Introduction
This history section is divided into three pages. This page deals with the club's beginnings. To see the other pages click on the appropriate link below
How the Hike Program has developed
Trail Changes Over the Years
The Beginnings
In 1961, a "save the escarpment" conference was held in Hamilton, and a hiking trail along the Niagara Escarpment was proposed. Gerry Wolfram, the outdoors writer for the St. Catharines Standard attended and was inspired to hike the escarpment from Grimsby to Queenston along a possible route for a trail. After that, he proposed to the Peninsula Field Naturalists club that a committee be formed to develop a hiking trail.
The club did form such a committee, and club president Bert Lowe proceeded to
contact landowners along the proposed route for permission to cross their properties, and
he went ahead and blazed the trail.
In March 1962, the first section of the trail was officially opened at the Bucknall
farm in Beamsville.
In June 1963, the Escarpment Trail Council was formed to oversee the
Niagara Escarpment Trail. By August, there remained only 6 miles of trail to be
completed, and by October it was finished. The Niagara section was completed largely
independently of the remainder of the Bruce Trail, and before any of the other sections. It
was estimated that about 1600 hours of work were required to complete the trail, but with
a cost of only $127 to the committee. The Niagara Escarpment Trail was officially opened
May 24, 1964, in a ceremony at Queenston.
In 1962, the council was contacted by the Bruce Trail association to consider
joining the organization, but the Niagara group was not satisifed with some of the BTA
bylaws, and did not merge with the BTA until November 1968, at which time the
Niagara Bruce Trail Club was formed. On that occasion, Norman Pearson, the first
president of the BTA was quoted as saying that the Bruce Trail would never have gotten
off the ground had not Bert Lowe completed the Niagara Trail.
THE Niagara Bruce Trail Club has recognized Bert Lowe's contribution by renaming
The St. Catharines side trail, which had been part of the original Escarpment
Trail, Was renamed the Bert Lowe Side Trail. Bert was also honoured at the annual
meeting of The BTA held in St. Catharines in September 2004.