The Niagara Bruce Trail Club

The Niagara Grapevine -- Summer 2002

Editor: Barbara Henderson   72778 Con. 6 Rd. RR #1, Wellandport, ON, LOR 2J0
Phone 905 386 6543    FAX 905 386 7400   email philbarb.henderson@sympatico.ca

Web Version: John Lye email jlye@spartan.ac.brocku.ca

The deadline for inclusion in the Fall 2002 issue is August 1st

Contents:

  Help Needed:
Alison “Steve” Stevenson, our local archivist, is seeking history of our Club in the 69's and 70's. He needs pictures, news clippings etc. Call Steve (905) 935-5857 asteven@freenet.npiec.on.ca

NBTC Executive

The President's Report: The Annual General Meeting - 2002

Our Annual General Meeting was held on the foggy night of April 13th. Attendance appeared to be down slightly from recent years, possibly due to the weather. For those who missed it, the food was great, the Fiddlers were at their entertaining best, and the speakers Deanna Lindblad of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and BTA President Richard Boehnke were well received. A special "thank you" from the NBTC to President Richard, who will retire at the end of his current term. Richard has been a dynamic leader during his time as President of our association, moving us rapidly forward on our goal to secure the trail by 2015.

The Annual General Meeting usually means changes and 2002 was no exception. Maria Batcules, Treasurer and Diane Sauder, Newsletter Editor, decided to "take-a-break." Thanks to Maria and Diane for their participation and support during the past. Much appreciated! Welcome to Cecile Fournier, our new treasurer, and Barbara Henderson, Newsletter Editor!

A special thanks to Frank Delogu, Hike Coordinator , for agreeing to stay on for another year. Frank had indicated a wish to step aside but a replacement was unavailable and Frank generously agreed to "one more year." Well deserved Volunteer Appreciation Award Certificates were announced for: Gordon and Shirley Orr, Leona and Jack Terrberry, LaReine Foden, Anna and Bruce Toews and Cathy Clifford.

Our Relationship to the Grapevine

We live in a beautiful part of our country, blessed in so many ways! In particular, I think of our easy access to the Niagara Escarpment, the Bruce Trail and the good will of the many landowners, who graciously allow us to hike on their property. The approximately 150 Niagara landowners who open their lands to our use are as diverse as the landscape itself; Brock University, Hydro, the Conservation Authority, on the larger side; many small, private holdings at the other extreme. What is perhaps unique for the Niagara section is our relationship to one crop/processing sector, the grape and wine industry. The emergence of grape production along the Escarpment and the proliferation of wineries in even more recent times has been truly dramatic.

Our relationship to the Canadian success story seems to be genuinely, mutually, positive. Our grower/winery hosts are correctly proud of their successes, and see tourism as a significant part of the marketing strategy. Having the trail on or near their properties is seen as positive. For trail members and guests it provides comfort that the trail is welcome.

For the uninitiated wine buyer, the letters "VQA" guarantee that the wine, so marked, is made 100% from Canadian grown grapes, and that the wine has passed stringent test by a professional taste panel. Support our landowner hosts; buy their products.

Land Stewardship Report By Audrey Rowland

In the next column the pictures shows [I'm hoping to get the pictures -- J. Lye] a group of hikers crossing the bridge built by NBTC volunteers at the Bright's property.

This property is managed by the BTA and has two volunteer land stewards doing two or more site inspections a year. These stewards check for erosion, encroachment, flora and fauna and report back to us twice a year. The fall site inspection includes a form that must be filled out and sent to us and we in turn forward them to Rasberry House. Your land stewards are Ann Cowper, Frank Delogu, Michael Featherstone, Gordon Orr, Shirley Orr, Audrey Rowland, Stewart Rowland, Laurie Turner and Ron Turner.

If you would like to be a volunteer land steward please call Audrey or Stewart Rowland at (905)-894-4613.

Cecile Dillon - BTA Appointee:     News from Raspberry House

Some changes to watch for:
    -> New publisher and format for the Bruce Trail News
    -> Redesign of the BTA Web-Site
    -> Sponsorship of BTA by Ancient Coast Wines - look for BTA Logo on their label.
New names to watch for:

    -> David Butler is the Fundraising Consultant who will direct our 2015 Campaign.
    -> Marsha Russell is the new Marketing Program Director.
On the Trail look for:

    -> Reforestation Signs - 7 signs erected on BTA properties by our Land Stewards, with 2 in the Niagara Section.

Trail Maintenance Report By Kym Burt

A warm welcome to new trail captain John Hay. John has volunteered to take on the General Brock Side Trail.

Thanks to supplier, Pipeline Inc. of Waterloo for a generous donation of tools to the BTA, which have been distributed to the clubs.

A through audit of the main trail in Niagara will be conducted this summer. This will help identify trouble spots and set priorities for repair. Due to a lack of participants at the May chain saw course, another is planned for late October. Anyone wishing to attend please call me at 905-688-9365 for details.

Vacancy - Upper Canada Heritage Trail 11.7 km. starts at KM 39 of the main trail and mainly follows the old "New York Central Railbed" and ends at Butlers Barricks. Anyone interested in looking after this section, please call the above number.

10th Annual Fort To Fort Hike

Nineteen Hikers from across Southern Ontario, gathered at Kingsbridge Park in Chipawwa, for the Tenth Annual Fort To Fort Hike on April 6th and 7th. Among the Nineteen who finished the hike were 10 members of the Niagara Bruce Trail Club. Congratulations to Judy Gaudier, Lynda Bonnar, Marion Roggeband, Everett Collins, Michael Petriw, Vito Fasano, Fred Azzopardi, Nick Chudyk, Nick Ebner and Club President Jim Rainforth for a successful weekend.

April weather proved to be fickle, Saturday hikers were greeted by a mantel of fresh snow. President Jim Rainforth, assisted by Treasurer Fort to Fort Badge. Thanks to every one for a successful early spring hike. Many thanks to Mary Tennant and to Norma Delogu for manning the checkpoints on Saturday. Also to Mary and Barry Leighton, Shirley and Gord Orr who did a great job manning the checkpoints on a cool blustery Sunday. June Green, Marriane & Lynn Fischer, Bud Walsh, Rudy Toews. John Hartman, Lou Gaudier and Ron Massey who at 7.00am were at Chippawwa, smiling, and ready to drive.

Upcoming Hike!

Eleventh Annual Laura Secord Hike June 22 30km.

Toronto End to End

End-to-enders, mark the weekend of September 21/22 on your calendars. The Toronto club will hold its two day end-to-end on this weekend. For information call Jenny Roberts, 416 253 4467.

 

Welcome to Our New Members By Edie Basaraba

    Borowski, Edward
    Butler, Jane A.
    Case, Leanne
    Coffey, Robert G
    Deimel, Tim
    Domm, Pamela
    Doyle, Joyce
    Drobnich, Gladys and Family
    Elzinga, Floyd and Carolyn and Family
    Fasano, Vito and Family
    Gentes, Chuck
    Giokas, Peter
    Hogervorst, Rudolf and Margaret
    Hunse, Teunis
    Leeney, Patrick
    Marsura, Louis
    Martin, Charlie
    Mauta, D
    Medina, Joan and Gus
    Mooney, Edward
    Paul, Joanne
    Paupst, Andrew
    Reiner, David and Marion
    Spencer, Gordon
    Spina, P. Lucy
    Stark, Connie
    Tenbroeck, Shelley
    Thiessen , Tracy and Family
    Trudel, Cheryle
    Tulloch, Sandy
    Urlocker, Michael
    Wheaton, Louise L. and Family
    Wills, Jeff and Family
There are 545 active members as of March 31th, 2002.

Editor's Farewell By Diane Sauder

Thanks to all the contributors especially the executive

Thanks to Frank Delogu for computer assistance and hike schedules

Thanks to Ron Massey for all the exceptional pictures he gave us to use

Thanks to Dave Brown and the stuffers.

I have enjoyed working as the newsletter editor and I will miss co-ordinating it. Please give our new editor Barb Henderson the same co-operation you have given me.

HAPPY WRITING!!!





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HTML mark-up by John Lye   May 24, 2002