PRESIDENT’S REPORT – By Bernard Goward
2017, the year of Canada’s 150th birthday – an eventful year for the country and the Avon Trail! We sponsored a 150 km hike from Fergus to St. Marys, with 19 hikers taking part. Next, we are updating our website. We have been well served by our volunteer webmaster, Jamie Hember for many years. Due to a combination of circumstances—Jamie’s desire to retire and the Board’s desire to upgrade the format of our website, we have decided to undertake a two-phase project. First is to create a mobile friendly website with online payment capabilities, and the second, to develop a trail app. We are grateful to the Ideal Supply Community Fund and the Mansbridge Environment Fund through the Stratford Perth Community Foundation, as well as RBC Dominion Securities for generous grants enabling these initiatives. Our Landowner Relations Officer, Terry Aitken has added eight families to the generous-spirited group of more than eighty landowners, resulting in 4.7 km less road walking, and adding 2 km to the total length of the trail.
Our membership is strong at 98 and we celebrate our volunteers without whom we would not have a club. Healthy as we are, we are not immune to the vulnerabilities of volunteer organizations; we are in need of folks to help in the areas of Public Relations, Social Media, Newsletter Editor, Trail Coordinator, and Board volunteers. If you can help, please talk with us.
Articles:
- NEW LANDOWNERS, NEW TRAIL— Terry Aitken
- MEMBERS & MONITORS – Brenda Tarr
- HIKE ONTARIO – Bernard Goward
- ALONG THE TRAIL – Dennis Rawe and Steve Thorpe
- FROM THE ARCHIVES, 1980-85 – Donna Weitzel
- JAMIE & JAN HEMBER – Terry Aitken
- CANADA 150 CHALLENGE – Bernard Goward
- SUMMER & FALL HIKE SCHEDULE – Jane Foster
- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED—CAN YOU HELP?
- FOOD FOR HIKERS – Carol Miller
- HUMOUR CORNER— Terry Aitken