The third one will be=
on
Saturday May 19 on the furthest north section that GVTA and WTG member Isob=
el
Ruby has offered to look after, Mervin Brubacher’s and GRCA
property. Again, we wil=
l meet
at West Montrose at 9:00 a.m. and this outing is unisex, for everyone.
D. A reroute has been=
blazed
and posted around Mervin Brubacher’s sugar bush, north part off of
Middlebrook Road. This is a mandatory reroute around the edge of the field =
for
the months of February through April.
E. Propo=
sal to
the Trailway Advisory Board: A
proposal to piggy back a GVT side trail along a section of the KBT from the
river to Middlebrook Rd to make a blue loop from the GVT main trail into We=
st
Montrose. This will be discus=
sed at
their next meeting in Elmira on Feb.8th.
F. Trail Captains Party: Joyce is also hosting a party for GVT captains on Sat. March 24. All WTG members are invited. Joyce will have more information a= t our next meeting.
8. Breslau Update: Lisa and Loretta sent regrets. Lisa noted that ther= e have been no recent ATV sightings on the trail near her home.
9. CW Optimist Club update: No one was available to comment.
10. Distance Markers at the trail heads:<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Ann and Mark will meet in the next= few months to confirm the sign order and other logistics.
11.
Other Business.
1-Mil= l race trail: Clint noted the re= cent repair work done by GRCA staff to the race way between the rail bridge and = the farm bridge. The work was don= e to repair a leak. However, it is leaking again. Ann to contact= GRCA to advise. Concern about dama= ge to the trees due to the beavers also noted.
Dates
to remember……
Woolwich Healthy Comm= unities Celebration Dinner: Wednesday February 7, 6 to 9 pm. Please RSVP to Joy by Feb. 1 at 66= 4-3534 x 230.
Next WTG Meeting: Thursday February 22, = 7:15 pm in the downstairs meeting room at the St. Jacobs fire hall. Please note the new time.
GVT Captains Party: Saturday March 24. More info to follow from Joyce at = our next meeting.
Su=
nday
January 21, 2 pm: 2 hr skiing and snowshoeing at Sandy Hills Pinery Trail
From Elmira take Arthur St. north and turn right onto = Sandy Hills Drive. Travel approx. 1= km and look for fire #390 on the south side of the road.
Sunday March 18, 2 pm: 2 hr hike on the Kissing =
Bridge
Trailway/TCT at Ariss.
From Elmira take Line 86 east towards Guelph. In Ariss turn left or north-east o= nto Wellington County Rd 51. Turn= right on Schuett Rd. Meet in the pa= rking lot. Trail rating: easy walki= ng stone dust trail.
<= o:p>
April is Healthy Communities Month:
<= o:p>
Thursday
April 12, 9:30 am to 12 noon: Hike-on-a-bus.
L=
earn about
Woolwich Trails on a bus! The
guided tour will provide information on the trail as well as an opportunity=
to
get our at the trails heads. =
Ken
Reger will also talk about his blue bird houses and we get out and
explore. Please call Ann at 5=
19
669-1647 x 265 to reserve a seat on the bus. Cost is $2. Meet in the parking lot of the Woo=
lwich
Community arena parking lot, St. Jacobs (29 Parkside Dr.) at 9:15 am.
<= o:p>
Sunday April 15, 2 pm: 2 hr hike on the Health V=
alley
Trail, St. Jacobs.
Join Mark for an afternoon of birding and hiking. Meet at the kiosk at the trail ent= rance behind the fire station in St. Jacobs.&nbs= p; Take King St. north to Albert St.&n= bsp; Turn right or east on Albert and follow to the back of the parking l= ot near the kiosk. Trail rating:= first half is stone dust followed by natural path on varying topography.
Saturday April 28, 9 am: Fun run/walk and cycling along the
Kissing Bridge Trailway
Cyclists are invited to join Brad Fisher and runners a= re invited to join Corinne Taylor for a 5 to 15 km run along the KBT. Trail rating: level stone dust surface. Meet in the Observer parking lot at 20 Arthur St. N. Elmira.&nb= sp; Call Brad at 519-669-9067 or Corinne at 519-669-8399 for more information.
Sunday April 29, 2 pm: 2 hr/6 km hike on the Gra=
nd
Valley Trail at Snyder's Flats.
This section of the GVT was restored in 2006 after an absence of about 18 years. Jo= in Jan and Jamie to witness the winding Grand River. Meet in the parking lot of the Bloomingdale Community Centre at 103 Snyder's Flats Rd. For more info please contact Jan or Jamie at 519 745-1375. Trail rating: moderate. Portions of= the trail tend to be wet so wear sturdy hiking boots. No dogs, baby buggies or smoking o= n this hike.
Saturday April 21: Woolwich Community Clean-up D=
ay:
8:30 until noon
Call Ann at 519 669-1647 x 265 for more information.
October
School Hike Day