It is a very Canadian scene, a glimmering dark lake carries a reflection of the surrounding canopy, a wooden dock juts out towards a buoyed rope, while cabins and a lodge cling to a hillside, hidden in the long shadows of the forest. It is quiet, except for the dance of birds and bugs. Where is this, Bonnechere? No, it is the Whitchurch Forest within Ontario’s Greenbelt. And, it is the home of Trails Youth Initiatives.
Trails is a unique 29-year-old charity that provides life-long, consistent programming for vulnerable youth. Their “Four Seasons, Four Years, For Life” outdoor program builds confidence through skill development, high school credits, bursaries and mentorship. They challenge and equip vulnerable youth to become contributing members of the community.
Trails recruits participants from six feeder schools in urban Toronto that are at the bottom 15% of the Learning Opportunity Index. They do not recruit the kids at the top of their class, or those that have already fallen through the cracks; they use a triage approach to identify and help kids succeed – kids that would have fallen through the cracks without assistance, but can succeed with it.
The first time I reached out to Trails Youth Initiatives, I remember how perturbed founder Jim Hayhurst, Sr. was that I had found them on Google Earth. Trails prize their privacy. For the most part, neither local residents or campers know that the other exists. Two years later, when I revisited Trails, Jim was not present. His health had been failing for a long time, but his dedication to the organization never faltered.
I found out yesterday that Jim had passed away a few months after my last visit. Selflessly, “Hurst” as he was known at Trails, passed away on February 29, 2020, to ensure that mourning could occur only every four years on Leap Year. Jim had exuded a caring demeanor that could be likened to Santa Claus. He founded Trail in the 1990s. Always thinking ahead, Jim surrounded himself with a great Board of Directors, a good staff and sound succession planning.
I met Jim Hayhurst Jr. on site this day by pure accident for my third revisit to the 143-acre campsite. He had returned from Victoria to partake in an ash-spreading ceremony that had taken place the day before. Father like son, natural goodness projected from this Jim too.
Melissa Millward, Jim’s protégé, remains the President of Trails. After navigating a global pandemic, it’s not surprising that work-life balance is not always attained. Funny enough, Mel asks Janelle Dayman, the Director of Development who is sitting with us, how she is managing, who agrees that some days it’s easier than others. Mel still beams with enthusiasm and warmth. I originally wrote that she is ageless – somewhere between youth and wisdom. I’d say that she still holds this position.
The last time I visited, Mel reported Trails had increased their camper retention rate from 90 to 93%. Of those retained, 100% graduated high school and 75% had gone on for post-secondary education. Amazing stats for those kids that were slated to fail. As for their budget, it has grown to around $1.2 million, consistent with the increase in their camper count. To their mantra, Trails still relies 100% on private charitable contributions – no government assistance has been sought or desired.
This was the first summer back after disruptive lockdowns and closures caused by the pandemic. About 100 kids were at the camp this summer, bubbled in units of ten with two staff assigned to each bubble. Mel explains that the camp had to close last year, but the Trails curriculum never ceased. They brought the camp to the city in the form of day camps, and instead of paddling Algonquin, campers paddled the Humber River out to Lake Ontario. She also pointed out that life had been hard on their camp community, as many of the kids are from the most COVID vulnerable communities.
Janelle reported that financially Trails had lost some big funders during the pandemic. Understandably, some were in the travel industry and others pulled their donations as they faced financial uncertainty. She quickly points out that they have amazing long-time supporters and corporate sponsors who continue to believe in their ability to deliver on the Trails mission. Janelle says that Trails is looking forward to engaging donors with this year’s Holiday Campaign and they are cooking up some super ways to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2022.
Janelle suggests that potential funders and corporate volunteers should visit Trails. The team at Trails would love to show you around their property if you are interested in learning more about this incredible program happening in our own backyard. There are lots of ways to help. In recent years, a neighbour read about Trails in OTR and offered to set up a sugar bush operation. The Trails campers now make their own maple syrup. Please email Janelle at janelle@trails.ca if you would like to arrange for a tour of Trails, but note that Trails is run on private property and due to the nature of the program, it is important that community members do not visit without an appointment.
