2013 50th Trail Anniversary Call Out

The Camp Stephens Trail Program has had a lasting impact on the memories and friendships for many of us.

The 50th anniversary of the Trail Program is in the summer of 2013,  and a few of us think it's a pretty good reason for a reunion. Ideas for events include a canoe trip and a folk fest.

We've been down this road before, though.

In 2002, with the support of the Y, a number of Stephens Trail junkies formed a 40th anniversary committee. However, the 40th event never really came to be as we couldn't get a reasonable number of former paddlers to participate.

Largely, the difficulty was in connecting with paddlers from the 60's, the 70's, the 80's, 90's and those of you in this century.

That's all changed. Social media has allowed us to reconnect no matter where we are in the world. The main meeting place is here (Click) on Facebook. 

Now, we all know that you don't slap together a canoe trip and hang out a shingle hoping people will come.

We need your help in planning it. Our goal is to form a 50th anniversary committee. We'd like to begin soon. We also know many of you are thinking the same thing.

So let's get it started. You can help us by forwarding this letter to other Camp Stephens Trail paddlers, no matter what era.

If you want to be involved in planning an event, please email Perry McGregor pljmcg@gmail.com with your contact information (email and phone). No one is too old and no one too young to be involved. Our tent is big.

Once we have a list of volunteers, we'll meet in person to start our planning. Obviously, the meeting will have to be held in Winnipeg, but we also want to include in some way those of you living in London or Australia or Brazil and beyond. Because we want you here in 2013, too.

Cheers, Perry and Bruce

P.S.

Friends,

If you think Canada's wild places should last forever, please check this out:

 The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is Canada's voice for the wilderness.

We support CPAWS.  We hope you will too.  If we won't stand up for the wilderness who will?

Dave Wright                Eileen Askew

Jo Wright                     Alex Paterson

Margaret Paterson    Dean Wright

Ted Wright                  Brian Law

Cam Young                 Wes Peters

Pam Wright                Kent Paterson

Steve Wright

For the kids -- that's Y Sharing Christmas Spirit: Unwrapping the good being done this season in our city

Ken Gigliotti / Winnipeg Free Press Dave Vankoughnett
wants to give kids new experiences.

DAVE VANKOUGHNETT

Winnipeg YMCA-YWCA general manager, fund development

CHARITY: Strong Kids

How I'm sharing the

Christmas Spirit:

"We have a holiday campaign, and each of our branches will be putting up banners about giving throughout the season, where you can have four choices on how to help children. What it means is that throughout the campaign, you can subsidize memberships for kids who don't have an opportunity to go to the Y. We'll make sure that they get there. For as low as $20, kids that can't afford it can to come to the Y to learn new skills or build relationships or give them a sense of a place to go. The nice thing about the memberships for kids is that you get swimming lessons included. There's also sending a kid to camp, like Camp Stephens and our new day camp, Camp Y. There's also the international program that we have."

How you can help spread the Christmas Spirit:

The easiest way to make a donation is through the Y's website (www.ywinnipeg.ca/gift) or by mail. Cheques can be made payable to: YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg

3550 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Z8. Donations can also be made at any branch. You can also make a donation in the memory of someone.

My Christmas wish:

"One of the reasons I come to the Y is because I believe in making the community a better place, and I think that's what we do. My wish is for everybody to have an opportunity to experience something that maybe they never have or to be in a position in their life where we're able to help them."

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 5, 2011 A6