Meet some of the 1,500 volunteers who go 'all-in' to clean up and fix Ontario hiking trails

On a recent sunny but cool Tuesday in Ancaster, Ontario, Kelly Hamilton and Nick Kuret worked together to repair an outdoor staircase. They lifted a heavy block of wood and placed it in position, removed nearby rocks, and packed loose soil in front of the step until it was level with the others. Kuret, wearing a baseball cap and a safety vest, positioned a tall metal stake next to the corner of the step, while Hamilton, standing with her legs apart on the slope, drove it into the ground using a small metal mallet.

"Usually we have a bigger sledgehammer. I call this the baby one," Hamilton said, chuckling.

Hamilton and Kuret are members of the local Bruce Trail club in Hamilton, known as "Iroquoia." They were out on a day in October, one of the two days a week when volunteers maintain hiking trails like this one.

Iroquoia is one of nine Bruce Trail clubs, each responsible for a portion of the Bruce Trail Conservancy's 1,300 kilometers of trails. The Iroquoia club oversees the area between Grimsby and Milton.

Hiking is a popular fall activity in and around Hamilton and Niagara, but many hikers may be unaware of the work that goes into designing and maintaining their favorite paths.

Even the rugged Bruce Trail, which stretches along the escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory, Ontario, receives regular touch-ups.

"Our whole mission is to provide free public access to the Niagara Escarpment, but we also recognize that has to be done in a controlled fashion so that people ... aren't impacting some of the sensitive ecological habitats that the trail runs through," said Adam Brylowski, manager of conservation and trail for the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
The conservancy has about 1,500 volunteers, he said. They keep an eye on things, and now, with the creation of a new app, can respond to user-reported issues.
At times, maintenance involves re-routing trails to avoid endangered or protected species. It also means ensuring the roughly two-meter width of the trail is free of vegetation, obstacles such as fallen trees are removed, and structures such as bridges and stairs are safe.
Keeping trails clear and accessible
At the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, "nature for all" is a core idea, said Adam Christie, director of conservation areas. That means making sure there is an opportunity for people of "all skill levels, ages, and abilities" to use green space.
A couple of years ago, he said, the NPCA started working to create new accessible trails or restore older ones. Christie said the authority completed work at Cave Springs Conservation Area last year and is finishing projects at Rockway and St. Johns this year. Some of these trails are relatively short, just a few hundred meters, but he said they provide more people with an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

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