Back Country Canoeing/Camping

From your President, Bruce Williams

Hello fellow members,

I am writing the membership, today, to introduce you to a new committee I have formed with the approval of your Board of Directors. This new committee, that I’ll chair, is called the Back Country Canoeing/Camping group (BCCC). The committee consists of myself, our VP Michael de Andrade, and members Doug Arthur and Roger Suffling.

The introduction of this group is to help include another form of canoeing for our membership to engage in that will expand our trips to include camping, exploring, and socializing beyond the day trips that we presently do. It will also, open up a new activity to explore beyond southwestern Ontario to other areas of Ontario. These trips will encompass a number of days and require planning and booking by the committee.

As a committee, we have had our first meeting to cover items necessary for our trips, such as number of days, number of trips for the year, camping/canoeing gear, etc. We have decided on one or possibly two trips this year, depending on how well this activity is received. Our first trip is planned for Monday, June 16^th through to Friday, June 20^th, and will be on George Lake in Killarney Provincial Park. We hope to hold another trip in late August.

Doug and I did this trip last year and I posted pictures on the blog for members to enjoy. I know there are members who have experience in doing this activity and are willing to join us in making these trips a success going forward. There is no better enjoyment than listening to the call of the loon on the lake or the camaraderie of sitting around the campfire popping popcorn or roasting hotdogs or the occasional marshmallow while enjoying your favorite beverage.

As your BCCC committee, we eagerly await any questions or comments and any concerns will be addressed immediately. NO experience is necessary, and only your personal requirements (sleeping bag, toiletries, etc.) are required. Gender requirements will be met. Due to early booking reservations and site limitations, we will require early confirmation of attendance and a non-refundable payment for the trip. The trip will go rain or shine. In order to book a site, we will need confirmation of attendance by March 31, 2025.

Bruce Williams – brucewms@yahoo.com                519-501-1990

Michael de Andrade – mdeanrade@hotmail.com  519-716-5067

Doug Arthur- djarthur29@gmail.com                        519-741-8641

Roger Suffling- rcsuffli@uwaterloo.ca                        226-978-4157