(See page bottom for prev. editions)
We have enjoyed considerable growth in the past year.
Both the number of businesses relating to the Grand Manan Tourism Assoc.
and the list of 'Friends of G.M. Trails' have increased. This 4th Annual
Newsletter goes out to all contributing members of the G.M. Tourism Assoc.
as well as the supporters listed-as 'Friends of G.M. Trails'. Please let
us know of anyone who is sufficiently interested to be placed on our mailing
list.
Our Crest Sells Well
Cecilia Bowden did a great job of looking after
sales of our crests. Last year's proceeds were instrumental in financing
this summer's trails work. As before members of Grand Manan Tourism Assoc.
offered these badges for sale. The $5.00 collected goes directly into our
maintenance fund.
More Trails are Adopted
We now have ten trails or portions of trails adopted.
The adopters do all the work needed to keep their trails open and marked.
D.H.B. supplies signs and tin lid markers as requested. We also have a
small inventory of hand tools if required.
Sheldon and Shirley Cook, Seal Cove
Look after the rutted track into Bradford Cove
Pond and out to Hay Point. (see guidebook P.17)
Mirajam Cossaboorn, White Head
White Head. (P.21)
Peter and Marilyn Cronk, North Head
The Blue trail from Eel Lake Road past Little
Eel Lake to Indian Beach. (p.l0)
Jackie Foote - Seal Cove
Ross Island (P.21-22)
Sidney and Barbara Guptill, Seal Cove
A portion of the 'Back-of-the-island trail' (P.12)
Eugene Gillies and Cecilia Bowden, Deep Cove
The Deep Cove (orange) trail to Bradford Cove
and the (red) trail south to Bradford Cove Pond. (P.17)
Maude and Gerald Hunter, Deep Cove
Southwest Head to Pats Cove via Flock of Sheep.
(P.17)
Andy and Cindy Normandeau, North Head
Net Point. (P.6)
Nora Parker, North Head
Beech Hill. (P.24)
1st. Mannanook Troop - Boy Scouts - G.M.
Do a Spring hike on the 'Back-of-the-island'
trail, clear obstructions and report on trail conditions.
Trail adopters make a major contribution to our system.
If we could double the number of adopters we would just about halve the
annual maintenance workload. You can adopt a large or small portion and
rely on us for signs, markers and any too heavy work like blow-downs. Can
you help ?
Dark Harbour from the south
Elder Hostellers hike trails
during spare time
The Marathon Hotel's numerous Elder Hostel Courses
spend a full week on the island. Courses run from the last week of May
- through the first week of October. D.H.B. orients each group with a Sunday
evening slide show which highlights our trails. On a Monday morning bus
tour trail heads and suitable venues are pointed out. These folk (from
all over Canada and the United States) have become great supporters of
our trails and purchasers of crests and trails guides. Please notice Joanne
Meade 's illustrations in this issue - an Elder Hosteller!
Updating the 1995 Guide Book
Page 9. Ashburton Head from the Whistle Road and
Ashburton Head to The Whistle
From where the trail to Ashburton Head from The
Whistle Road reaches the burn (beyond the connecting trail to Whale Cove)
a new rough gravelled road now goes to The Bishop and out to the Whistle
Road near the lighthouse. It can be easily walked and can be good for woodland
birds and wildflowers seasonally. The red trail is still maintained and
follows the clifftop around Northern Head.
Page 21 White Head Island
A new small primitive campground has been opened
at Pebble Beach in Gull Cove. Situated between the road and the beach it
offers a grassy meadow for tenting as well as tent platforms in a sprucegrove.
Water, toilets and picnic tables are provided. Picnicing is free, a small
charge is made for campers.
This is a much welcomed facility which nicely
serves the Langmaid Cove to Sandy Cove 'back of the island' trail. A leisurely
circumnavigation of the entire coastline could be done in a day. Back-packers
can now go all the way from The Anchorage (or Red Point) via the new trail
out past Ox Head and thence to the Ingalls Head Ferry Terminal for White
Head Island.
Red Point is Now a People Place
Since being added to the Anchorage Provincial
Park acreage last year, park personnel have turned the old alder covered
gravel pit into a comfortable and scenic picnic spot. The Red Point road
down to the sea (p.18) has been graded and ample parking provided. Two
picnic shelters, a toilet and seaward-facing benches put in place. Beach
access for hikers, as well as local periwinklers, has been improved making
it easy to investigate the magnetic sand and geological contact point.
The 'Board Walk' trail has been extended right out to the new beach access.
Great views down Seal Cove Sound and out across Wood Island. A good place
for sea ducks, loons and grebes.
Periwinkles
We Have 'Archives'
Since the formation of the Grand Manan Trails
Committee in 1992 we have been collecting archival maps, notes, guides
or anything written or duplicated which shed light on the history, location
or condition of our heritage trails.
A significant addition came in this summer from
Ed and Louise Jackson (Conn.) who donated a duplicated 1988 edition of
a trails guide (with maps) done by Kevin O'Donnell (Fredericton) which
they have kept up-to-date and were still using. This version is the immediate
predecessor of the stapled and picture covered editions (since revised
three times) which are now being sold.
John and Mary Beth Beaton (Fredericton) have written
recalling a trails map shown them by Sabra Jane Briggs at Deep Cove in
1967. Does anyone know of a copy ? We would like to treat this subject
in a later edition or the newsletter.
Letters
We get plenty of them from grateful hikers who
feel they should thank someone. This one was written in response to the
invitation to "write your comments on this page, tear out and send to:
Grand Manan Tourism Assoc….." at the end of the trails guide.
"Greetings! We have hiked on many trails in many
places in Canada and afar but we've never enjoyed any as much as the trails
on Grand Manan. They are well marked and always lead to some interesting
vista, some spectacular wildlife (whales and seals at Southwest Head) or
some downright surprises; our favourite was the picnic table as we came
over the hill at Hay Point. (see map page 16 and description page 15. Ed.)
We had great fun guessing just how that picnic table was carried, erected,
dropped from the heavens, or ....? Thank you for a job well done in maintaining
the trails for all to enjoy.
Liz, John, Briony and Stephen Thomas, Kingston,
Ontario"
Not dropped from the sky certainly. Sheldon Cook
(now retired from his teaching career at the High School) and his wife
Shirley are two of our 'adopters' you see listed elsewhere in this issue.
A few years ago they purchased, at their own expense, a picnic table kit.
During a hiking season, they, with help from hikers scrambled down to that
grassy point, each with a piece or two. When all was on site Sheldon assembled
it. It is still in use.
Right-of-ways on Grand Manan
On August 4th, 1996 a nine member contingent of
"Friends" attended a regular meeting of the Grand Manan Village Council
at which D.H.B. present the Deputy Mayor and Councillors with the following
brief.
GRAND MANAN TOURISM ASSOCIATION - TRAILS COMMITTEE
Aug.6, 1996
Subject: Rights-of-way on Grand Manan.
Who We Are
-G.M.T.A. formed its Trails Committee in 1992
to maintain our heritage hiking tails and to seek funding for this work.
-The Committee consists of:
Don Baldwin - co-ordinator
Cecilia Bowden
Bill Daggett
Eugene Gillies
Barbara and Sidney Guptill
Maude Hunter
Andrew Normandeau
-
In 1993 a 'Friends of Grand Manan Trails' mailing
list was begun. It now totals 78 individuals or couples who have all donated
funds or personal effort to help maintain our trails. 'Friends' also includes
our Scout Troop and Audubon Expedition Tours from Maine as well as Dartmouth
Volksmarch Club from Nova Scotia.
-
10 islanders have adopted trails or sections of trails
on a permanent basis. They maintain them routinely, usually at their own
expense.
-
An Annual Newsletter is produced each November and
distributed to 'Friends' as well as members of Grand Manan Tourism Assoc.
(which presently numbers 87).
-
Funding for trails work has been provided by grants
from the Provincial Environmental Trust Fund, Grand Manan Tourism Association
and private donations.
Our Concerns - Unhindered access to shorelines,
beaches, clifftops and other natural and scenic spots.
The importance of free access to islanders and
visitors alike. The visitors are largely seasonal and represent an important
part of our 'eco-tourist' trade. Islanders enjoy our natural heritage year
round.
Those visitors who make the greatest use of our
trails and scenic spots are people who come to the island for more than
a single whale-watching or puffin trip. They typically rent cabins, join
our Museum and Historical Society or make other cultural and economic contributions
to our island life.
These visitors spread themselves island wide.
They are not clustered at North Head. They give the southern end of the
island its main tourism potential. They are focussed on the natural scene.
Recent and future development of our island economy puts increasing pressure
on our slender resources of land and water. Many islanders see tourism
increasing to replace some of our dwindling traditional livelihoods.
With this in mind, we should undertake measures
to ensure that the limited assets we own are shared by the greatest number
of islanders and future visitors, upon whom we may increasingly come to
depend.
Village Council should do everything in its power
to enhance and protect all public rights-of-way to ensure that future generations
enjoy, island wide, the freedom of access we presently enjoy.
Grand Manan Tourism Association - Trails Committee
c.c. Eric Allaby, M.L.A.
This presentation was favourably received by the
councillors who had received a number of written concerns in preceeding
weeks, regarding the maintenance of public access to our shorelines.
1996 Trails Work
On November 12, 1995 a gale pushed over trees
throughout the island. We knew that extensive chainsaw work would be needed
to ready the trails this Spring.
Although the Grand Manan Rotarians again agreed
to sponsor an application to the Provinces Environmental Trust Fund for
a grant to employ a summer work crew, we were passed over and left to rely
on our own slender resources. Monies donated by 'Friends' and earned by
the sale of our crests were used along with the stepped up participation
of local volunteers. As mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter the number
of 'adopters' was increased and all urged to be active. Due to the good
work done by the 1995 crew under Shawn Green, large portions of trails
needed only light work of the type we can do ourselves involving mostly
hand tools.
We were very fortunate to get the services of
Tim Huggard on a casual labour basis as he was waiting for the Seal Cove
Cannery to begin operation. This energetic young man worked over miles
of trails with a bolo knife in one hand and brush clippers in the other.
The pack on his back contained marker discs, hammer and nails as well as
sign making materials.' An early morning person, Tim had your scribe out
at the trailhead for a 7.15 a.m. start on those days I was free to help.
When the chainsaw was needed Tim got to lug it out and back! By the time
our funds ran low all the main trails had received attention and the hikers
were arriving. Only a section on the back of the island above Sloop Cove
went unattended.
Dartmouth Volksmarch Club Descends
Typically our hikers represent family-sized groups
or couples. However, such is not always the case. National Audubon Society
Expeditions (Maine) bring groups of around 30 students late each Fall and
Fundy Hikers (St. Martins, N.B.) regularly lead visiting groups Spring
and Fall. Grand Manan Scouts and visiting troops also occasionally field
larger groups.Dartmouth Volksmarch Club (N.S.) may have set a record with
their recent three day full hiking schedule around Grand Manan. Ably led
by Lionel and Lily Conrad 55 members hiked in beautiful Fall weather on
Sept. 4th, 5th and 6th. They found accommodations at North Head and organized
some evening social activities as well as finding time to visit the museum
and whale-watch. The Conrads had been over in the Spring to reconnoitre.
They were a charming and well organized group. Many purchased Trails Guides
and crests. Several already plan to return on their own next year.
Elinor Maher, one of the hikers, published an
account of their experiences in their Sept. Newsletter (vol.4, Number 3).
she wrote
"Grand Manan - Hikers' Paradise
Lionel and Lily Conrad have done it again.'
They led the Dartmouth Volksmarch Club through three days of the most spectacular
scenery and perfect weather imaginable. Fifty-three hikers followed them
up hill and down dale for three days on Grand Manan, Queen of the Fundy
Isles. Grand Manan is 24 x 11 Kms. with a population of over 2,000 and
some of the most beautiful scenery in Atlantic Canada. All four hikes were
challenging, following shaded woodland trails and awesome cliffs, totalling
51 kms. Cameras were much is evidence, particularly at lighthouses and
the edge of 200 foot bluffs. The trails were well maintained with lots
of signs, some of which were obviously meant to amuse, as well as inform
walkers.
The Dartmouth Club was joined by hikers from
Maine, Ontario, California, New Brunswick and other Nova Scotia Clubs.
Our contingent was the largest hiking group to ever visit the island. Some
people took the opportunity to go whalewatching and we all saw seals and
seabirds as we followed the trail system around the island. We hiked past
three beautifully situated lighthouses. Swallowtail light has recently
been used during the making of a movie and a film crew was in evidence.
Grand Manan is a haven for bird watchers and during late August and September
the area is visited by many fall migrants so birders were plentiful in
the area. Our walkers spotted cormorants, bald eagles, herons and many
types of gulls. I could not recommend Grand Manan more highly for hikers."
Eric Burke, another hiker, also provided some simple
statistics from the trip which involved "19 hours of rugged hiking"(a)
number of hours spent waiting for ferries - 6(b) average number of hills
per kilometer of walking - 1(c) average height of island hill - 500 meters(d)
average number of seals and porpoises observed - 25. Dartmouth Volksmarch
Club has 150 members at present.
Funding for 1997
We were greatly helped when seeking to refurbish
our trails system in recent years by the receipt of grants from the Provincial
Environmental Trust Fund. However, our request for a grant to do purely
maintenance work this year was not favoured. It has been suggested that
the 'powers that be' do not want people like us to become income dependent
on them. Our budget from your donations and the sale of our crests saved
the day. We got a good, well motivated worker and got him at the optimum
time - in early spring, before the first hikers arrived. This is the ideal
way to proceed. If you can donate towards next year's work you will have
the satisfaction of knowing that your funds will be well used.
Don Baldwin keeps the books and your cheque can
go directly to him at Baldwins' Bed & Breakfast, Seal Cove, Grand Manan,
NB, E0G 3B0.
This years newsletter has been duplicated at Grand
Manan Business Centre Inc. The Grand Manan School Board Office is no more.
Marie Thomas has retired and will be sorely missed. The new venue is more
expensive. As always Maureen Baldwin has taken this newsletter from D.H.B.'s
scribble through preliminary typing to its finished form. Joanne Meade
has provided the black and white sketches.
Grand Manan Tourism Association
- Trails Committee
Don Baldwin - chair
Andrew Normandeau
Maude Hunter
Billy Daggett
Eugene Gillies
Sidney Guptill
Cecilia Bowden
Barbara Guptil
Don Baldwin,
Baldwins' Bed & Breakfast,
2071 Route 776, Grand Manan,New Brunswick, Canada
E5G 4K6.
Note: Laurie Murison
prepared the newsletter for the web site version.
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