After a beautiful, warm Fall, the weather seemed to arrive almost by surprise this past month, forcing us to pull out our winter hiking gear and prepare for the chillier days ahead. This season is a wonderful time to reflect on the year. Brenda and I have been participating in the Dufferin End to End hiking series and enjoy seeing the magnificent colours as they change – a great reminder of the beauty in change and growth.

The Club continues to look for ways to grow our membership. We have received many accolades for the new projects we are undertaking. In particular, I would like to extend a shout-out to our hike leaders who have volunteered to lead youth hikes. With the charity Project Canoe, our TBTC Youth Hike Task Force partnered in hosting a hike in October for teens that are new to Canada.

On this same theme, we continue to reaffirm our collective responsibility to bring a youth presence and voice into our Club. We will be looking for two youth representatives to consider joining our Board of Directors this year and encourage you to apply by January 20, 2025 with a letter: dhjroyle@gmail.com

In this spirit of support thanks are extended to all volunteers who attended the BTC Working Together Conference in October at the Hockley Valley Resort. We continue to reaffirm our collective responsibility to connect with like-minded people through memorable moments and shared experiences. 

As our Club endures, welcomes new people and builds on what it has learned, we have the momentum to impact communities, people, and the planet in the places we travel to. Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to work together to create a welcoming and inclusive community where our members can grow and thrive.

I hope that this Holiday Season will be safe, restful, and refreshing.