We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting at the Beaver Valley Community Centre. Please register if you plan to attend this meeting—so that we have enough chairs and coffee for everyone! (Each member of a couple must register individually in order to get the correct count!)

Date: Tuesday,  February 25, 2025
Doors open: 1:00 PM
Meeting begins: 1:30 PM

Speaker: Bruce King and Valerie Jones
Title:  Kolapore Trails and Kolapore Wilderness

Bruce King spent his career with the Ontario government, focusing on Crown land and provincial park planning. A highlight of his career was serving as Project Manager for the task force that led to the creation of Rouge Park in Toronto. He was also the principal author of the 1999 Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy, which established numerous new protected areas, and contributed to the development of Ontario’s Guide for Crown Land Use Planning. In 1973, while still a university student, Bruce was one of the founders of the Kolapore Wilderness Trails, and he has continued to work on the trails ever since. He and his wife, Valerie Jones, reside in the Kolapore area. In 2023, they jointly received the Town of Blue Mountain’s Volunteer Award in the Sports and Recreation category, recognizing their long-term commitment to both the Kolapore Trails and the Bruce Trail.

Over 50 years ago, a small group of university students, inspired to create the Kolapore Trails network at the southern end of the Town of Blue Mountains, began building what would become an important community asset. Bruce King was part of that founding group and will share the evolution of the trails, from their humble beginnings as a rustic network for a small group of backcountry skiers to their current status as a popular year-round destination. Kolapore is now the largest block of protected wilderness in the region. In his talk, Bruce will highlight some of the area's important natural values and offer recommendations on how to explore and enjoy the Kolapore area. .

Book Exchange:
The Book Exchange will be set up at the back of the room starting at 1 PM. Books should have a copyright date no older than 10 years. Bring a Book, Take a Book. We ask that you exchange no more than 3 books at a time. Please contact Nancy Hart with any questions!