6:00 pm Event opens
7:00 pm Dinner

Toronto Botanical Garden, Edwards Gardens
777 Lawrence Ave. E.
Toronto, ON 

John Riley

John is a key figure in conservation in Ontario. John's career in ecology started at the Royal Ontario Museum, where he worked as a botanist. In 1986, he joined the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, where he developed natural-heritage policies and programs. John also served as science director and executive director of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists. For the past four years, he directed the science and stewardship program of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), in support of direct conservation action. John is a member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission and a director of the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation. He is the author of the 1996 Ecological Survey of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve. He has also written widely on Ontario woodlands, alvars and peatlands, on conservation blueprints and natural heritage systems, and on special places including the Hudson Bay Lowland and the Niagara Escarpment.

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David Franco

David will be well known to many of our members as news anchor and program host with Classical 96.3 FM, where he worked for twenty years. In his former life he was a concert pianist and music educator. He is also Past President of Toronto Arts & Letters Club, Past Chairman of the O.S.P.C.A. and a Member of the Board of Directors of Millbrook Medical Centre. David has also spent ten years as a volunteer working on the Millbrook Valley Trails System.

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The Founders Dinner will feature local foods from the length and breadth of the Niagara Escarpment, catered by Sequel Event Catering.

View the Founders Dinner Menu (.pdf, 161.7 KB)

Vegetarian option available. To request a vegetarian meal, please contact brucetrail50@hotmail.ca or 416-266-4009.

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Two of the four founders of the Bruce Trail, Philip Gosling and Norman Pearson, are still with us today and have been invited to attend this anniversary Founders Dinner.

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1964 newsreel of the Bruce Trail

We will be showing a short video from 1964 made by a national broadcaster. The 16 mm film was recently discovered in the Bruce Trail Archives and has been converted to DVD. This film has not been viewed for more than 40 years. It illustrates the significant role of the Bruce Trail in developing awareness of the importance of preserving the Niagara Escarpment.

Silent Auction

Here are just some of the silent auction items to date:

• Handmade quilt, log cabin pattern by Masey Dyne (v. $500)
• Hockley Valley Golf Green passes (v. $180)
• Two Canada Goose jackets (v. $450 each)
• Custom Pet Portrait by Tracy Hogg (v. $485)
• Paul Duff painting (v. $1500)
• Toronto Raptors jersey signed by #15 A. Johnson
• $500 gift card from Black Feather
• Treehouse vacation in Costa Rica (v. $1600) from JunglaVista

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Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty congratulates the Toronto Bruce Trail Club on its 50th Anniversary

"On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to everyone attending the 50th Anniversary Founders Dinner of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club. Congratulations on reaching this milestone!"

Read the full letter here (.pdf, 110.4 KB)

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Message from Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

"It gives me great pleasure to extend greetings and congratulations to everyone celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club."

Read the full letter here (.pdf, 558.3 KB)

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