Watch Rogers TV interview with Guelph Hiking Trail Club President John Fisher and Speed River Cycling Club Organizer Lorenz Calcagno as they discuss the groups' plans to build a new bridge on the James Street trail.

Click here to watch interview

The Guelph Hiking Trail Club (GHTC) needs your help with improvements to the most well used naturalized rail trail in Guelph. We’re working to make the James Street Trail safer and more accessible for everyone. It is currently impassable for some and seasonally hazardous for all, because of a dangerous crossing in the first kilometre.

This beautiful trail is a key piece of the Guelph Radial Line and a significant part of the GHTC’s Trail network.

The trail runs along the south side of the Eramosa river on the abandoned rail bed of the 1920’s Toronto Suburban Railway from Marianne's Park at Gordon St. to Victoria Road.

With your help we will build a multi-use bridge over the storm water crossing that now cuts through the trailway.               

Let’s Build a Bridge to a great trail future in Guelph. This is your opportunity to make an accessible trail connection from central Guelph to some of the city’s best natural features, like the Arboretum at the University of Guelph.

Please give today, the campaign ends on April 30^th 2021.

Make a donation through our CanadaHelps Team and Individual charity site. 

OR

You can make a tax deductible donation on GHTC to the James Street Trail BUILD A BRIDGE Campaign 

 The campaign GOAL for the bridge installation is $50,000. Please note that our original cost estimate for the  bridge was $30,000 but after community input we have selected a design that is multi purpose and allows vehicular trail maintenance potential the length of  the trail.Funds raised over $50,000 will be used to complete upgrades at other locations on the trail.

The Guelph Hiking and Trail Club will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2022.  I know it seems pretty far away but we need to start now to present a celebration we can be proud of.

50 years is a long time for a community organization to be around. There has been no better time in the club's history to be thankful for the services provided by the club.  Since last March we have been in the position of having to find new ways to look after our health, both physical and mental.  With so much being closed to us, we have had to go back in time to find things that could take the place of the more modern pastimes we grew used to.  Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, we discovered a quietness that let us hear nature, see more wildlife and the time to really enjoy it.  Hiking filled that void.  The club was not allowed to offer organized hikes but our club's trails were there and still being kept up by dedicated volunteers.  People have flocked to the trails and it has brought much recognition to the hard work the club does to keep up these trails for everyone to use, not just members.  Also, people are just finding out that it isn't the city or township that provide and maintain these trails.  The publicity has been very good for us and we are hoping it will help us go forward with some large projects that will bring connection between our rural trails and some city ones.

What I am asking for now is that you forward some ideas to me so that we can plan a celebration to mark our 50th anniversary that will send our club off into the next 50 years.  We would like to have events happen all year long with a big get together or open house at some time in good weather.  I am looking for both ideas and people willing to help out with those ideas.  You do not have to be willing to help out to offer an idea and you do not need to have an idea to volunteer to help out with one.  

Our club has a very diverse membership and wide age range. There is no "one size fits all" and we don't want to leave anyone out.  I'm sure that we can come up with a program with a selection of events that will provide a good choice for everyone.

Please forward your thoughts to me at mcmillan.susan@gmail.com. 

GHTC is a volunteer organization that offers guided hikes of various lengths, throughout the year in Guelph and the surrounding area. We maintain over 80km of trails, thanks to private landowner permission, from Cambridge to Limehouse and from Guelph to West Montrose.

We offer general hikes, kids' hikes, photo hikes, trail end-to-end hikes and ski/snowshoe hikes.

Members get together for fall/winter slide show presentations and various social activities.

While most of our hikes and events are free and open to the public, consider supporting the Guelph Hiking Trail Club by becoming a member! Membership fees are $25 annually and tax-deductible. Membership fees and donations are used to pay for trail maintenance, newsletter production, and liability insurance. 

 Guelph Hiking Trail Club aims to have all hikers enjoy their experience and be safe.

 With this in mind, hikers should choose a hike suited to their interests and physical abilities. Be honest with yourself in judging your abilities, remembering that we tire more quickly when walking on snow/rough terrain. Consult the hike description for the hike speed, length, and difficulty of terrain (if in doubt, contact the hike leader).

 To assist in choosing the correct hike, GHTC home page will now have three boxes of upcoming hikes. Easy hikes will be 4km/2hrs or less, and slow or moderate pace depending on terrain. Moderate hikes usually will be up to 8km and slow or moderate pace depending on terrain. Difficult hikes usually would be anything over 8km regardless of speed or terrain.

Leaders have authority to refuse a hiker participation if footwear is not suitable for trail conditions or if the leader feels the hiker's physical abilities would put hiker's safety at risk.