The Island Hoppers at Clyburn Valley with Friends from Dartmouth, Hlfx., Great Britain 

Anne & Carol Taking a well deserved break, posing with our then new green t-shirts, 

First Walk Lead by Rilla McLean in Port Hawkesbury 

Nip Hillier showing some of his Walking Sticks 

The Agenda for our Annual Meeting?

If you have anything that you would like discussed at the meeting on 27 November, please email me with your suggestions.

Our agenda so far:
CVF annual general meeting
Celtic Colours 2005 (brochure)
Briefing on our 2005 walk schedule
The Causeway,50th Anniversary
Membership/annual club dues/cards

10th Anniversary schedule (2006)
& Bus Tour 2006

New Ways & Means and Walk Committee, Public Relations/resources


Election of Officers: President, Time for a change folks!!

Vice President, requires a new candidate, a must!
Secretary
Treasurer
Trails Coordinator, requires a new candidate, again a must!



The End of Our Walking Season

What a great way to finish our 2004 season with a great walk through the
Baille Ard Walking Trail this is a hidden jewel within the urban area (Sydney) of Cape Breton's Regional Municipality.
The volunteers who have worked on this trail should be very proud of themselves as they have developed a wonderful and serene natural trail system that all ages can appreciate.
A terrific walking trail for persons of all abilities.
A slight change to the Start Point was quite appropriate as we got to walk a portion of the Atlantic Street field and the short trail leading to Sherwood School.
Our walk leader for this event was to be Carmel Coffin however Carmel gave up the leadership to Dave Gabriel.
Dave gave us a very informative tour of the trail, it's history and the various species of trees and animals within the area.
All the club members would like to thank Carmel Coffin and Judy Lorway for the work that was done to bring this walk event to a successful conclusion and a special thanks for inviting Dave Gabriel as a guest walk leader, it was a wonderful touch.
Hopefully we can do something similiar with other walk events.
The light luncheon and hot drinks at Judy's was another delightful gesture, a nice way to finish this years walking.

Sorry I missed the Walk/the wine at Mira Gut with Shirley Pettigrew!

From all indications the walk was very successful with 30 persons attending the event and we have a possible four new members from this walk.
Shirley invited the participants to her home for a buffet of chowder, wine and cheese.
This was very appreciated by those attending, Thank You Shirley for hosting the Cape Breton Hoppers for the second time.

Celtic Colours Messages between Rollie and the producer of Celtic Colours, Max MacDonald.

The first Annual Celtic Colours Walks 2004 prorgram during the international Celtic Colours Music Festival was a successful effort for a first time event.
Our first walk took place at "Rear Big Pond" with 25 participants and there after we averaged about 15 walkers per day.

We had visitors from Vermont, NC, NH,Ont, NB and many others from around the maritimes. Our visitors were impressed with the beauty of the island and expressed their thanks to our members and myself for putting on our walk program.

Quote: "as we would not have been able to see this part of the island on our own."

Quote: "It was nice to meet the people and see another side of Cape Breton."

The heavy rains that we encountered on Monday did not deter 8 walkers from completing the 10K walk at Georges River where we followed the beautiful Trans Canada Trail to Scotch Lake. Many of our visitors were very impressed with the trail at Gabarus where we travelled to the former community of Gull Cove, combining the fall foilage with a hike along the east coast of Cape Breton proved to be very popular.
The Island Hoppers Celtic Colours Walk program came to a wonderful end with a fantastic display of fall colours at Uisge Ban Falls, the trail was littered with a carpet of thick fallen leaves and the waterfall was at its peak of performance due to the rains of the previous days.
2004 Celtic Colours has ended but the Island Hoppers regular schedule of walks will not come to an end until Sunday November 07, we will have our last walk in Sydney, using the Baillard Walking Trail at the rear of Sherwood School (500 Terrace Street). The walk event begins at 2:00pm, registration begins at 1:30pm and for further details contact Carmel Coffin, 564-5348 or myself 849-0747.
Plans for Celtic Colours Walks 2005 are now being finalized, highlighted with walks in Grand Narrows and Iona including a luncheon and a supper/dinner at the NS Highland Village in Iona, "the heart of Cape Breton". There will be a repeat of Uisge Ban Falls our most popular hike and a new walk for our club to the Bornish Hills featuring a small waterfall, a cave and St Margaret's of Scotland Church.

A brochure of our Celtic Colours Walks 2005 will be made available during our clubs 8th Annual General Meeting to be held on Sarurday, 27 November, 1:00 PM, 36 Lewis Drive, Sydney River Fire Hall.

If you would like a copy of our 2005 Celtic Colours Walks (after Nov.27th, please) and our regular schedule of events please send a self addressed envelope to:
Cape Breton Island Hoppers Vs. 364 York Street Glace Bay, NS B1A 2N1

Come ! Put Your Heel and Toe On Our Island during Celtic Colours 2005

From Max MacDonald

Congrats and a big THANK YOU, Rollie! You and your team did a great job in less than ideal weather conditions. The Celtic Colours walks that you lead allowed visitors to stop and experience the natural beauty and hospitality that Cape Breton has to offer.
We are particularly pleased that you were encouraged enough by the turn out to be working on 2005 already.
Please pass along my regards to your group.
Max

The Last Walk Event For This Season is fast approaching.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2004

Registration begins at 1:30 PM

Walk Starts @ 2:00 PM

Walk Leader for this Event is Carmel Coffin 564-5348

Please NOTE that we will meet at the ATLANTIC ST. FIELD off CABOT STREET and not Sherwood School as per our schedule.

There will be a guide at the original start point to direct anyone we miss on our call out system or visitors to the area. Please have patients with us for this minor change and please pass on this information to all our members who are not online!!!!

After the walk Judy Lorway has invited us to her residence for refreshments! Thank you Judy, it is most appreciated.


Annual General Meeting For The Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club

Date: Saturday, November 27th, 2004

Time: 1:00PM

Where: Sydney River Fire Hall, 36 Lewis Drive, off Kings Road

Purpose of our Annual Meeting, discussion of our 2005 schedule, Celtic Colours Events, General concerns of the members, 10th Anniversary celebrations for 2006 and most importantly Elections of a new executive committee for 2005.

Please do not shy from this meeting, YOU will not be forced into an executive position or committee if you are not comfortable with this type of work.
We need dedicated executive members but we also need you to participate in our walk program as well.

Annual membership fees are due between Nov and the end of December as well, please help us to continue providing this worthwhile annual walk program.
My scincere Thanks to all of You!
Rollie

Trail to Uisge Ban Falls, one of our more popular walks

Bill Hopkins, Janice Wilson, Rollie Coombes, Barb MacDonald, Robin Grant after the Glace Bay Walk, part of the Celtic Colours Walks, Friday, October 15, 2004. 

Annual General Meeting For The Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club

Date: Saturday, November 27th, 2004

Time: 1:00PM

Where: Sydney River Fire Hall, 36 Lewis Drive, off Kings Road

Purpose of our Annual Meeting, discussion of our 2005 schedule, Celtic Colours Events, General concerns of the members, 10th Anniversary celebrations and most importantly Elections of a new executive committee for 2005.

Our next guided walk is 26 Sept 1:00pm Creignish

Want to do another challenging walk then join:

"Hike The Highlands" a series of hikes between 17 - 26 Sept 2004
They will be in North River Falls at 09:30 Saturday 25th Sept
These are not IVV sanctioned however we will work with this group in the following years to help promote both groups.

For further Information contact:

wlauffer@ns.sympatico.ca



Special Notes For:

CELTIC COLOURS WALKS 9-16 Oct 2004 & TAILGATE PICNICS, 5K & 10K Events

The Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club, in partnership with Celtic Colours International Festival, is pleased to present "Celtic Colours Walks", a series of sanctioned IVV guided walks through many of Cape Breton's most beautiful hiking trails and towns.

*Schedule:

ALL WALK EVENTS ARE IVV SANCTIONED AND ALL YRE's & GW EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO NORMAL IVV RULES.

All of our walks were selected for the expected fall foliage and as leisurely as possible, however some new walkers maybe intimidated by 10Kms, therefore I have advertised on the Celtic Colours Website that we will sponsor 5K walks as well and we will not hold Celtic Colour visitors to our lofty goals of two 10K walks each day.

Please remember you are not obligated to do all of these walks, come out and enjoy yourself, you know your own limitations; Walk for Fun, Fitness and Friendship!

Saturday Morning, Oct 9, 10:00am Community of Big Pond, Hwy 4
Start Point: Glengarry & "Rear Big Pond Rd"10Km 3B
GW Elsie Buck, 562-3117

If you plan on doing the two walks, Let's have a tailgate lunch at the end of the morning walk at the Start/Finish Point in "Rear Big Pond", bring your own picnic and the club ways and means will arrange for hot tea/coffee!!

Saturday Afternoon, Oct 9, 2:00pm Community of Irish Cove, Hwy 4
Start Point: Intersection of Hwy 4 and Lake Uist Road10Km 3B
GW lead by Joe MacKinnon, 562-3117


Sunday Morning, Oct 10, 10:00am Community of Gabarus off Rte 327
Start Point: Lakeview Cemetery & Gull Cove Trail11Km 2B
GW lead by Shirley Boutilier, 727-2250

Bring along a lunch for a tailgate picnic if you plan on doing both walks today!!



Sunday Afternoon, Oct 10, 2:00pm Community of French Road, Rte 327
Start Point: Canoe Lake Rd./Trail10 Km 2B
GW lead by Carol Butts, 727-2769


Monday Morning, Oct 11, 10:00am Community of Englishtown, Rte 312
Start Point: 6Kms past the Englishtown Ferry10Km 3C
GW lead by Bill Boutilier, 727-2250


There is a few restaurants available at Seal Island and the Bras d'Or area, however time maybe a factor if you want to do both walks, so please be prepared??

Monday Afternoon, Oct 11, 2:00pm Community of Georges River, Exit 18 off TCH 105
Start Point: 1208 Georges River Rd., Fire Hall near Ross Rd10Km 2B
GW lead by Rollie Coombes, 849-0747

Walks for the remainder of the week are **Year Round Events except Saturday Oct 16th the morning event is a *Guided Walk!!

**Tuesday, Oct 12, 10:00am North Sydney
Start Point: Clansman Motel, Peppett St. 10Km 2B
Guide Robin Grant, 736-8462

**Wednesday, Oct 13, 10:00am Louisbourg
Start Point: Peck’s Store, Wolfe Street 10Km 3C
Guide Shirley Pettigrew, 737-1006

**Thursday, Oct 14, 10:00am Sydney
Start Point: Cambridge Suites Hotel, 380 Esplanade 10Km 2B
Guide Carol Butts, 727-2769

**Friday, Oct 15, 10:00am Glace Bay
Start Point: CO-OP Gas Bar, 99 Reserve Street10Km 2B
Guide Rollie Coombes, 849-0747

**(Year Round Events)

Saturday Morning, Oct 16, 10:00am Uisge Ban Falls, Forks Baddeck, Exit 9 off TCH 105
Start Point: Parking Lot, Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park10Km 3B
* Guided Walk lead by Bill Boutilier, 727-2250

**Saturday Afternoon, Oct 16, 1:00pm Baddeck
Start Point: Telegraph House, Chebucto Street 10Km 1B
Guide Rollie Coombes, 849-0747

** (Year Round Event)

Come join us for a nice leisurely walk along the west coast of Cape Breton, the Creignish Rail Trail a part of the trans Canada Trail system.

The leaders for this event will be Jim and Rilla McLean of Port Hawkesbury.

Sunday 26 Sep 1:00PM

Start Point: Creignish Community Hall

From Sydney take the 105 Trans Canada Highway to Port Hastings and turn right onto Highway 19 travelling for approx. 10-15 Min, the Creignish Hall is on the left.

NORTH RIVER FALLS! WOW!!!

On Sunday 12th of Sept at 10:00 am we started out on the longest walk/hike for this season.We reached the falls at about 1:15pm and after following the entire east side of the North River crossing over only small streams(the river bridges have been eliminated), walking along reasonabley good trails and along a couple of passable rock faces we suddenly came upon the North River Falls. Due to the roar of the water we were forced to holler to each other. This was our challenge walk for the year and was very wothwhile though that maybe understated.

The St Ann's Development group should be congratulated for their work on this trail and I must agree with the signs along the trail "Trail> Keep it Wild."

The walk leader stamped the books at the falls and due to the distance small groups headed out on their own for the return trip while the Trails Master and his aides stayed at the rear not allowing others to stay on the trail alone, Thank you Bill a job well done.
Please note Bill and his group were 1 1/2 hours behind the main group and no Hoppers were left on the trail and all 25 members made it back, tired, sore muscles but happy to meet the challenge. Three other walkers opted to do a return 5ks to the first small falls.

Want to do this walk/hike, again this year, then join "Hike the Highlands from 17-26 Sept, North River Falls is on their agenda for Saturday 25 Sept at 09:30 and for further details contact:

Angela Lauffer


wlauffer@ns.sympatico.ca

phone toll-free at 1-888-897-4094. Local callers can dial 902-285-2289.


Bus Trip to Fundy National Park Sept 3-6, 2005 and possible future Bus Tours

A group of bleary eyed but enthusiastic members of The Cape Breton Island Hoppers boarded the Unique Charters bus at various locations starting in Glace Bay at 0440 am and picking up the last passangers at 0550 in North Sydney.There was one stop over for breakfast at Auld's Cove and we continued on into New Brunswick, having lunch at the Moncton Mall.

The first walk for the Weekend was Friday 2pm and we were all happy that the bus had very comfortable coach seating as we soon had to stretch our legs straight up the Shepody Mtn trail. There were splendid views from the top of the mountain overlooking the Petticodiac River and its low lying valleys and we then proceeded to another lookoff with a view of the Bay of Fundy.After this walk we again boarded our bus and headed for the small community of Alma and our motel rooms and most if not all settled in for a goodnights rest.

On Saturday at 0800 we found ourselves motoring through the Fundy Park following Bill Mayo from the Moncton Outdoors Enthusiast Club, who guided us to the Lafferty Falls Trail; here the group had the choice of a 5K, 10K and 17K walk events. Most of our mbrs opted for the 10K while Lucy Nardini and Bill Hopkins ventured to take the 17K walk. The Lafferty Falls Trail is very rugged with a very nice falls and after 6kms this walker was wondering why he didn't opt for the 5K. This was a very challenging affair but we were all satisfied that we were able to complete this challenge.

In the afternoon our group headed out to the Hopewell rocks for a tour of the Fundy tides and with a change in weather we did not participate in the Volksswim!

There was a bus group dinner that night at the Tide Dining Room, an excellent dinner with great sevice, though Alma has very limited restaurants and some staff had been layed off due to the Parks Canada strike, the servers did excellent work in looking after our group.

Sunday morning at 0800am we again headed into the park for a 10k walk through a series of trails, featuring a small covered bridge, a walk to a former copper mine another short walk on the beach and a view at Pointe Wolfe and then onto Victoria Falls, a short 1K and delightfull boardwalk stroll.

The second walk of the day was completed by six of our members with the rest of us relaxing for the afternoon and preparing for the banquet that night.

An excellent hot Turkey dinner was served at the banquet; there were plenty of speeches and your club president was given a chance to speak about the 2005 combined Celtic Colours Walks Events with the Dartmouth Club and again in partnership with the International Celtic Colours Music Festival.

Monday morning we loaded up the bus and headed for Hillsborough and the Rail Road Museum where we were taken on a delightful walk to the Hillsborough Silo along the Petticodiac River and then along Grey Brook, through the Village of Hillsborough and the Preservation Park Trail.
Due to time restrictions our group continued onto Moncton for lunch not doing the afternoon walk at Riverview.

Overall the Bus Tour proved to be a great experience, with some minor glitches that we were able to overcome. Linda McRae the coordinator decided to accompany us at the last minute and she proved to be a great assest to us and Ed her husband and our bus driver was and is the most helpful driver I have encountered and kept the group in great spirits with his one liner puns.

Another Bus trip in the future?! You Bet! Iam Already planning for and need your help especially for 2006 during our 10th Anniversary!

The following is information recieved from Steve Anderson of Aquilla Tours regarding a proposed bus tour to Quebec for the CVF Annual General Meeting in May 2005:

Please contact Rollie if you would like to do any of these two tours or if you have suggestions!

----Original Message-----From: Rollie Coombes [mailto:rajcoombes@ns.sympatico.ca]Sent: September 15, 2004 2:01 PMTo: Steve AndersonSubject: AGM Bus Tour

Hi Steve,
Our club had an 18Km walk this weekend and I have asked my members to confirm if they are interested in going to Quebec as the club had discussed earlier this year.There is some mixed reaction, out of the 23 that had been interested, 5-6 maybe reconsidering.Cost? and Time? maybe the biggest factors!How can we proceed and how many pax would your company consider as worthwhile?I had been thinking about a maritime group going to the AGM. i.e.: pick up my group in CB and meet up with others from Hlfx/Dart in Truro and continue to F'ton for others in NB who maybe interested.Would this be feasible?

Return Message from Steve:

Any group of 10 or more people is worth our time & effort, however cost is driven by participation (also days & distance). Transportation is typically 25% or more of package price, and is a lump sum... so divide it by a few people and the per person price doesn't look nice. As a rule, you want 25 people minimum to make coach travel look like it is priced right. Full coach (i.e. 50+) to make it look really enticing. Smaller coaches cost a bit less but are few and far between in Atlantic Canada, and it would take everyone the whole time in Quebec to get their legs and backs straightened out (not very comfy for long-haul). They have some fine massage parlours up there though... it could be an excuse... Having a run from Sydney/Cape Breton with pick-ups along the way is a great idea. However, a coach driver couldn't operate all the way to Quebec in a day (legislated driving hours limit). It would need to be minimum two days each way, so you would need to overnight somewhere in NB. Grand Falls would be as far as you could go, legally. It would be a long day on the coach for Sydney folks. A shuttle could be arranged from Halifax to Truro for pick-up there, or even Acadian lines public transportation (round-trip ticket). Likewise for return. It will take two days, unless we look at a second driver (and everyone stays on the bus for like 18 hours straight through). Although school groups have been known to make midnight departures to arrive next day at suppertime. The above assumes no stops for credit walks along the way. To do this, you would need to add another day's travel for whichever direction you wish to add walks to. As you know, there are listed walks in Hartland, Trois Rivieres, Fredericton, and Moncton (not my favorite). And I know folks like you know how to set up walks wherever you want to... Grand Falls might be nice with its lovely falls & gorge (so many stairs... wicked!) As you know, we just operated a tour group from Quebec to Fredericton, and the timing of their Hartland walk was right at supper time. They ate afterward, but all felt grubby, and were very late arriving in Fredericton that night. Trois Rivieres might be a better timed walk (mid- or late-morning, depending on which end of the trip), if you were thinking of adding walks at all. Please be mindful of the fact that driver time regulations may change this very fall... possibly closer to the 10 hour maximum driving time that is now in force in the US for coaches. One might be wise to plan now on 3 days each way to/from Quebec City! Gosh... I hope this isn't overload! A suggestion I have for you is to contact some of your NS club colleagues and see if they think many people would be interested in a 2-day trip each way.... or what they would want i.e. more days to let them do walks along the way. Maybe many people would be okay with straight driving using 2 drivers... although I can't imagine adults ever wanting to do this. With 4 clubs on mainland Nova Scotia, getting 20 or 24 people shouldn't be too much of a stretch, wouldn't you think, to add to your 10 or 20 of your own from Cape Breton? I know that some folks down Halifax way do their own little touring arrangements, but I like to think that there is usually room for a few people to offer different things to folks with different needs and abilities. I'll stand by to see what thoughts or questions this prompts. Hope to hear from you soon! I think that if you can consider these things and check around a bit more to see where folks are at with the trip idea, then I will be able to answer more questions for you than raise questions. All in the name of finding something that will work for you! Thanks for your patience. Steve

There's Time Between Our Regular schedule to Walk/Hike in the Highlands. This appears to be a very FUN activity, Meet new FRIENDS and continue to Develop our FITNESS. Contact wlauffer@ns.sympatico.ca

Fundy National Park, Bus Tour

The bus tour will begin on Friday morning September 3rd, departing Glace Bay at 0440am.
Details of the trip have been published in a seperate News Letter to those participants going on our very first tour out of the province.

If you are booked on this trip and have not recieved the itenarary please call or email me

bretonhoppers@hotmail.ca

Come Join Us for our annual challenge event, this year we will be going to North River Falls:

Sunday, 12 September 2004 @ 10:00am, Registration begins at 0930am.

This is an 18K Guided Walk, Rated at 4C and led by Bill Boutilier.

The walk begins at the North River Bridge Provincial Park.

Please Note: The St Ann's Bay Development had a reopening ceremony of the North River Falls Trail on Monday the 30th of August. Congratulations to the development group for maintaining this trail.

Hike The Highlands Festival Sept. 17th - 26th

This is a new Hiking Festival and is being organized by The Cape Breton Highlands Project.
For Information call Angela Lauffer 1. 888.897. 4094 or email wlauffer@ns.sympatico.ca
This looks like a worthwhile project and I have been in contact with Angela and I hope to meet with this group in the near future.
Our rules and regulations preclude us from having a Sanctioned IVV Walk Event this year and our schedule is completed for next year, therefore if we can work with the Highland Festival it will be an add-on to our schedule and I will work to get at least 2-3 events as a sanctioned walk so that you the membership can get a few new stamps for your books.

I will be going to this festival this year and will report to the membership during our Annual Meeting.
I encourage all members who can to join me or proceed on your own so that we get different views on the subject.
Please note that if you register with the Festival they have special offers, t-shirts, bandanas hiking kits etc.
Let the executive and myself know how you feel about this endeavor!!

Come Put Your Heel and Toe On Our Island!

Louisbourg Walk Events Successfully Completed Whew!!!

The four L'Acadian walk events that were planned to celebrate the four hundred years of Acadians in the new world have been completed as have the L'Acadian Mondiale which was held in Clare, Nova Scotia.

Overall this has been a great success for our club, we had a chance to visit the Cheticamp area for two days of walking and touring that area plus some of the ladies in our club had the chance to shop as well; wherever there's a "going out of business sale" some of our favorite walkers can squeeze in some shopping between walk events as well.

The Lighthouse Walk

On Saturday, 21 August, registration began at 12:30 at the Hans Beck Sea products and by 1pm as planned 55 walkers from various location, such as the USA, Dartmouth, Truro, 'The Valley' and Ontario, strolled out of the parking lot under the direction of our walk leader for this event Phil Irons and assisted by Anne Irons.

This was an 11K walk to the lighthouse with a short detour along the Louisbourg waterfront and then the trek along Havenside Road with a stopover at the picnic area for a view of the Fortress Louisbourg, however today's view was obstructed by a blanket of fog and when we approached the lighthouse area the foghorn was giving off its strange eerie warbling sound into the fog.

Note: The sound of the foghorns seemed to have changed?? Or has my hearing finally detioriated....What!!

Iris Stevens who is with the Lighthouse society informs me that the light is not as bright as it once was and there is a project to restore one of the original generators and former lenses. The Lighthouse Society in Louisbourg has become bogged down with red tape as the LIGHT is on Parks Canada Property, the strings of bureaucracy are holding up much needed work on this historical site; The CBIH wish the Lighthouse society the best of Luck.

After arriving back at the parking lot, most of the walkers returned to the picnic site near the light for a bbq and socializing. The weather was overcast but comfortable for walking and we were able to enjoy Bill and Cals burgers and hotdogs, Thanks Guys.
A special thank you to our Ways and Means committee, Carol, Barb and Jean.
My special thank you to Shirley for coordinating the picnic area and overall supervisor and keeping me calm and in check throughout this experience.

The Fortress Walk (Fete d' St Louis)

Sunday, 22 of August was our planned 12K walk into the fortress; registration took place at the parking lot near the Information Centre and at approx 09:10 we stepped off, with a slight delay as Parks Canada would not prerequisite us due to the daily rotating strikes.

My sincere Thank You to the staff at the Information Centre for their professionalism in dealing with our group during their dispute with their employer; they worked with us in a very courteous and polite manner.

There were 48 walkers on this trek of Cape Breton history, of course as always there was rain and some fog as we began the march along the back roads leading to the No. 2 Gate but within 10-15 min the weather began to clear and we were soon shedding our raingear.

The commissionaire at the gate informed us that this was only "a light Louisbourg morning dew" and it would clear up shortly which proved to be correct and the rest of the walk along the ocean side and through the old ruins trail was indeed a very comfortable walking experience.

On this adventure we had several American visitors and many others from the "mainland" who had never been to Fortress Louisboug and I believe from my conversations with them that most will be back for more great walks in Cape Breton.

The remainder of this walk was through the Kings Bastion/Bastion du roi and along a portion of the fortresses high walls with the spectacular views of the areas where the advancing troops must once have stood looking at these majestic over bearing walls, we continued down into the town area of the fortress and allowed for a must needed break. While on this break many of the forts inhabitants made a point to introduce and talk to these strange visitors tramping through their streets. Some trading and bartering took place and we were on our way with local seeds for next years planting. We continued with the walk returning along the same road that we had entered the fortress and bid adieu to the security persons.

After reaching the parking lot and another needed run to the rest area, our books stamped, 12k marked in our distance books, all of the walkers for this event were directed to our bus and once again we entered the fortress "the easy way" and we spent the remainder of the day enjoying the spectacle of the "Fete d' St Louis".All the participants were now on their own to enjoy the day as they wanted and many of us headed for an authentic style meal at the Hotel de la Marine. Finishing a walk off with a good meal seems to be the tradition for this walker and most club members.

Louisbourg seems to be one of our most popular events and even with the Parks Canada Strike we were able to attract a total of 103 participants for the 2 day event with only a total of 6 cancellations.

There will be a walk next year to the lighthouse only, however the fortress will more then likely be on our agenda for our 10th anniversary.

Park Canada Strike (messages)

As of Last Thursday (12th of August) I have been in contact with persons from Parks Canada, they canot give me 100% assurance that the strike will affect the 'Fete du St Louis', it is a rotating strike situation, however they continue planning their events and are quite aware of our program as well, Parks Canada will do all it can to ensure that we will be allowed to use Fortress Louisbourg for both our events.

The walk event to the Lighthouse and the BBQ should not be effected, and as a further note to this situation, Han Beck Fish Products have assured us that we can use their parking lot, as planned, at 7595 Main Street Louisbourg on Saturday 21 Aug, there had been some question about the use of the parking lot due to the fact that it is on Saturday instead of the usual Sunday that we have used the lot in the past.

IF WE CANNOT GET INTO the Park on the day in Question, there will be a walk, at present I am looking into an alternate route with a new start point, those of you who were kind and considerate enough to prerigister for this event will get your money back in full at the event less the $2.00 for the IVV credit. Those who do not want to take the chance and drive to CB for our 2 day event will have their funds returned asap.

If you want up to date daily information about the strike call Parks Canada info line:

1. 888. 773. 8888

FROM LIONEL CONROD, DARTMOUTH CLUB


Hi Folks - I was speaking with Bill Mayo by phone this evening regarding our Labour Day weekend of walks in and around Fundy National Park. Bill does not expect the National Parks employee strike to adversely effect our planned activities even if the rotating strike should continue into September.

As previously announced, there is a Banquet on Sunday evening, September 5th that includes a turkey dinner and all the trimmings. Prior to the dinner there will be a complimentary wine and cheese 'happy hour' at the Fundy Highlands Inn and Chalets. There will also be a draw for many door prizes during the banquet.

If you are planning to participant in the banquet, please be sure to get your cheque, ($21 per person made payable to the Dartmouth Volksmarch Club) to Lily or myself by Sunday, August 29th. We have to give the number of participants to the banquet caterer one week in advance. Lionel

From Lynda Kanne Area Director Reference Bus Tours:

Hi everyone: I would to take the time to thank you all in your support with the two bus groups that have passed through our provinces in the past two weeks. I met with and walk with both the Bad Pennies and the International Wanderers while they were in Halifax. I also was in Lunenburg to walk with the Bad Pennies on Thursday August 5th. Both groups spoke highly of our clubs here in Atlantic Canada and of the volkssporters that took time out of their busy schedules to join them on a walk. Thank you to everyone for your continued support in Volkssporting in Atlantic Canada.

Lynda KanneAtlantic Region DirectorCanadian Volkssport Federation

(902)847-1772

'Walking makes for a longer, healthier life'

IF THERE IS A STRIKE AT FORTRESS LOUISBOURG AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT OUR WALK EVENT!!??

I will be in contact with Park Officials on a daily basis after Thursday night the 12 of August and if there is any changes to our schedule I will inform all members and visitors by email, phones and any which way I can!!

Meanwhile the Walk(s) Continues and we ask that you register ASAP!

Louisbourg Walks!

Saturday 21st of August at 1pm, walk leader is Phil IronsStart Point is Hans Beck Sea Products, Main Street, Louisbourg
BBQ and Picnic after the walk at the Picnic area near the Lighthouse, Please register by calling 902. 849. 0747 or email rollie

REGISTRATION is a MUST for the walk event on Sunday 22nd of August

Start Point: Fortress of Louisbourg, Parking Lot at the Visitors Information Centre
A Parking Area has been reserved for this walk, please watch for our signs and follow directions of Park Staff.
Walk Leader is Rollie Coombes 902. 849. 0747

Please REGISTER NOW by calling Rollie or email,bretonhoppers@hotmail.ca

Cost for this event only, is $12.00, which includes your IVV STAMP and admission into the fortress and the Bus trip in and out of the fortress's facilities after the walk.

There is no seperate price for individuals who only wish to walk and then leave, sorry its all or nothing!!

Sign in at 08:30AM, Walk begins promptly at 09:00AM


Overview Of The Past 4 Weeks of Walking:

The Broad Cove Chapel Walk on the 11 July was led by Phil & Anne Irons.
Twenty-one (21) eager walkers showed up for this event along the Broad Cove Rd./Trail.
This is a great area for views of the ocean with fishing boats and whales off the coast.
However the day proved to be one of rain and more rain but our little troop of walkers pressed on and finished the 10K event.
Proving once again the die-hard volksmarcher will do anythng for that coveted IVV stamp and accumalation of distances in their books.
Our new friends from the USA, Kathleen and Phil Rice joined the group for this adventures.
The Rice Family are summering on the Island and have joined us for subsequent walks.
Welcome to our club folks, we hope your stay in CB will be a satisfactory and happy one despite some of our weather conditions!
A "tip of the hat" to all of you who Put Your Heel and Toe on our Island!

The walk event at Waddens Cove/South Head on Sunday 25 July had 18 walkers join our walk leader Shirley Pettigrew.
The sky was overcast but fortunately we had a great day for a walk to one of the oldest anglican churches on the Island; the plaque on the church was dated 1846.
This little white church fortunately or unfortunately is well hidden from the main road and with the well kept up cemetery could remind one of the song "Come to the little church in the glenn".If thats not the correct title then maybe someone can correct me.
During this walk we were to travel down "Sailor Dan's Road" and part way out to South Head, however the road was filled with very large puddles (small lakes) and over flowing streams that proved to be impassable or uncomfortable by foot.
Fortunately our walk leader had scouted out the area the previous day and had selected an alternate route which proved to be just as scenic with Scaterie Island looming across the bay at Main-A-Dieu.
Thank You Shirley for a great walk and foresight and proving again that the prewalk is very important or as we would say in the army "nothing is ever lost on a recce". ( the US army abbreviation would be "recon")

Sunday August 1st at 10:00am found 31 of our members and friends on the fishing craft BMW 2, heading out of the Main-A-Dieu wharf on a forty minute boat trip to Scaterie Island.
This adventure to Scaterie Island was organized by Bill Boutilier, originally Bill wanted to check out the island for a sanctioned IVV Event but as the word got around Bill found himself with a large contingent of members who wanted to go out as well.
Bill searched for a boat and capt. who would take us to the island and it was arranged to depart on Sunday 2 hours before the annual local pilgramage; this is the descendants of the original families who lived on the Island, they return each year for a BBQ, celebrate mass and explore the old homesteads.
Surprisingly this little 12Km Island had a school, a church and a thriving community at the turn of the last century. After reaching the island we were a little overwhelmed by the ruggedness of the landscape, the wonderful beaches, the thickness of the forest, there is a main trail to the lighthouse and we soon found out that one shouldn't wander to far off the trail.
On one of the beaches on the south side of the Island we came across the bones of a Fin Back whale and a large amount of drift woods and plenty of smooth shiney beach rock.
Walking towards the lighthouse which was shrouded in a light fog or haze there was the remains of a small gravesite which appeared to hold at least four persons, the names were no longer readable; from this point you could see the Atlantic to your left and right or is that port and starboard sides of the island with a strong wind in our faces.
The lighthouse guards a massive amount of reefs and shoals off the tip of the island. there are two homes next to the Light but have been abandoned for quite sometime and just beyond the doorway of one of the homes to the rear is a lone gravesite with most of the markings worn away by the weather.
We left the Island with fond memmories and we will try and put this on again as a sanctioned walk, however we will and must ensure that we are well prepared and organized, it will have to be an exclusive club activity as weather will definitely be a major factor in this trip.
A very hearty Thank You to Bill for the work he put into this exciting trip.

The Island Hoppers and their guests would like to thank Brian Wadden of the BMW 2 and his mate Tom Lahey for their professionalism, their guidiance while on the island, their overall devotion to the preservation of Scaterie Island. Thank You gentlemen!

Our favorite Trails Coordinator Bill Boutilier and the Club Vice President lead 20 walkers up to the Cape Clear Lookoff on Sunday 8th of August.
This was a 10K walk which was fairly easy except for one little (BIG) long hill. What a fabulous view overlooking Big Intervale and the river valleys and their tributaries, the highlands of the Margaree area and somewhere in the far distance was the Big Intervale Fishing Lodge.
A motorcyclist who met us at the lookoff showed a map with elevation of 400 ft??I will try to verify this in a future news letter, as a comparsion the information for Cape Smokey claim it to be 275m (900ft) and North River Falls at 32m (105ft).

Tuesday 10 of AUGUST

Five of our club members met with the bus tour "walking adventures international" and after leaving the Telegraph House at 8:15AM, we proceeded to Uisge Ban Falls for a 10K walk along the North Baddeck River Trail and then onto Uisge Ban Falls.
Our US visitors were very impressed with the trail, the scenery along the river, many were impressed with the prisitine condition of the forest and most of all the Falls.
There were 24 passengers on the bus and unfortunately one members was unable to make the trip due to an ankle injury, however he hobbled around the Village of Baddeck for the day.
Lee and Lorraine Dummer the tour guides for the group would like to return to our area, however their tour company has scheduled the maritimes for a two year hiatus, so with a bit of good luck we should see them again in 2007 during our clubs 10 year anniversary.
My personal thank you to Carmel Coffin, Lucy Nardini for leaving Sydney with me at 0620am, 20min earlier then planned, Thanks Ladies.
Many Thanks to Isabel and Robin Grant for joining us as well on such a wonderful morning and being great CB ambassadors.

The Acquilla Bus Tour out of NB with the "Bad Pennies", our tour group from the US as well were led by Matt Pernick. This group did a self-guided walk in the Village of Baddeck using our Year Round Event, located at the Telegraph House.They were in Baddeck on Saturday the 7th of August, my apologies to our visitors for not being able to meet with them, unfortunately our schedules could not be coordinated as well as we would have hoped.Hopefully the "Bad Pennies" will return and we can do a walk with both groups in the near future.

Summary of Coming Events:

25th of July @ 2pm South Head

SATURDAY, 7th of August @ 08:00am Silver Dart Lodge, Baddeck

August 8th @ 1:00pm, at Cape Clear

Tuesday, 10 of August @ 08:00 Baddeck, Uisge Ban Falls

Louisbourg Lighthouse Walk, Saturday, 21 August @1:00pm

Fortress of Louisbourg, Sunday, 22 August @ 09:00am
 
PLEASE READ THE DETAILS BELOW ON THESE EXCITING EVENTS
  
 
Last Walk For July:

On the 25th of July, 2PM Shirley Pettigrew will be the walk leader at South Head, From Glace Bay follow the Signs to Port Morien and then onto Waddens Cove.
From Sydney and area take Hwy 22 (Louisbourg Hwy) and turn left onto Rte 255, then left at stop sign (Mira Gut) and watch for signs to Waddens Cove and South Head. Our club sgns ["VOLKSSPORT"--->] will also be setup near the turnoff to Waddens Cove.
The Start Point is at the turnoff for "CHRIST CHURCH".


AUGUST Will Prove to be an Exciting Month of Walking Adventures and meeting Volkssporters from other areas of Canada, The USA and Europe!

There are TWO (2) UNSCHEDULED, Bus Tour WALKING EVENTS; Plus Two (2) ACADIAN EVENTS in Louisbourg and a VERY special 'VENTURE' into the Highlands of the Island.

Come out and meet the Group from Aquila Tours:

{This walk event is not on our regular schedule}

SATURDAY, 7th of August @ 08:00am
Silver Dart Lodge, Baddeck

We will begin the Walk at the Silver Dart Lodge and use the year round event (YRE) stamp for the Village of Baddeck.

The Walk Leader for this Event is Rollie, 849-0747.

The Tour Guide is:
Steve Anderson, from:

Aquila Group & Association Travel
Creating Moving Experiences - Expériences sans Pareil
Tel: 506-631-0149 Fax: 506-658-0969
PO Box 6895, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4S3
www.aquilatours.com


Our regular Scheduled Event for August 8th @ 1:00pm, at Cape Clear will be lead by Bill Boutilier, 727-2250.

E-Mail: Bill&Shirley Boutilier

From Sydney or Port Hawkesbury take the Trans Canada Highway (105) take Exit 7 at the "Red Barn" and continue to Hunters Mountain, Highland Road is on the Right, there is a Natural Resources wardens hut on the left, we will meet at this location to carpool to the Start Point which is located another another 45kms along the Highland Road.
The walk begins at 1:00pm and those of us who would like to carpool should meet at 12-12:15.
The view at Cape Clear is magnificient and the drive to the area is an adventure in its self.

A second Bus Tour coming to the island and not on our regular schedule will be here on:

Tuesday, 10 of August @ 08:00

We will meet this group at The Telegraph House at 0745am and then drive to Uisge Ban Falls for a 10K walk event, this will be a new and seperate stamp from our YRE stamp in the Village of Baddeck.

This group of walkers will arrive the previous night and some will do our walk event in the village that evening.

I plan on being the Walk Leader for this Event as well but would like to have club members join me for this event and meet some fellow Volkssporters.

The Tour Guides for this Group is:

Lee & Loraine Dummer
Walking Adventures, Tour Guides

Address:
Lee Dummer
14240 S. Canyon Ridge Dr.
Oregon City, OR 97045
USA


Our last Acadian Heritage Walks will be in Louisbourg:

Please register for these Events by filling out the forms which have been passed out at various walks or contact Rollie ASAP.
The Ways And Means have to know what supplies to order, and we must register with Parks Canada, The $12.00 fee includes your IVV Stamp and Admission fee to the Fortress.

YOU CANNOT WALK INTO THE FORTRESS WITHOUT PAYING THE REQUIRED FEE AND PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE REGISTERED AS A GROUP, WHICH MEANS A SMALLER FEE.

This is an all day event, however you do not have to stay, get on the return buses as you deem fit to do so.

[A] Louisbourg Lighthouse Walk, Saturday, 21 August @1:00pm

Start Point: Hans Beck Sea Products on Main Street, Louisbourg

After the walk event there will be a BBQ/picnic at the picnic park which is located near the lighthouse.

The Ways and Means Committee Carol and Jean will be coordinating the picnic and will be asking for help with deserts and sandwiches etc, there will be a nominal fee for hotdogs and hamburgers.

[B] Fortress of Louisbourg, Sunday, 22 August @ 09:00am

Start Point: Follow the Road and signs to The Visitors Information Centre at The Fortress, we will have a START POINT set up at a previous arranged Parking Lot reserved for THE IVV and Signed "VOLKSSPORT" and will be near the INFO CENTRE.

This is a 12K walk, and will cost $12.00, that includes your IVV stamp and entrance fee to the park, as well as the return bus trip to and from the fortress after the walk.
A PRE-REGISTRATION FORM was handed out for this event and if you have it please send to:

Cape Breton Island Hoppers
364 York Street
Glace Bay, NS
B1A 2N1

OR Contact Rollie at 849-0747

E-Mail: bretonhoppers@hotmail.ca

Cal Thistle & Robin Grant at our last foray into Fortress Louisbourg 

CBIH GOING BACK TO INVERNESS COUNTY:

On Sunday, 1:00pm, July 11th the Islander Hoppers are going to Broad Cove Chapel.
This is a Guided 10K walk event rated at 3B and will be lead by Phil and Anne Irons.

The Start Point is at the rear of ST. Margaret's of Scotland Church off Hwy 19, Broad Cove Chapel.

This is an exciting and scenic route along the coastline, "for those of you who have walked this trail in the past", we will be walking in the opposite direction of our previous walk events in this area. This trail and its great scenery is worth the trip, this is a must see event!!
Come! Put Your Heel and Toe on Our Island!

CANADA DAY, 1 JULY 2004

Thank You Barb and Cal for a great day at Petersfield, the weather was wonderful, sunny but not to hot.
There were 23 walkers on this event and all had a terrific time, the youngest walker was 10 year old Devin Sigut who completed the entire route, congratulations Devin.
Barb and Cal planned this walk so that we would leave at 0900. We did the walk event in three separate loops once through a portion of Westmount, a loop through the historical sights at Petersfield and then through the Coast Guard Campus and its walking trail.
We arrived back at the start point just as the Canada Day parade arrived at the park; what great timing, we were already parked and ready to celebrate for the day.
See the pictures below:

Happy birthday Canada!

The Island Hoppers ready for a 10K walk at Petersfield in Westmount, July 1st 2004 

Canada Day 5Km point across the harbour overlooking the Coast Guard College at Westmount, Cape Breton Regional Municipality; July 1st 2004 

Guess who's BUMMED out about Canada Day! 

More pictures from Cheticamp and "The Happy Hoppers".

The group that followed Elsie Buck along the Salmon Pool Trail on Sunday, 27 of June and some Photos of the Pot Luck on Friday night.
There are no pictures of the group on the L'acadien Trail, due to the fog we would have looked like 'ghost out of the mist'.

Photos submitted by Cal Thistle.

The group at Salmon Pool 

The Pot Luck continued with great food and plenty for all! What's in those cups? 

The Pot Luck hosted by the Thistles and Boutilier Families. 

Bill's Bib, ready for a lobster feed at the "pot luck", Plage Ste. Pierre Campgronds on Cheticamp. 

Celebrate Canada Day!

When: Thursday, July 1st at 09:00am

Where: Westmount, Petersfield

Walk Distance for this Event is 10Kms and is Rated 2B

Walk Leader(s) for this Event is Barb & Cal Thistle, 567-6702

Avoid traffic and take Exit 5 off Highway 125, continue 4kms to Westmount Rd.(Rte 239) turn right, the Start Point is Petersfield Provincial Park.

The CBIH is not involved with the parade nor will we be following the parade route, however we should be returning to the Start/finish Point at about the time that the Parade arrives in Petersfield, therefore we should have the remainder of the day to enjoy the festivities at the park.

Rilla & Jim MacLean sent the following photos from our Walks On Cheticamp Island

Rollie!! Explaining the route to the troops or is that his favorite pastime, "Just Talking about the walks". 

Along the road on Cheticamp Island, waiting for everyone to catch up to Rilla. 

Rilla MacLean and Ian Henderson waiting at the Cattle Crossing, Who goes first? 

Cheticamp Island, Saturday,June 26th Cal & Ian are ready to protect the women from the cows with their walking sticks 

OUR WALK EVENTS IN CHETICAMP:

Saturday, 26 of June, the weather wasn't ready to cooperate when the 29 walkers for this Event were signing in for this 12Km walk; BUT within moments of stepping off and all of us dressed for rain and cool weather the sun broke out from behind the black clouds and sunshine made this a very warm walk, by the time we reached the lighthouse the clouds began to hide the sun once again but the rain held off.
The cow population on the island came out to meet us and they were as surprised to see us as we were with them. Both groups, walkers and hoofers stayed at respectful lengths from each other.
Sinclair and Bill proved that the electric fence works AOK ~~~~!!!

On behalf of those who attended the dinner that night at Island Sunset dinning room in Belle Cote, we owe Elsie Buck and Joe MacKinnon a very hardy Thank You, a very reasonabley priced restaurant, great meals and a wonderful staff of servers. Hopefully we will return!

On Sunday there were 23 eager walkers to participate on our second A'cadien walk event, due to weather conditions, rain and more rain, we offered an alternate route along the Salmon River for those who felt a little unsure of their footing on the acadien trail that leads into the highlands and its narrow and steep trails.
The view from the top of the Acadien trail is spectacular and we should return here at another time so that we can take a look at it!! low lying clouds is just another way to describe fog!Though it rained and there was fog we completed the walk and had a great time doing so and we met several new friends along the way, two young ladies from Toronto and an Appachalain trail hiker from Rhode Island.
The Atlantic Area Director Lynda Kanne and Rick Kanne joined us for both events as well as visitors from The Central Nova Club. Thank You for your support and visiting us.

Grand Narrows Walk Event!

What a great walk along the The Bras d'Or Lakes and what great weather for a 10Km walk.
The scenery along this part of the lakes is in a word "fabulous", across the lake you can see the white cliffs of gypsum protruding out into the water and the highland village with the church dominating the skyline for miles around.
The walk leader for this event was Barb MacDonald, who found a wonderful beach at the 5Km mark for us to stroll on, reluctantly the 23 walkers on this event had to return to the start point at the Marina in Grand Narrows; this would have been a great opportunity to have a swim, though the water was still a little to cold. With all the the great beaches on this island maybe we should consider a volksswim in the future!!??

Did anyone take pictures??

Thank You Barb for a wonderful walk and thanks to all of you who continue to support the club.


Almost Time to Clip the "+" Sign:

Its hard to believe that we are soon going into the second half of our schedule; on or about the 30th of June, we will be taking the plus sign "+" off the Year Round Events (YRE's) stamps. If you have not done a YRE this year you only have a short time to get out and do the five YRE walks with the "+" sign.
The IVV rules, for the YRE's, allow only one stamp for each walk event in your "Event Book" however for the year round events you may stamp your book twice a year, once with the plus sign "+" before the 30th of June each year and then you may stamp again on or after 1st of July without the "+" sign.
Don"t forget that those of you who have been frequent walkers, using our YRE's should have paid $2.00 at the start of the year and then only $1.00 thereafter when and if you are stamping your Distance Book. At the beginning of the second term on the 1st of July you are asked to again put $2.00 in the envelopes provided and $1.00 thereafter for the distance stamp each time you walk the respective Event.
The Year Round Events are sanctioned by the Canadian Volkssport Federation and the IVV at a cost of $108.00 each to the club, we have 5 YRE's on the Island at a grand total of $540.00.
Your donations of $1 & $2 and those of our volkssporting visitors to the island help to defer this cost and allows our club to continue to operate as a non profit organization.


CHETICAMP WALK EVENTS:

We will be in Cheticamp on the weekend of 26 & 27 of June, both walks begin at 1:00pm.

Saturday June 26 we will be at Cheticamp Island, walk leader Bill Boutilier.

Sunday, June 27 the L'Acadien, beginning at the parking lot in the Highlands National Park, walk leader Rollie Coombes. (see details of these walks in previous post on this site dated tues May 11 "coming events")


July 1st begins the second half of our schedule:

Canada Day Celebrations at Petersfield, Westmount begins at 9:00am, for more info contact Barb and Cal Thistle, 567-6702.

The Snow Shoe Group at Ski Ben Eoin, A bright sunny day on the cross-country trails but very chilly!  

A lonely little sign marks the spot of the former Canoe Lake School, Nip Hillier was the creator of this sign and the CBIH put it in place on our walk event to this area in 2003. Photo submitted by Phil Irons. 

Barb MacDonald talking with our friends from Walking Adventures International, at the end of a great walk at Uisge Ban Falls, Forks Baddeck. 

Rollie presenting Rilla McLean with a patch signifying International Walking Day, Our first event in Port Hawkesbury, with Bill Boutilier looking on. 

NEW PHOTO SECTION

After searching the net for a way to put photos on our website at little or no cost to the club(cheaply)I have finally come up with a solution, albeit temporarily until the folks at the Blog site decide to start charging a fee.

If you have photos you think that would be of interest to the club members or the general public who are checking us out please email them to me
bretonhoppers@hotmail.ca and I will publish them as soon as possible.

Please Check the remainder of this site for other pictures and information on our newest Atlantic Club.

A Message From our newest Atlantic Club:


FUNDY VOLKSSPORT CLUB located in Saint John, New Brunswick


President Steve Anderson



Explore Our Past, Discover Your Fitness Future with Volksmarch Fun!



In the same spirit that led Sieur deMons and Samuel de Champlain to our region 400 years ago, area residents and visitors alike are invited to "explore our past, and discover your fitness future" by enjoying the new Fundy Volkssport Club's premiere heritage walk in Saint John on Saturday, June 19.

The Celebrations 400 Heritage Walk is designed to give folks a taste of what Volkssports (German for "people's sports") is all about: fun, friendship, and fitness! Across Canada and around the world, millions have discovered through Volkssports that few things encourage physical activity more than enjoying the outdoors together, having fun and making new friends in the process. Volkssports identifies and promotes safe, scenic and circular activity routes, along with occasions for people to get out together for fun and fitness. In its first year, the Fundy Volkssport Club offers a year-round uptown walk including Lily Lake and Mount Pleasant, and a seasonal Rockwood Park walk. The Celebrations 400 Heritage Walk is an "event walk" - a one time only walk intended to compliment the many activities being offered in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the naming of the Saint John River by Champlain.

"This walk promises some fun and interesting surprises all along the way! We've had wonderful response by groups and organizations along the walk route, and each looks forward to introducing something special about our city and its - or 'our', rather - heritage. So instead of just walking past everything from point A to B, a souvenir passport/guide and walk instructions will inform you as well as provide fun stops to learn and discover a bit about Saint John's past and present. Bring your camera, as there will be many terrific photo opportunities!," promises Mr. Anderson. "I mean, when's the last time you and Champlain or Madame LaTour got together for a great snapshot?" The route will lead walkers to other fun Celebrations 400 activities, such as the flea market at Harbour Station, which plans to have a costume contest. Passports are "stamped" at each designated stop, and participants get a "Thank you" package when they complete the walk. A number of gift items will be raffled, with proceeds going to new walk routes for 2005.

The walk (or 'Volksmarch') has been designed for everyone's enjoyment. "Many asking about it are relieved to learn that it is a walk, not a race," emphasizes Mr. Anderson. "And that's a feature of Volkssports that many will appreciate - it is non-competitive. After all, what is more discouraging than checking out something offered by a fitness group or activity club, just to have others leave you in a cloud of dust? Or to be tempted to push yourself beyond safe limits? Volkssports supports and celebrates everyone's efforts, and encourages everyone to participate at a safe and comfortable pace. A good guideline is 'walk and talk' - if you have to catch your breath in order to walk and talk, you probably need to slow down a bit."

The walk options encourage maximum participation. For families, the Celebrations 400 walk route is fully paved, so perfect for strollers. Much of the walk is on level grade, with only a few steep hills. And while experienced walkers will appreciate the full 11 km walk route, others can enjoy a leisurely 5 km uptown circle, a scenic 6 km Harbour Passage, Douglas Avenue & Fort Howe circle, or the 4 km mobility challenge Harbour Passage walk suited for wheelchairs and walkers. Everyone is welcome including pets, provided they are on leash and cleaned up after, and young people 16 years of age or less being accompanied by a responsible adult. A hallmark of Volkssport activities is that they go rain or shine, so Mr. Anderson advises, "Wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather."

A popular motivational feature of Volkssports available to members is its international achievement program, with distinctive pins, badges and certificates for a variety of walking milestones. Celebrations 400 Heritage Walk participants will receive free credit toward future awards, should they later choose to join the club and become a Volkssporter. "We hope they will!," says Mr. Anderson. A low-cost annual membership fee of just $10 goes toward new walk listings in the region. "The first thing many people ask is, 'Do you have a walk here, or do you have a walk there?' The answer to that is, 'Join the club and we'll soon have those walks too!'"

As for all Volkssports events, participants must register by signing a waiver of liability, however the walk is free of charge. A limited number of souvenir passport/guides and thank you packages will be available on a first come, first served basis. Registration begins at 9:00 am at the Market Square Atrium, with guided uptown walk starting at 10:00 am. Assisted registration with self-guide materials are available until 2:00 pm. All walk routes start and end at Market Square.

For more information about the Canadian Volkssport Federation and other walking events across Canada, visit the web site at www.chebucto.ns.ca/Recreation/CVF/. For more information about the Fundy Volkssport Club and walking opportunities in Saint John, contact the club president at 672-8254 or by email:
Steve Anderson

CB Island Hoppers on the Clyburne Trail circa 2002, Thanksgiving Weekend 

Nip Hillier displays a couple of his walking sticks! 

Trails Day in Inverness County

As part of International Trails Day, the fourth annual Trans-Canada Bike and Hike will take place this Saturday, June 5th at 10:00am, starting at the Mabou River Inn, this is a 15 Km route along the abandoned rail line.
Participants are invited to a BBQ at the Little Judique Harbour Trestle beginning at 3:00pm.

Please note this is not an IVV sanctioned event.

This is the type of event which our club should be attending each year as it encourages the joy of hiking along the many trails of Cape Breton and the organizers are encouraging a non competitive walk and family participation.

Your walk committee and trails coordinator are working to try and coordinate this type of event with local groups and we continue to make representation in all counties to be invited in a timely fashion so that we can get a sanctioned event stamp from the CVF.

At a recent meeting in Truro I was able to obtain dates for International Walk and Hike Events for 2005 and we will ensure that these will be on the schedule for next year.

Therefore I encourage thoughs of us who can travel to Inverness on such short notice to do so and bring the message of Walking for Fun, Fitness and Friendship. We will do our best to participate as an organized club next year.

Inverness County Recreation Department, recently devoted a two page article about our club and volkssporting in the Inverness Peridodical "The Participaper".
A limited amount of copies were distributed on our last walk and I will hold a copy in our Leaders walk box for any of you who would like to read the article.
My sincere Thank You to the editors and writers of the Participaper for this article.