Hike Ontario Report

Hike Ontario Report To TVTA:

The fall board meeting was held in Erin on Saturday, September 25^th. Karen McKinnon attended representing TVTA and gave the club report. The executive was completed by adding Luis Costa a BTC Toronto club member with experience in Volunteer management and Hike Leader training.

The Compass 2015 committee work was presented and there were comments on the Key Elements for Risk Management. The Hike Ontario Summit program was presented and it is as follows:

1. Hiking Trails Across Ontario (a photographic ramble across the province) The Trail Associations of Hike Ontario

2. Oxfam Trail Walker – Frieda Baldwin, David Francis, Angela Liu, Deanna Rando

3. Training skit – Bark Lake Staff

Volunteer and Long Distance Awards Food Court lunch

Fleming College Hike – Environmental Features on Campus – led by Neil Steffler

`Table talk` Discussions 1:00 p.m. – 1: 40 p.m.

Volunteer Recruitment and Management - Tom Friesen

Hiking as a Tool for Environmental Stewardship – Brendan Zamojc , Megan Ihrig

Les Francophones et la Nature - Victoria Arshad

Hiking With Kids – Wendy Hoernig

1:50 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Key Elements of Risk Management - Bill Wilson & Brendan Zamojc

Building an Effective Trail Association – Al McPherson

Encouraging Immigrant Women to Hike – Victoria Arshad

2:40 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.

Hike Leadership- David Francis and Luis Costa

Hiking Pace – Brendan Zamojc

John Muir in Ontario – Ron Knight

Sunday Hikes: 10:00 a.m.

David Francis – Ganaraska Hiking Trail Al McPherson – Kawartha TransCanada Trail walk

Hike Leader Training:

On Saturday October 3^rd we trained 5 new Hike Leaders: John Langford, Ruth Hoch, Isao Soranaka, Bill Clifford and Asvin Parsad at Grosvenor Lodge.

( An equal number of people expressed interest but had conflicting events and a few withdrew at the last minute).

Dave Potten and Brendan Zamojc participated and qualified to teach future Hike Leaders as trainers subject to submitting the next three trainings they do to David Francis.

Safe Hiker Training:

On Sunday, October 2^nd, I trained a couple of Safe Hikers. I had 3 more people express interest but withdraw when events conflicted with their availability.

I advertised these trainings as part of Ontario Hiking Week. I placed notices and registration forms in Novacks, at the University (in 20 locations on bulletin boards), on the Healthy Active living website, to Students in a Recreational Leadership Program at Fanshawe, in the Trekker and on the Hike Ontario website. I have to confess to a feeling of failure for having generated so little response to these efforts.

I am naturally concerned about the expense to TVTA in renting Grosvenor Lodge to such little effect but also for how to find effective ways to make this program work. I have every confidence in the training as an effective preparation for people to become safe and effective hikers but need ideas about how to promote people to participate.

Respectfully submitted

Tom Friesen