BC Coast Campfire Ban (details)
The Wildlife Management Branch of the BC Ministry of Forests and Range have declared a campfire ban across all areas covered by the Coastal Fire Centre. The only exception is areas in the West Vancouver Island Fog Zone. For more information see: Campfire Ban Announcement and details.

History of Victoria Club Tread

1977

The Vancouver chapter of the Canadian Hostelling Association (CHA), wanting to establish a Victoria chapter, holds a meeting in Victoria with slides of Nepal. Matthew Nicoll, who had recently returned from traveling, attends the meeting and is elected chairman of the new Victoria chapter of the CHA. The Pack and Boot Shops, an outdoor recreation equipment supply store sponsored by the CHA, is established in Victoria and becomes the local CHA information centre.

1978

In January, Matthew Nicoll leads a small group on the first outdoor event: a cross-country ski trip to Whistler (this is prior to the development of the Whistler and Blackcomb Ski Complex). Monthly "general" meetings are held to announce up-coming events and to obtain feedback. Each meeting features a slide show on some aspect of traveling and/or the outdoors. Many outdoor events, including those to Whistler, take advantage of CHA shelters as a base camp. Dave Cotter emerges as the bicycle trip "specialist", Linda Priestley shows leadership in canoe trips, and Matthew becomes the ski trip "leader". The first executive is elected at the May 10th meeting and the first Annual General Meeting is held in December.

President:Matthew Nicoll
Norm Tandberg
Gill Tandberg
Dave Cotter
Felicity Page
Eugene Evans (age 16)

1979

The number of events expands to a day trip or a weekend trip just about every week. A collection of "regular" destinations and activities begins to emerge. They include Whistler, East Sooke Park, Strathcona Park, Long Beach, West Coast beaches, and Sooke area mountains. Emphasis is on backpacking trips with day hikes as "fill-in" activities. First annual Halloween Party held at Norm and Gill Tandberg's.

President:Matthew Nicoll
Norm Tandberg
Gill Tandberg
Dave Cotter
Felicity Page
Eugene Evans

1980

Bruce Archibald, an expert sailor, adds sailing trips as a new dimension to the club. First annual Christmas Party with "Santa" and gift-exchange is held at Linda Priestley's parents place. The Forbidden Plateau 'round-house' becomes a base camp for ski trips to Forbidden Plateau.

President:Matthew Nicoll

1981

Matthew leaves Victoria to travel in Africa. Dave Cotter designs and produces a silk-screened CHA T-shirt which is sold to members. The Rossalan trail is built by the Outdoors Club of Victoria and they invite the CHA chapter to use it. The number of social events is expanded and includes evenings at Harpo's.

1982

Friday night "Sports Night" is established after a summer of softball. Organizers include Bruce Archibald, Jeff Hawker, Dennis Haller, and Norm Tandberg. All are welcome at the Oaklands School gym for drop-in activities including volleyball, basketball, indoor soccer, and floor hockey. First ski trip to Mt. Washington organized by Bruce Archibald and Norm Tandberg. A condo is shared by 12 members. Jeff Hawker and Dennis Haller produce the first newsletter. It contains the event schedule, club news, book reviews, camping recipes, etc.

1983

Each quarterly schedule contains about 10 events and is printed on one side of standard size paper. Approximately 80 percent of the events are outdoor activities. Members include: Linda Priestley, Gary Norris, Norm and Gill Tandberg, Russ and Marjorie Raine, Rick Roberts, Sue Wilson, Bruce Archibald, Marilyn Simes, Dave Cotter, Nick Evans, Dennis Haller, Ron Armstrong, Bill Nicholson, Sarah Ebell, Felicity Page, Bill Bradley, Ray Hall. An effort was made to schedule a wider variety of activities and to make a commitment to completing events as planned. Car-pooling costs were set at the cost of gas plus 10%.

President:Linda Priestley

1984

The quarterly activities schedule is expanded to include club news and is printed on both sides of legal size paper. Each schedule contains information about the new Victoria Hostel, the B.C. Federation of Mountain Clubs, outdoor recipes, and a book review. The number and title of positions in the executive changes throughout the year. The schedules contains between 13 and 18 events. Norm Tandberg and Dennis Haller represent the Club at the B.C. Federation of Mountain Clubs. The Federation is designed to liaise with government and private industry to establish a provincial policy on land use with special attention focused on Strathcona Park and Mt. Washington. Other participants include the Sierra Club and the Alpine Club. Discussions become heated as the government proposes mining and logging contracts for these areas. The Friends of Strathcona Park, a political advocacy group, is established. The Victoria Hostel is established.

President:Nick Evans
Sec/Treasurer:Marjorie Raine
Vice President:Rick Roberts
Activities:Gary Norris
Publicity:Ron Armstrong
Prov. Delegate:Russ Raine
Rick Roberts
Gary Norris (alternate)
Newsletter:Dennis Haller
Jeff Hawker

1985

A new executive structure is established. The schedules contain around 20 events. Newsletter-oriented "trip reports" begin to appear on the schedules. The recommendation to form an outdoors club, independent of the CHA, is met with an even split in votes.

President:Barbara Sickling
Sec/Treasurer:Ann Tarves
Publicity:Ron Armstrong
Newsletter:Dennis Haller
Jeff Hawker

1986

Concerned about liability, the Canadian Hostel Association decide to sever relationships with the Victoria Outdoor Section in December. A group of VOS members decide to carry on in the following year as an independent group.

President:Barbara Sickling
Sec/Treasurer:Ann Tarves
Publicity:Ron Armstrong
Newsletter:Dennis Haller

1987

The new club is formed. Ron Armstrong coins the name "Club Tread" and Betty Walsh designs the boot-print logo for the newly founded club. Dues are charged for the first time - $8 per year. Buddy Bhandar offers his house in the hills of Shawnigan Lake as the site for the annual Halloween Party.

President:Ann Tarves
Treasurer/Membership:Gary Norris
Publicity:Ron Armstrong
Newsletter:Betty Walsh

Year end membership: 44

1988

The new Club Tread experiences significant growth. Dues are increased to $12 per year and the quarterly schedules contain between 26 and 43 events. The composition of the executive is expanded early in the year. The location of the departure point is changed from Mayfair or Tillicum malls to the Saanich Municipal Hall. "Official" Club Tread T-shirts are created and sold. Annual Christmas party is moved to the Norway House and a D.J. is hired. This continues to be a potluck event. Rob Denny takes over as a leader in sailing events with his 30' sail boat Waxwing.

President:John Lindeblom
Treasurer/Membership:Dave Steffy
Outdoor Events:Cass Laird
Rob Rix
Ray Hall
Social Events:Shirley Turcotte
Sports:Dennis Haller
Publicity:Ron Armstrong
Newsletter:Betty Walsh

Year end membership: 60

1989

Founding members begin to leave the Club for a number of reasons including new-found family responsibilities and a feeling that the group has grown too big. Some begin to feel that the Club is evolving into a "singles" group and are discomforted by this. A small faction opposed to the proliferation of social events emerges. Two different schedules of activities are produced - one available to Club members and the general public containing only outdoor events, and the other for Club members only containing just social events. Dues are increased to $15 per year and the quarterly schedules contain between 25 and 41 events. New memberships are actively pursued.

President:Brad Watson
Treasurer/Membership:Irena Jazwinski
Outdoor Events:Cass Laird
Russ Page
Rob Denny
Social Events:Phyllis Kynas
Sports:Janet Peterson
Publicity:Ron Armstrong
Newsletter:Wendy Fischer

Year end membership: 99

1990

Gord Warrenchuk champions the effort to have the Club registered as a non-profit society, complete with Constitution and By-laws. This comes about through much hard internal negotiation. The new constitution defines the composition of subsequent executive. A dispute regarding "ownership" of the Sports Night emerges and the Club decides to release involvement with Sports Night making the Sports Coordinator position obsolete. In addition to "Single", new membership categories of "Couple" and "Student" are introduced. The quarterly schedules contain between 31 and 43 events. For the first time, the annual Christmas Party is catered and is held at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. The concept of two schedules, outdoor events and social, is scrapped and both events are again included in a single schedule. The first annual Oktoberfest night at the Victoria Edelweiss Club is organized by Charlotte Bowie.

President:Rob Denny
Treasurer/Membership:Gord Warrenchuk
Outdoor Events:Dave Steffy
Ray Hall
Elaine Lewis
Social Events:Cathy Edmunds
Sports:Cathy Quann
Publicity:Ross Boast
Newsletter:Phyllis Kynas

Year end membership: 136

1991

The effort to establish the Club as a non-profit society results in the executive extending their term of office past the traditional calendar year-end. Election of the new executive occurs at the planning meeting in late February and the February planning meeting is thus established as the annual general meeting during which the new executive is elected. Charlotte Bowie establishes the Swan Lake Nature Centre as the site of quarterly meetings. She is also responsible for introduction of Club membership cards. As a non-profit society, the Club obtains liability insurance for the first time. Bev Bacon volunteers to take responsibility for coordinating the Club ski trips thus relieving the Outdoor Event Coordinator from this task. "Official" Club Tread badges are created through the efforts of Val Townsend and sold by the Club to members at cost. As new memberships continue to grow steadily, it is felt that this growth will continue on its own and active pursuit of new members is suspended. The annual Christmas Party is held at the Princess Mary and is fully catered. Charlotte Bowie manages to get a number of door prizes donated from various outdoor stores within the city. The event is not subsidized by the Club and makes a minimal profit. After extensive debate in three different quarterly planning meetings, the Club adopts a uniform car-pooling policy of each passenger paying their driver 3-cents per kilometer. The first official annual report is submitted to the registrar of non-profit societies. The quarterly schedules contain between 41 and 53 events.

President:Charlotte Bowie
Vice President:Vic Dove
Treasurer/Membership:Gord Warrenchuk
Secretary:Marie Vautier
Outdoor Events:Russ Page
Social Events:Lorraine Marchand / Charlotte Bowie
Publicity:Ross Boast
Newsletter:David Fisher

Year end membership: 149

1992

A system for rating hikes based on the model developed by the Victoria Outdoor Club is established. The check list for event coordinators is expanded. The quarterly schedules contain between 49 and 71 events. The number of scheduled ski trips doubles to 8.

President:Paul Turcotte
Vice President:David Fisher
Treasurer/Membership:Gord Warrenchuk
Secretary:Betty Walsh
Outdoor Events:Don MacNeill
Social Events:Nicole Aube / Don MacNeill
Publicity:Mary Kingsley
Newsletter:Michael Motek

Year end membership: 161

1993

Initiated by Steve Graham, the hike rating system is simplified to use boot-prints to indicate levels of endurance. The easiest hikes are rated with one boot-print and the most difficult are rated with four. Audrey Stibbe creates a newsletter, called "Keeping Track", that is published quarterly and distributed with the schedule to members. A paper describing outdoor etiquette is produced and distributed to all members in an effort to promote no-trace camping and hiking. The Club plays an active role in the CRD Trail Coordinating Group and creates an interest in the establishment of a continuous protected area from Jordan River to Port Renfrew. Kayaking trips, organized by Steve Graham, become popular. Caving trips are introduced by Michael Motek. A number of one-boot walking events begin to appear on the schedule. A contingency fund is established to ease financial impact on members affected by unfortunate property damage while participating in outdoor events. A number of outdoor stores begin to give discounts to card-carrying members. The check list for event coordinators is enhanced. The Club experiences a significant growth in membership. The quarterly schedules contain between 48 and 93 events.

President:Gerald Person
Vice President:Anna Mears
Treasurer/Membership:Gord Warrenchuk
Secretary:Jackie Evans
Outdoor Events:Steve Graham
Social Events:Sheila Robertson
Publicity:Wynne Arden
Newsletter:Michael Motek

Year end membership: 189

1994

The cost of car-pooling to each passenger is increased to 5-cents per kilometer on paved roads and 10-cents per kilometer on logging roads. "Official" Club Tread t-shirts are created through the efforts of Gerry Person and sold at cost to Club members. A local outdoor store also buys some for resale at profit. After review by the membership, the contingency fund established in the previous year is dropped. Attendance at the annual Christmas Party is down from previous years and the subsidy level is down accordingly.

President:Gerald Person
Vice President:Anna Mears
Treasurer/Membership:Gord Warrenchuk
Secretary:Jackie Evans
Outdoor Events:Steve Graham
Social Events:Sheila Robertson
Publicity:Pat Doheny
Newsletter:Brian Latta

Year end membership: 194

1995

Gord Warrenchuk submits the document A History of Victoria Club Tread for inclusion with the Club's artifacts. The timing for election of officers is changed from the Annual General Meeting to the last planning meeting of the year.

President:Michael Motek
Vice President:Russ Page
Treasurer/Membership:Pat Brown
Secretary:Pam Corzatt
Outdoor Events:Michael Slaney
Social Events:Joyce Danby
Publicity:Johann Amering
Newsletter:Brian Latta

Membership as of November 21st: 183

1996

The summer schedule is dominated by backpacking trips.

President:Audrey Stibbe
Vice President:Russ Page
Treasurer/Membership:Pat Brown
Secretary:Pam Corzatt
Outdoor Events:Ray Potvin
Past President:Michael Motek
Social Events:Joyce Danby
Publicity:Anne Watt
Newsletter:Steve Graham

Membership as of November 12th: 174

1997

PresidentSteve Graham
Vice-PresidentRon Armstrong
Treasurer/MembershipPat Brown
Social CoordinatorAlex Lopez
Schedule Distribution/PublicityBob Crane
Past President:Audrey Stibbe
SecretaryPam Renney
Newsletter EditorMichael Motek
Outdoor Events CoordinatorBrough Warren

Membership as of November 5th: 161

1998

PresidentSteve Graham
Vice-PresidentRon Armstrong
Treasurer/MembershipPat Brown
Social CoordinatorJudy Low
Schedule Distribution/PublicityBob Crane
Past President>Vacant
SecretaryPam Renney
Newsletter EditorDianne C
Outdoor Events CoordinatorGeoff Chiddell

Membership as of September 3rd: 163

1999

PresidentGerry Person
Vice-PresidentRon Armstrong
Treasurer/MembershipJacquie Hunt
Social CoordinatorPaula Yewchuck
Schedule Distribution/PublicityBob Crane
Past President>Steve Graham
SecretaryPam Renney
Newsletter EditorDianne C
Outdoor Events CoordinatorGeoff Chiddell

Membership as of September 11th: 163

2000

PresidentPaula Yewchuck
Vice-PresidentRon Armstrong
Treasurer/MembershipDavid Hoadley
Social CoordinatorHazel Medlyn
Schedule Distribution/PublicityBruce Dickey
Past President>Gerry Person
SecretaryPam Renney
Newsletter EditorDianne C
MembershipJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Events CoordinatorKevin White

Membership as of November 16th: 172

2001

Club Tread get's it own domain name, moving from freeservers.

PresidentPam Renney
Vice-PresidentRon Armstrong
TreasurerDavid Hoadley
Social CoordinatorGail Owen
Schedule Distributor/PublicityFrances Patterson
Past PresidentPaula Yewchuk
SecretaryPat Brown
Newsletter EditorDianne Corner
MembershipJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Events CoordinatorRichard Tolman

Membership as of November 14th: 191

2002

Membership as of November 5th: 178
1065 people attended the 148 events held by the club in 2002.

PresidentRon Armstrong
Vice PresidentPat Brown
Past PresidentPam Renney
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorJohn Ward
PublicityRay Potvin
Schedule EditorDianne Collier
SecretaryPam Renney
Social CoordinatorTerri Crawford
TreasurerAudrey Stibbe
WebmasterMichael Motek

2003

Membership as of November 12th: 167
1265 people attended the 172 events held by the club in 2003.

PresidentRon Armstrong
Vice PresidentPat Brown
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorJohn Ward
PublicityRay Potvin
Schedule EditorDianne Collier
SecretaryPam Renney
Social CoordinatorSusan Kirk
TreasurerAudrey Stibbe
WebmasterMichael Motek

2004

Membership as of November 17th: 176
1882 people attended the 205 events held by the club in 2004.

PresidentRussell Page
Vice PresidentChris Vardy
Past PresidentRon Armstrong
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorTom Gore
PublicityRay Potvin
Schedule EditorFred Trudell
SecretaryPam Renney
Social CoordinatorSusan Kirk
TreasurerJudy Leonard
WebmasterMichael Motek

2005

Hikes and backpacks continued as usual. Socially the Summer Picnic and Christmas Party were as enjoyable as ever. A sub-committee of the executive updated Club safety policies after a group of hikers was overtaken by darkness before they completed a hike. No harm came to anyone but it was a reminder that preparing for the unexpected is a cardinal rule for all who venture into the outdoors.

Forums are added to the club's website, unfortunately they are abandoned shortly after due to a combination of lack of use and security concerns. The upgrade to the website is still beneficial as it allows the webmaster to start building a more interactive site.

Membership as of November 9th: 189
1698 people attended the 199 events held by the club in 2005.

PresidentChris Vardy
Vice PresidentLeo Vezina
Past PresidentRussell Page
Keeping Track EditorJoyce Vezina
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorTom Gore
PublicityChris Irving
Schedule EditorDean Bennett
SecretaryPam Renney
Social CoordinatorGail Clark
TreasurerFred Trudell
WebmasterMichael Motek

2006

A revised constitution for the club was implemented to reflect changes that had occurred over the years. The Newsletter Editor and the Webmaster positions are now officially part of the Executive. Declining membership numbers and fewer activities than in recent years took the attention of the Club. Various measures were implemented to stem this trend, including random prizes to recognise members who put events on the calendar and presentations at planning meetings of hikes club members had undertaken.

Membership as of December 3rd: 178
1269 people attended the 146 events held by the club in 2006.

PresidentChris Vardy
Vice PresidentLeo Vezina
Past PresidentRussell Page
Keeping Track EditorJoyce Vezina
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorTom Gore
PublicityChris Irving
Schedule EditorFred Trudell
SecretaryPenny Codding
Social CoordinatorDana Waite
Social CoordinatorElizabeth Williams
TreasurerSusan Kirk
WebmasterMichael Motek

2007

Membership as of November 28th: 149
1350 people attended the 198 events held by the club in 2007.

PresidentTom Gore
Vice PresidentGeorge Welsh
Past PresidentChris Vardy
Keeping Track EditorBarry Gaetz
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorDonald Ferster
PublicityChris Irving
Schedule EditorFred Trudell
SecretaryElizabeth Williams
SecretaryChris Taggart
Social CoordinatorDana Waite
Social CoordinatorElizabeth Williams
TreasurerSusan Kirk
WebmasterMichael Motek

2008

This year's highlights include:

Also, the membership gave the Executive a mandate for political involvement in matters of interest, especially those involving conservation and parks.

In particular we would like to acknowledge Mountain Equipment Coop's very generous support this year.

Membership as of November 26th: 142
1292 people attended the 179 events held by the club in 2008.

PresidentTom Gore
Vice PresidentGeorge Welsh
Keeping Track EditorBarry Gaetz
Membership CoordinatorJacquie Hunt
Outdoor Event CoordinatorDonald Ferster
PublicityJudy Brown
Schedule EditorFred Trudell
SecretaryElizabeth Williams
Social CoordinatorDana Waite
TreasurerSusan Kirk
WebmasterMichael Motek