It was quite a sight to see the big green and white engine thunder into the station after nearly two decades of quiet on the tracks from Barrie to Bradford.

Despite a technical issue with the automated ticket vending machine, the first trip was smooth and comfortable. For a 5:43am departure, the train was relatively full.

It was a special day for me as I have been involved in the effort to help restore passenger rail service for many years – writing letters, sending emails and advocating for public transit on many different occasions.

The foresight in particular of the City of Barrie in deciding to purchase the right-of-way several years ago when CN suggested it was going to tear up the Bradford-Barrie line was instrumental in restoring the service. And although the partnership between GO Transit and the Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments had many ups and downs, I would like to thank all parties for their perseverance and their vision.

My hope is that the expansion of GO service will continue and that the old “Thunder Trains” will someday be replaced by faster, lighter and more frequent rapid transit equipment that will provide more frequent trips capable of traveling to Union Station in under an hour. After all – the idea here is to offer a superior alternative to the car.

Our Barrie station isn’t much, but it’s a start. Now let’s ensure that the trains are here in Barrie to stay this time.

Dedicated to the memory of The Group of Seven artist Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945), who spent years trying to capture the essence of the area with a paintbrush, the La Cloche Silhouette Trail is considered by many to be one of the most challenging and beautiful hikes in the country. Having hiked the 100 kilometre loops several years ago without a camera, I decided this year to return to better document the expedition.

Our itinerary had us starting at George Lake and hiking the loop counter-clockwise up to Silver Peak, and then back out the same way. We geared up and started the hike under a cold, grey sky on the morning of September 23, 2006 shortly after 9:00 am.

It is here that three couples were outfitted with some rugged gear and a few words of wisdom before a beginning a three day excursion on the famed French River.

The very kind Alex Strachan and his staff at Pine Cove wished us all the best as we headed due east along the Little French River. The air was hot but not too humid as we enjoyed surfing with the canoes along the shoreline with a strong tailwind from the prevailing westerlies.

We made good time, stopping to sample the wild blueberries that covered the rough granite shorelines beneath the giant wind-swept Eastern White Pines. Our destination was Restoule Bay, at which we arrived after five and a half hours of easy paddling. We camped atop a steep ridge that gave way to a twenty-metre deep granite gorge to the south west that contained a spectacular set of small falls and rapids.

The current snowshoeing equipment is remarkably simple and durable with the snowshoes being constructed of sturdy composite materials like kevlar and aluminum. I was outfitted with a pair of Atlas 10 Series snowshoes (Atlas 1025, to be precise). After a short but informative lesson on sizing up and strapping into a pair, Dan and I grabbed some multi-purpose trekking poles and followed the guide into the deep snow, heading west. The surrounding boughs of white pine were covered with deep snow, giving the trail a cozy, comforting feeling.

Headed southwest, we encountered a strong prevailing headwind for the greater part of the day as we made our way across first the northeast and then the northwest arm of Lady Evelyn Lake. We finished our ten-hour day of paddling on a small island in Sucker Gut Lake with only two short portages under 300m each. We were tired, but the weather was sunny and warm.