Submitted by Kathleen Stahlbaum
Every October, Bruce Trail enthusiasts across Ontario come together to celebrate the trail that connects communities, landscapes and people from one end of the Niagara Escarpment to the other.
Bruce Trail Day is an annual gathering held on the first Sunday of every October. Each of the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s nine clubs offers free guided hikes and invites everyone to take part in activities organized by their local club. This year’s theme, “Together on the Trail,” celebrates the many ways the Bruce Trail brings us together – with one another, with nature and with the communities we call home.
On Sunday, October 4, the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club will host its Bruce Trail Day celebration at the Ferndale Visitor’s Centre from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and family-friendly, with activities and opportunities to discover more about the Bruce Trail and the people who help care for it.
Four free guided hikes will be offered throughout the day, showcasing some of the unique landscapes and stories of the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula.
The morning offers two guided hike options. Participants can join a 7-kilometre hike to Lion’s Head Lookout, or explore the flora and fauna of the Barrow Bay Cliffs Nature Reserve on a separate 4.5-kilometre hike led by Bruce Trail Conservancy Staff Ecologist Brian Popelier. The Barrow Bay hike will follow a relaxed “stop, look and listen” pace, with frequent pauses to observe and learn about the plants, fungi, birds and other wildlife found along the Escarpment.
In the afternoon, hikers can choose between two interpretive experiences, both offered through Cape Croker Park’s Anishinaabe Cultural Experiences Program. At 12:30 p.m., Tainin Hopkinson will lead At the Edge: Boundary Bluffs Experience, a 5–6-kilometre hike through the Sydney Bay Bluff area in Neyaashiinigmiing. At 1 p.m., Caley Doran will lead A Journey Through Time on Jones Bluff, an approximately 8-kilometre hike exploring the relationship between people and the land through Anishinaabe perspectives.
Advance hike registration is encouraged, as spaces are limited. A limited number of spots will also be available on the day for those unable to register in advance.
Back at the Ferndale Visitor’s Centre, visitors can try their hand at building bird boxes with the Men’s Shed, make their own Bruce Trail button, enjoy free refreshments and reconnect with the community over the return of the much-loved scone dogs, prepared by Darryl, a caterer from Neyaashiinigmiing. Peninsula Bruce Trail Club volunteers will be available to share information about year-round hikes, volunteering and land stewardship.
Whether you are a longtime Bruce Trail hiker or have never set foot on the Trail before, Bruce Trail Day is an invitation to get outside, meet your neighbours and discover something new.
Come hike, learn, connect and celebrate – together on the Trail.
All activities are free. Hike registration is encouraged at peninsula.brucetrail.org/hikes/
