The Bruce Trail Association held its annual general meeting in Hamilton recently and announced an outstanding year of success for the Bruce Trail.

"This has been an incredible year for the Bruce Trail Association," said association president Ernie Kuechmeister. "The

commitment of Ontario's landowners to secure the Bruce Trail and conserve the Niagara Escarpment has never been as evident as during our 2005/06 fiscal year. It's not only good for the Bruce Trail but for Ontario's environment and heritage as well."

The association's executive director, Beth Kmmling,

said that through public and private funds the Association raised over $1 million in cash donations and a further $1.3 million in land donations. "In 1960, Bruce Trail founders had a vision of a secured conservation corridor for the Bruce Trail, from Niagara to Tobermory, for future

generations to enjoy. This year's progress puts the Bruce Trail Association well on the way to making their vision a reality."

Roughly 400 km (47 per cent) of the Bruce Trail is on secured land and more than 2,300 hectares of Niagara Escarpment land is managed by the Association's 800 volunteers.

In the 2005/6 fiscal year, Trail work volunteers alone provided more than 15,500 hours of volunteer support to maintain and improve the Bruce Trail.

"With momentum from a fantastic 2005/06 fiscal year, I feel very confident in the Bruce Trail Association's ability to sustain this success and achieve its goal of a secure conservation corridor for the Bruce Trail for everyone to enjoy. The Bruce Trail is something all Canadians can feel proud of," remarked Robert Ellison, the association's incoming president.

For more information about the Bruce Trail Association and to review the 2005/06 annual report visit www.brucetrail.org .

The Bruce Trail Association is a charitable organization committed to establishing a conservation corridor containing a public footpath along the Niagara Escarpment, in order to protect its natural ecosystems and to promote environmentally responsible public access to this UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

The Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest continuous footpath in Canada. It runs along the Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory spanning more that 850 kilometres of main trail.

In 1960, the idea of the pubic footpath spanning the entire Niagara Escarpment was envisioned by Raymond Lowes and Robert Bateman along with other founding members Norman Pearson, Dr. Robert MacLaren, and Philip Gosling, and they held the inaugural committee meeting in 1960. Together they were instrumental in building the Bruce Trail. Regional Clubs were

established in 1963, and each Club was responsible for organization, landowner approvals, construction and maintenance in their area. In 1967, in Tobermory the cairn at the northern terminus of the Bruce Trail was unveiled and seven years of determination and support and the founders' vision were realized with the official opening of the Bruce Trail.

The Bruce Trail has increased awareness of the uniqueness and rich diversity of the Niagara Escarpment and played a key role in the escarpment

being named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1990.

Today, more than 400,000 visits are made to the Bruce Trail each year to walk, cross country-ski, snowshoe, watch wildlife, capture images and admire the glorious scenery of the Escarpment. The Bruce Trail Association comprises nine Bruce Trail Clubs and a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors governs the Association. The Association is supported by 750 active volunteers and 8,400 members.