Do you love to hike? Do you enjoy sharing that love with others? Then think seriously about signing up for our hike leader training course in June. The course is being offered in collaboration with Hike Ontario. Topics will include risk management, leadership, trail guides, navigation, outdoor techniques, environmental protection, hike planning, and practical problem solving on a group hike. The course will be delivered by Hike Ontario instructors via Zoom, followed by an outdoor training session in a park in the GTA.
Dates:
+ May 15, 2025 – Registration is open to sign up
+ June 4 and June 11, 2025 – Zoom sessions will be held
+ June 14, 2025 – In-person session
To register for the Hike Leader training, please contact Jacquie Van Dyke at vdyke0946@gmail.com after May 15. You must be a current member of the TBTC and have participated in several of its organized hikes. Space is limited so register early. Please provide Jacquie with your first and last name, your email address, and your BTC number (which will be verified).
Participants will receive their student manual electronically in advance of the first session. There will be an assignment to complete between the two sessions, and participants will present a portion of it during the second session. “Level C” first aid training, including CPR/AED, must be completed to qualify for leading TBTC hikes. The cost is $60 which will be covered by the Bruce Trail Conservancy for TBTC members. The full cost of the first aid training will be reimbursed after the new hike leader has led three hikes, following the completion of their apprenticeship.
Three apprentice hikes and a graduation hike must be completed within one year of the Hike Ontario training. Potential hike leaders are required to apprentice on an urban hike, a car hike, and a bus hike (or two of one and one of another) each with a different hike leader and will be assessed on their performance. Finally, a Graduation Hike, designed by the potential hike leader and approved by the TBTC Hiking Director, must be executed. A hike leader will accompany the graduation hike and provide an assessment.