The Club is welcoming Michael McKibbon as our new Badge Coordinator, responsible for receiving your badge requests and mailing them out to you. He is taking over from Jude Keast, who capably managed the process for 11 years. Michael loves the outdoors and is a long-time hiker, having trekked through many of the Lake Placid mountain peaks (earning badges for each one, of course). He also has hiked internationally, and mentions that in one area in Ireland, hikers receive (postage) stamps from village pubs for completing trails.
Michael feels very passionate about the Bruce Trail and its volunteers and he says he wanted to give back when he recently retired as a Vice-Principal with the Peel School Board. He’s currently collecting more badges as he makes his way towards Tobermory to complete his End-to-End. “From day one I was captivated by the beauty of the Bruce Trail, its history and surrounding towns. I totally fell in love with it,” he says. “Getting your badge is a symbol of what you have accomplished, by setting a goal, being active and just doing it,” he adds. “It brings a little bit of happiness to your adventures.”
Michael has already added his own touches to the badge program by making up a card with a photo of the Toronto section which he now sends with your badges. He also loves history and thought Canada’s oldest, and longest marked trail should be celebrated with hikers receiving his mailouts with stamps from Toronto’s oldest Post Office, established in 1834. Thus far, he has been receiving about 10 badge requests per week, with more requests expected during the summer months. “I love reading notes from hikers who often share descriptions of their hikes, their goals and their journeys – as well as how much they are enjoying the trail.” Two Brazilian and Polish hikers are now sharing their Bruce Trail Journey with him on Instagram and one family shared that they had hiked 500km of the trail (so far) with their 6 year-old son.
A self-confessed “badge nerd,” Michael thinks we have a great selection to offer hikers and encourages everyone to explore our trails. He is recently working towards the Toronto urban badge and is impressed by the beauty of our river trails and valleys. “You can break the urban hike into four segments and all areas are accessible by TTC – it’s a great way to see Toronto,” he says. “The Toronto section has some of the best side trails of anywhere on the Bruce Trail where you can earn a badge. And don’t forget the 60th anniversary badge – you just have to add a few more kilometres and you can do another section End-to-End!” He notes you can enjoy the trail in all seasons and there are badges for that too: the winter section badge.
Michael’s wife and children (now in their 20s) have hiked in Ireland, Austria and Japan. In Ontario, they regularly backpack through the challenging 78k La Cloche Silhouette trail in Killarney Provincial Park, located south of Sudbury. For more information and how had to apply for your badges, visit our badge page on the Toronto Club’s website.