After several months of delay due to some members wintering down south, your Council met and discussed many topics including the following:

We were pleased to learn from our Treasurer, Rod Richmond, that about 75% of all payments received from members are being made using the convenient credit card system on our website. We thank those members who are helping us to process transactions in a much more efficient and timely manner than possible by those sending cheques by mail.

Since LOC operates without any physical location to store various items (e.g., our projector and sound system, social event supplies, hiking equipment, etc.), they tend to be scattered about and difficult to keep track of. Therefore, we would welcome your storage suggestions.

In order to ensure that our various outdoor event leaders are properly prepared, Chris Richmond has agreed to organize training sessions within the next couple of months. In anticipation of holding our next Annual General Meeting this fall, we are seeking volunteers to fill several executive positions including President and Vice-President. I can confirm from my experience that neither role requires a great deal of time other than our 2-hour bi-monthly Council meetings. Feel free to contact me for more information.

To educate the public and prospective members regarding all the outdoor opportunities offered by our Club, we plan to replace our very outdated brochure as well as to develop a business card for members to distribute as appropriate.  Mike Tanner volunteered to help organize this effort.

Our Paddling committee led by Judy Mahoney has invested considerable time and effort to bring the 2019 World Tour Paddling Film Festival to Sarnia on Saturday, May 4^th at 7pm. You’re sure to be amazed by the 20 inspiring film presentations. Limited seats are available, and the cost is only $8.00 by credit card on our website for LOC members and their guests. This event is replacing the traditional Spring Social, so even if you are not a Paddler, come out and meet friends and enjoy this World Class Show

Your hiking, cycling and paddling committees have already met to organize their respective outdoor activities over the next few months and many have already been posted on our website calendar. If you wish to participate, we would once again remind you to register in advance online rather than simply showing up in order that the event leaders may be fully prepared with their required reports.

Submitted by Les McDermott - LOC President

The Paddling Film Festival is an international adventure film forum for presenting the world’s best paddling films of the year – whitewater, sea kayaking, canoeing, SUP, action ad lifestyle – in more than 120 cities and towns across Canada, United States and around the world. 

The Festival is coming to Sarnia on Saturday, May 4^th at the Theatre Forty Two on 900 Devine Street, Sarnia.  Events begin at 7:00PM and go until 11:00PM.  This is part of the Lambton Outdoor Club activities – socialize, film, and information.

With 20 inspiring paddling films short listed for the World Tour, including the ten festival category winners, audiences will see hairy whitewater action, sea kayakers exploring remote coastlines, northern river canoe expeditions, international river travel films, motivating environmental documentaries, and hilarious short films capturing the lighter side of paddling life.  We will be showing about 6-8 of these films.

So how do you get tickets?  You can register and pay $8 by buying tickets from the LOC website or you can pay $10 in person at Wawanosh Watercraft at 1801 Blackwell Rd.  Tickets have been going swiftly, so get them soon because the Theatre can only hold 150 people.

Submitted by Judy Mahoney - Paddling Chair

I would like to welcome any new cyclists or previous riders to join us whenever you are free to ride. Come on out and enjoy the fresh air!  If you are new to the club, we have 3 different groups for different distances and speed.  As some of you may have noticed, there is a group called Slow Spokes which ride on Wednesday morning and ride approximately 20 km. Other group are the Easy Riders and distance may vary from 40-55 km and go 18-20 km/hr. Hares may go a little further 60-90 km and faster - 20-25 km/hr.  If you are unsure about you’re cycling, you are welcome to try each group and see what fits your ability.

As our warmer weather begins, the cycling season is almost upon us even with this unpredictable weather.  The committee has had a couple of meetings to decide where our wonderful rides will take us in the next few months. 

Remember to look in the calendar for upcoming events such as the Cycling Workshop on April 28th and the informal Thursday morning rides begin May 16th.

Cynthia MacNeil - Cycling Chair

“Oh the weather outside is frightful”, came to mind as I drove through an intense snow squall to the truck stop at Reece’s Corners, the rendezvous point for the hike around the AW Campbell Conservation Area at Alvinston. Soon a dozen of us gathered, pondering the wisdom of the outing on a raw day. Drawing on collective courage, we car pooled and headed cautiously into the snow belt.  Meeting another car full of hardy souls at the Community Centre we drove to the Conservation area; the skies cleared, the mushy ground was frost firm and a pristine inch of overnight snow added a dreamy frosting. The table flat fields of Lambton morphed into the gentle rolling terrain of Middlesex as we walked past frozen ponds, gaunt forest and clambered up muddy grades.  We stumbled upon a brood of families listening as a guide explained the history of Maple Syrup production; a smoky fire lazily heating an iron cauldron added a homely touch.    Dipping back into the woods we emerge at the Park entrance; it is family day and a team of steaming Belgians are offering hay wagon rides to excited children. After two energetic hours we retire at the Community Center, where the Volunteer Firemen are serving frisbee size Pancakes and sausage, a satisfying end to a rewarding morning.

Venturing outdoors on a wild day might seem foolish, but the outing had its sweet reward.

This was my first hike in quite some time, and I was pleased to meet a catch of newer members, and am also the proud owner of a new  LOC Toque, courtesy of Terry Syer.

Mike Tanner - Editor

Pushing the Ski Season

I promise, this will be my last ski report (at least until possibly next winter) but I wanted to briefly share my 2-day experience just completed in Northern Michigan at the end of March.

That’s because unlike last month’s BC mountain trip, I actually spent the entire time challenging some steeper runs and escaped without any injury. Perhaps I am actually getting more confident and competent. In any event, this was also my first time enjoying what is generally referred to as Spring skiing where the temperature is above freezing, the sun is shining brilliantly, and the snow becomes a little softer and more tolerant of any potential mistakes.

Although I had skied at Boyne Highlands a few months ago, I decided this time to spend my entire time just down the road at Nub’s Knob which is considered to have the best snow as well as more slopes and ski lifts. Even better, this family-friendly facility offers free ski passes to those aged 70 or over. As a further financial benefit, I stayed in a very clean and comfortable room at a Best Western Hotel conveniently located only 5 minutes away for an unbelievable low rate of $59 per night based on a 3-night stay.

While I once again made this trip as a novice skier by myself, I would suggest to any of you who might want to join me next year for the easy 5-hour ride up I-75 to let me know. In the meantime, I look forward now to the cycling season.

Les McDermott - LOC President

It was the strangest phone call : “I think you have my boots”. The voice was familiar but I couldn’t put a face to it. Questions flashed through my mind. Which boots? Why me? Was this a prank? As it happened I was at home, and could quickly check the veracity of my callers query. Whoops! It all came back, on my last hike to A W Campbell Conservation Area I had carpooled with Greg Hogan and  put my muddy boots in a plastic bag as instructed; and the boots I hauled out of my closet were definitely suitable for a man with  smaller feet. Greg had not discovered the switch until he arrived last week in Parkhill, but to his credit he plied the muddy terrain in my size 11’s. If our roles had been reversed I shudder to think of the consequences. No harm done, but perhaps we should add an extra line of rubric to the hike instructions gently reminding folk to check their belongings. My kids were always losing gloves, scarves and various items of clothing, I can see the gene has been passed down to me.

Mike Tanner  editor

Howard Watson Trail Clean Up Day

9:00am Saturday April 27

 LOC has a long tradition of helping to keep this wonderful linear trail free from garbage, by coordinating a clean up day. In recent years this has been coordinated by Tony Abbott with Sarnia Parks and Recreation as part of their city wide Community Parks Clean Up day. This year Stan Martin has stepped up to coordinate our involvement, which takes a couple of hours to clean up the sections between Telfer Side Road and London Road. We meet where the trail intersects Modeland road at 9.00am, where garbage bags and work details will be assigned. Sign up on the website for further information. There is free BBQ in Canatara park provided by Sarnia Parks and Rotary, for those who pre sign, or let Stan know at stan_mart@hotmail.com

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