Woolwich Trails Group
Wednesday February 20, 2008
Meeting Minutes
Chair person: Gloria Yeung
Those attending: Joyce Cummings, Loretta Dunn, Eleanor Hrabi, Brenda Kempel, Paul Miller, Ann Roberts, Nancy Stayzer, Gloria Yeung (and Emily).
Guidebook Distribution: Eleanor reported that since November she has visited all distributors, inserted addendums in all books, dropped off hike schedules. She sent $321 to Don Harloff for deposit. The Stone Crock restaurant in St. Jacobs will no longer sell the guidebook. Eleanor is looking for a new distribution site in St. Jacobs. 150 book marks and schedules were delivered to the Welcome Wagon lady in Elmira. Eleanor has the following supply on hand: 145 guidebooks, 30 hike schedules, 300 membership forms, 0 book marks. Paul wondered if the group could sell guidebooks at the syrup festival this year. Eleanor will contact the chair person, Laverne Brubacher, to discuss. Paul also wondered if we could advertise our hikes and guidebook in the community centres and arenas.
Membership report: Brenda and her husband Ron send out the renewal packages. Brenda reported 63 members (33 renewals and 30 life members) for 2007. NOTE: A typo was noted on page one of the annual report (sent out in the membership packages). The April birding hike is on April 20 not April 13 as indicated. Ann will make this change on the website.
January hike: Eleanor reported that 5 people attended the hike. The snow conditions were great for skiing but it was very cold. Loretta noted that the hike was not listed in the “Weekender” paper. Gloria will look into this.
2008 Healthy Communities Month:
The following is a list of events:
Hikes:
Thurs. April 10, 9:30 am to 12 noon: Hike-on-a-bus.
Learn about Woolwich trails on a bus! Please call Ann at 519 669-1647 x 265 to reserve a seat on the bus. Cost is $2. Meet in the Woolwich Community arena parking lot, St. Jacobs (29 Parkside Dr.) at 9:15 am.
Sunday April 20, 2 pm: 2 hr hike on the Health Valley Trail, St. Jacobs.
Join Mark Bauman for birding and hiking. Meet at the kiosk at the trail entrance behind the fire station in St. Jacobs. Take King St. north to Albert St. Turn right or east on Albert and follow to the back of the parking lot to the kiosk. Trail rating: first half is stone dust; second half is natural pathway.
Wednesday April 30, 9am: School hike day with St. Jacobs PS on the Mill Race Trail St. Jacobs
Other Events:
There are several events being planning by the HC working groups (trails, clean waterways and TWEEC) and the coordinating committee for April. The following is a list of events.
-Film Night: Sat. April 12, 7:30. Cost $2. “The End of Suburbia". Trinity United Church, Elmira.
-Taste of Woolwich: Monday April 14, 5 to 8 pm. St. Jacobs Community Centre.
-Alternative Energy Tour (1 to 4 pm) and Technology Fair (11 to 5 pm): Sat. April 19, St. Jacobs Arena.
-Clean Waterways Tree Planting: April 22, 23, 25
-Community clean-up day: Sat. April 26, 8:30 am until noon. Please contact Ann if you would like to help. 669-1647 x 265
-Yellow Fish Road with the Girl Guides in Elmira (Barb Taylor organizing): Sat. Ap 26
- Canoeing the Grand: Sun. April 27, 2 to 4 pm
-Grand Valley Trail Clean-up Day: Tues April 29. Please contact Joyce Cummings if you would like to help out. 742-5197
For more information, call Joy at 664-3534 x 230 or check out our website at
www.woolwichhealthycommunities.org
School Hike Day: Wednesday April 30, 9:00 am, St. Jacobs P.S. students on the Mill Race Trail. Nancy has suggested a virtual scavenger hunt where students are given a list of items to look for (not physically gather) along the trail. Nancy will put a list together with suggestions from staff and bring it to the next meeting to get feed back from the group. There are 350 students. They will work in pairs with their reading buddies. Nancy suggests sending groups of 50 students in 5 minute intervals. The group agreed on giving bookmarks to the students at the end of the hike.
Hike on a bus: Thursday April 10, 9:30 until noon. Shirley and Warren will be leading the tour. Hand-outs will include: composite trails map, local food map, hike schedule, trails membership brochure. Guidebooks will also be available for purchase. Eleanor to deliver some books to Shirley.
Spring Work Parties: 1- Clint and Alf have a spring clean-up party planned for Tuesday April 29, 9:00 am on the Grand Valley Trail north of West Montrose. Please call Joyce for more info 519 742-5197.
Schaner park pathway: TWEEC is looking to naturalize the north portion of this park (triangular piece of land in St.Jacobs between the school and the rail tracks). They are also suggesting a pathway. Would the group like to support this project? To be discussed further at the next meeting.
CW Optimist Report: Pete was not available to report.
Grand Valley Trails Update: Joyce provided the following report:
Please note: All WTG members are invited to attend the GVT annual general meeting, the hike leader training course, the maintenance course and the hiking and trail info nights.
I.GVTA News:
We are revising the current bylaws to present to the members at the AGM, April 20.
The AGM: Sunday, April 20, 2008 - GVTA Annual General Meeting
Location: Trillium United Church, 450 King Street, Cambridge [Google
Maps]
Agenda: 3:00 p.m. AGM ||| 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. pot luck dinner |||
Walter S. will provide a presentation of a trip down a northern
river
There are several workshops scheduled for the spring:
A. Hike Leader Training:
Saturday, March 1, 2008. - Become a Certified Hike Leader
From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Room 200, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, 101 Father David Bauer Dr., Waterloo, ON [Google Maps]. Registration is necessary. Contact: Cathy, Hike Coordinator > johnstone_cathy@hotmail.com . For more information about becoming a certified hike leader see Leader Training.
B. GVTA Hiking and Trail Information Nights
1) Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at the Main Library, 85 Queen Street North, Kitchener [at 7:00 p.m. No cost. This is part of the Kitchener Public Library Enroute series.
2) Thursday, March 20, 2008 at the Wilmot Room, Castle Kilbride, 60 Snyder's Road West, Baden, Ontario at 7:00 p.m. No cost.
C. Learn to Hike:
Dates, Locations, Registration Deadlines
| Saturday, March 15,
2008 Enterprise Brant, Unit 10 Registration required by: |
Saturday, March 29,
2008 The Record Registration required by: |
Saturday, April 12,
2008 Centre Wellington Sportsplex * Registration required by: |
D. Trail Maintenance Workshop: - Saturday, March 29, 2008
·
Time: 1:30 – 4:30 pm·
Where: Centreville Chicopee Community Centre, 141 Morgan Avenue, Kitchener [·
(One block east of Old King Street, one block south of Fairway Road)·
Cost: Free·
Refreshments and snacks provided·
Registration required: Please register by contacting Joyce Cummings (519) 743-5197o
jmcummin@jubilation.uwaterloo.caII. Black Walnut News:
A. Joyce Cummings will be stepping down, after 3 years, as Trail Director for the Black Walnut section as of the AGM, April 20, 2008. She will continue to be the GVTA’s rep at the Woolwich Trails Group meetings.
III. Woolwich Trails Group:
A. We have finally found a contact, Stephen McGinness with the Minstry of Transportation in the London office, for the design of the Highway 7 expansion, thanks to advice from Jim Karageorgos of Steed & Evans.
B. Tuesday April 29, 2008. Trail Maintenance Day Contact: Alf Lemp (519) 896-6766, alemp@sympatico.ca or Clint Rohr: (519) 664-2661, clintrohr@auracom.com Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the parking lot in West Montrose. Help new Trail Captain Alf Lemp and Woolwich Trails Group member Clint Rohr do spring clean up on Alf’s new section, from Highway 86 to Middlebrook Road. Please bring loppers, saws, and paint kits. We will work until 12:00 p.m.
Breslau Update: Loretta had the following questions: 1- Timing for next stage in the development of the Hopewell trail. The second phase of the trail was constructed in 2006/07. Sections are developed as the housing phase develops, not necessarily on a yearly basis. 2- ATV problem: Loretta noted that this problem is still very serious. It is not just ATVs but also trucks. They park along Fountain St. Sunday is likely the most popular day. Ann noted that Township staff met with landowners adjacent to the rail tracks (a key entry point) to discuss options. The Township is looking into hiring City of Kitchener enforcement staff to patrol the area and lay charges on Township-owned property. An agreement is being drafted. 3- Riverland Trail: Loretta asked about the plans for a trail along the river. Ann showed Loretta mapping of the planned trail. Ann to send Loretta the trail plan map.
Distance markers at trail heads: As discussed and agreed upon in 2006. Signs would be posted at key trail access points to give direction and km to key destinations. We now need suggestions for sign and post type. Concern was voiced about possible vandalism. Paul suggested wooden posts with the information routered into the wood. Gloria suggested 2 wooden posts with a sign for each destination fixed between the 2 posts (similar to signs used by GRCA). Again the wording would be routered into each sign. We would need to find a group (senior woodworking group, high school students, or hire someone). Paul also suggested concrete markers on the ground…however, these would not be readable in snow conditions. Ann suggested aluminum signs on t-bar posts. All to come with suggestions at next meeting. Ann to investigate possible people to do the rountering.
Next Meeting: Wednesday March 26, 2008, 7 pm, St. Jacobs fire station.
Dates to Remember:
Next Hike: Paul Miller as hike leader.
Sunday March 16, 2 pm: 2 hr hike on the Kissing Bridge Trailway/TCT in Elmira.
Enjoy the stone dust trail from Elmira east to the Grand River. Meet in Elmira at the Observer parking lot at 20 Arthur St. North (where the trail crosses Arthur St.). Trail rating: level trail surface but may be slippery at this time of year.
2008 Hike Leaders:
March 16, KBT: Paul Miller
April 10, hike on a bus: Shirley Craig and Warren Stauch
April 20: birding on the HVT: Mark Bauman
April xx: hike day at St. Jacobs PS: Nancy Stayzer
May 25: wildflower walk on the GVT: Inga
June 22: geo-caching at floradale: John is no longer available. Can some one suggest another geo-cacher?
June 22: HVT: Lisa Nadon
Sept. 21: GVT with Gloria Yeung
Oct. 19: Schneider’s Woods with Joy Finney
Nov. 16: Mill Race trail with Shirley Craig.
Contact Ann Roberts at 519 669-1647 x 265 or
aroberts@woolwich.ca for more information. Please note my new email address.