School Bus Hike: Grand Valley Trail – Kitchener & Blair

Trip Information
Departure Time: 08:00
Return to City Time: 18:30
Departure Point: York Mills Bus Pickup

Registration Required:

Registration Costs
Members - $25.00
Child Members - $10.00
Non-Members - $32.00
Child Non-Members - $14.00

A late return is anticipated
Registration opens on 2025-05-17 at 08:00 PM

Please Note: Refunds are not allowed for this hike

Optional Items

Hosting Club: Toronto
Category: Bus Hike
Location (Google Maps): Grand Valley Trail - Kitchener & Blair

Hike Leader(s): Tom Swales, Jeanette Vincent Click here to contact Hike Leader(s)

Pace: Moderate (3-4 km/hr)
Terrain: Level 2 (Intermediate - some hills and uneven surfaces, rocks and roots underfoot)
Distance: 15 km

Description

We will hike some of the Grand Valley Trails Association (GVTA) trails along with other local trails and the rare Charitable Research Reserve trail close to and beside the Grand River. Today Jeanette Vincent, a hike leader with both the TBTC and GVTA will co-lead and meet us in her local town of Kitchener. It being Spring wildflower season we shall have the opportunity to enjoy some of those.

A little about the trails that we will be hiking:

The Grand Valley Trail is a 250-kilometre footpath that stretches between the village of Belwood to Port Maitland, near Rock Point Provincial Park, on Lake Erie, south of Dunnville. https://www.gvta.on.ca/Grand-Valley-Trail.htm

Rare Charitable Research Reserve In the mid-1990s, the University of Guelph explored opportunities to sell these lands, sparking a grassroots campaign from concerned citizens to ensure these lands were protected in perpetuity. As a result of this campaign, 913 acres were purchased as part of a new community-based conservation strategy. By February 2001, the land transfer was completed and, on December 6, 2001, the charity that would become the rare Charitable Research Reserve was incorporated as a community-based urban land trust, nature reserve and environmental institute. https://www.raresites.org/about/history

After the hike we will make a stop in the historic town of Galt, filming location of Handmaids Tale and Murdoch Mysteries because of it's beautiful old architecture.