The Rural Voice, 2019-07, Page 60 When my friend Terry Schwan
and I started hiking the Bruce Trail in
2015, I thought we’d be done in two
or three years at the very most. Well,
we’ve just recently started into the
5th year of hiking and I don’t think
we'll get it done this year either. So
far we’ve hiked about 500 of the
trail's total 900 kilometre length. As
many of you likely know, the Bruce
Trail follows the Niagara Escarpment
from Niagara to Tobermory. Right
now we’re in the Owen Sound Area,
although we also have to double back
and finish a portion of the section
between Niagara and Caledon.
According to the Bruce Trail web
site (brucetrail.org) the concept of the
trail was first discussed in 1960 and
it was officially opened in Canada's
Centennial Year in 1967. Now, 52
years later, the trail is managed by
the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC)
which also functions as a land trust
and has charitable status.
Cooperative landowners have been
key for success of the trail in
generously allowing access to their
properties for establishment of the
trail. Volunteers are another key
element for ongoing success with
BTC having access to over 1,400
volunteers. Many of them work with
one of the nine different trail chapters
that each look after a section of the
trail. BTC is also a membership
based organization with almost
11,000 paid members.
While much of the trail winds its
way through natural areas, there are
many sections that travel along roads
to bypass segments where private
land access is not available. As
mentioned, BTC is also a land trust
and actively pursues securement of
properties that will provide long term
trail access as well as protecting
significant natural heritage and
historical features for future
generations. Roughly two thirds of
the trail’s route is now secured
through BTC ownership or
easements, as well as ownership by
others such as Conservation
Authorities and municipal, provincial
or federal governments. BTC
endeavours, on an ongoing basis, to
acquire other key properties as they
become available through donation
or fundraising for purchase.
In addition to the 900 kilometres
of main trail, there are approximately
400 kilometres in several hundred
side trails along the route such as the
Merle Gunby Side Trail near Owen
Sound (a name some long-term
readers of The Rural Voice will be
familiar with).
56 The Rural Voice
Challenging
Bruce Trail offers
a variety of
natural habitats
Steve Bowers
is a forester,
forest owner
and member of
the Ontario
Woodlot Assoc.
Woodlots
Walking the Bruce Trail can be challenging with steep slopes, rocky crevices
and caves. Morels (above) are tasty finds in June. One of the landmarks is
the “Polish Tree” (above left) in the section of trail near Owen Sound. The
Beech tree is getting old but still bears the markings of a Polish soldier who
inscribed part of his country’s national anthem into the bark. Standing by the
tree is Steve Bower’s hiking companion, Terry Schwan.