Bruce Trail Day brings music, nature and hiking to Splitrock Narrows

By Joshua Drakes

The Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club is inviting residents to experience the Bruce Trail in a different way this fall, with music, hiking, nature demonstrations and a free barbecue planned for Bruce Trail Day.

The annual celebration takes place Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Splitrock Narrows Nature Reserve in Mono, located at 755437 2nd Line EHS, Mono. The event is free, with no pre-registration required.

Organizer and vice president of the Dufferin Hi-Land Club, Lorraine Campbell, said that one of the main attractions will be the return of the club's musical hike, now in its third year.

“We've got a new slate of musicians this year,” she said. “There's six of them, and they include a reggae singer, a couple of guitarists, one classical guitarist, a clarinetist, and the Guelph Celtic Orchestra.”

The musicians will be spread throughout the trail, giving visitors the opportunity to hear performances as they make their way through Splitrock Narrows.

A children's music circle will also be offered, providing another way for younger visitors to participate.

Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club member Don Stewart said that the musical hike was inspired by a similar event hosted by the Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Club

“We did a copycat a few years ago because Blue Mountain had done it the year prior and found it very successful,” he said. “So, if you get something that works, why not try it?”

“Tom [Dufferin Hi-Lands President] was in a band for many years professionally, so he has all kinds of contacts in the music industry, especially up here. So, he was able to make arrangements. We are not for profit, so we don't have a whole lot of money. To get professional musicians, some of them just came because they loved the concept, but other ones, they wanted to get some remuneration for their time and effort, so we were able to make deals.”

After seeing its success, Dufferin Hi-Land adopted the concept, using local connections to bring musicians onto the trail. The musical format proved popular during previous Bruce Trail Day celebrations, combining the natural setting with live performances.

Music will not be the only focus.

Visitors can take part in a guided hike, learn about the club's biodiversity work and visit its seed orchard, which is part of efforts to regenerate native plants for use along the trail. An iNaturalist demonstration led by Rod Murray will also highlight observations of nature along the Bruce Trail.

The event is designed to be accessible to people who may have little or no hiking experience. The route is less than three kilometres, and visitors can choose how much of it they want to explore. Some of the more challenging crevices can also be bypassed.

“This is a hike that anyone can get to, anyone can do,” Campbell said. “It is accessible to the youngest children, even to dogs. There are the crevices that you can hike down into, but you can bypass them as well. There's absolutely no challenge to this hike. Anybody can participate.”

Bruce Trail Day is held annually across all nine Bruce Trail clubs, with each section offering its own activities. The day is intended to introduce people to the trail, encourage people to spend time outdoors and highlight the Bruce Trail Conservancy's work protecting a continuous ribbon of wilderness along the Niagara Escarpment.

For the Dufferin Hi-Land club, that conservation work is an important part of the celebration.

The club's activities will showcase not only hiking, but also biodiversity and efforts to preserve the natural environment.

“When it comes to the Bruce Trail Conservancy, there are two bonds to it,” Campbell said. “One is hiking, but the other, and it's just as important, is that we're a nature conservancy organization. Preserving nature is our core mission. The actual mandate is preserving a remnant of wilderness for everyone, everywhere. [There are] the two arms to the Bruce Trail, and we're trying to address and celebrate both of them during Bruce Trail Day.”

Visitors can also learn about club membership, upcoming hikes and volunteer opportunities, making Bruce Trail Day an opportunity to experience the trail while discovering ways to become more involved in the organization and its conservation work.