Bruce Peninsula 2010 Outdoor Festival
Plans for the 2010 Outdoor Festival will be underway soon and we are looking
forward to another wonderful celebration! Don't miss a fun-filled weekend of
outstanding guided hikes, workshops and special presentations highlighting
the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. Our festival events are hosted in conjunction
with the Bruce Peninsula National Park.
- The Bruce Peninsula Outdoor Festival 2010 will be held October 1st, 2nd and 3rd
- The Schedule of Events will be posted here when it becomes available in the summer of 2010.
- Last year's Festival information (2009) is shown below to give you an idea what the Festival typically is like.
Sample of Last Year (below)
Join us for our 6th Annual Outdoor Festival, filled with great events and a special evening cruise on the
MS Chi-Cheemaun! Experience what makes the Bruce Peninsula and Niagara Escarpment a fantastic
place to enjoy the outdoors. Learn more about the Peninsula’s unique flora, fauna, history, geology and
more. We welcome you and hope you enjoy the festival!
Festival Pass & Pre-registration
Pre-registration is required for all events so book early (see General Information below for contact methods). The weekend pass donation is
$45 per person and includes Friday night presentation and social, Saturday Sunset Cruise on the MS Chi-Cheemaun, all hikes and workshops
as well as entry to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre and National Park sites. Note: The all-day, Saturday activity entitled "Natural History of Flowerpot Island" does require an additional transportation cost payable on site at the harbour. See details below.
 DOWNLOAD 2009 REGISTRATION FORM - PDF FILE
Bring a Drink Container
Help us to reduce our impact on the environment during the festival by bringing your own reusable drink container for the weekend for use during
our Friday night social and for hot & cold drinks throughout the weekend. Mugs will also be for sale at the door.
Where Do the Proceeds Go?
Festival proceeds support the Bruce Trail ‘Realize the Dream’ Legacy Campaign. Don’t forget to get your tickets for our raffle. Winning tickets
will be drawn on Saturday night during the cruise.
Special Notes
- Please note where your events begin and arrive 15 minutes prior to your event to arrange car pooling.
- For more details and map links, see below.
- We suggest you carry water and your lunch/snacks as you move from morning to afternoon events
Festival Headquarters:
Tobermory Community Centre
Friday September 18, 2009
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm > Information, Registration & Social, Tobermory Community Centre
Join us for “Drinks & Snacks” and browse through displays from various organizations, then head to the Visitor
Centre for one of two showings of our Friday night presentation in the theatre.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm > Living in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Parks Canada Visitor Centre
AND
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm > Living in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Parks Canada Visitor Centre
The Niagara Escarpment is recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve alongside places like the Everglades, Galapagos
Islands, and the Amazon. This international designation celebrates a region's unique connection between humans and nature,
and helps communities to work cooperatively to conserve the natural environment while sustaining local economies and livelihoods.
Join Sean Liipere, Communications Officer for Parks Canada and Chair of the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association,
to learn what it means to be a biosphere reserve community and why the Bruce Peninsula is a 'living laboratory' for sustainability. Pre-registration required as seating is limited.
Saturday September 19, 2009
SATURDAY MORNING ACTIVITIES
8:00 am – 9:00 pm > Outdoor Festival Headquarters, Tobermory Community Centre
Festival volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm > Bootlegger’s Cave Excursion
(NOTE: This event is filled. Posted 2009 SEP 08 Tuesday)
Join naturalist Sheila Buckingham for this exciting trek to the famed Bootlegger’s Cave in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Be prepared for the
Escarpment at its finest, including some incredible scenic vistas. This is a rugged hike, so wear sturdy footwear. Bring water. Meet at Halfway
Log Dump parking lot. From Hwy. 6, go east on Emmett Lake Road and follow the signs to Halfway Log Dump [Google Maps approximate location] Directions from Tobermory using Google Maps. Limit 20 people.
 9:00 am – 12:00 pm > Insect Investigations with Steve Marshall
Join University of Guelph entomologist Steve Marshall for an exploratory hike in search of some of the most prolific and fascinating not-so-creepy crawlers on our planet! Meet at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Limit 20 people.
 9:30 am – 12:30 pm > Mushroom Foray
Our mushroom experts are back! Join Lorraine Brown and Andrew Armitage and search the autumn forest in a quest to identify the fantastic fungi! Foray includes a casual walk through the forest followed by an ID session back at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Meet at South Cameron
Lake Road on the northbound side of Hwy 6 across from Dorcas Bay Rd [Google Maps approximate location]. Park well off the highway. Easy hike. Google Maps directions from Tobermory. Limit 20 people.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm > Botanical Tour - Fens and Alvars, Ferns and Flowers
 Join expert botanist Joan Crowe for a carpool tour of roughly 70 km round trip with a number of stops to explore different areas. Our first stop
will be at the fen at Singing Sands at Dorcas Bay. We will pause briefly to view a rare fern on our way to the Dyers Bay Road turn-off where we will explore the unique alvar environment and see another rare fern. If we have time, we will call in at Crane River on the way back to see some of the plants growing on the dolostone outcrops. Easy hike. Meet at the Singing Sands parking lot, off Dorcas Bay Rd. [Google Maps approximate location]. Google Maps directions from Tobermory. Limit 16 people.
 9:00 am – 12:00 pm > Survival in the Woods Workshop (Indoor)
Meet Ted Phillips at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre as he guides you through what you really need to know to survive in the woods!
9:00 am – 12:00 pm > Surveying for Reptiles & Amphibians (Indoor & Outdoor Excursion)
 Join in the search for reptiles and amphibians! Joe Crowley, Herpetofaunal Atlas Project Coordinator for Ontario Nature, will share with you
some amazing facts about reptiles and amphibians, discuss their conservation and stewardship opportunities, introduce you to the reptiles and amphibians of the Bruce and then guide you on a search to find these cryptic critters. During the talk and hike you will also learn how to survey for local herpetofauna and report your observations to the new Ontario Herpetofaunal Atlas. Meet at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Limit 20 people.
9:00 am – 5:00 pm > Natural History of Flowerpot Island (All-Day Activity)
Meet Daryl Cowell at the harbour at the
Blue Heron Company docks [Google Maps approximate location - see green arrow] for a natural history tour of the famous Flowerpots and learn what makes this precious island a must-see at the Fathom Five National Marine Park. An additional fee of $23 per person will apply for the boat ride to the island. Bring lunch and water. Limit 20 people.
“Don’t forget to bring your reusable drink container for the weekend.
Thank you for helping us to reduce our waste!”
SATURDAY AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm > Mushroom Foray
(NOTE: This event is filled. Posted 2009 SEP 08 Tuesday)
Join Lorraine Brown and Andrew Armitage to search the autumn forest in a quest to identify fantastic fungi! Foray includes a casual walk through the forest followed by an ID session back at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Easy hike. Limit 20 people.
 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm > Geology Car Caravan with Torben Hawksbridge
(NOTE: This event is filled. Posted 2009 SEP 06 Sunday)
Join Torben to explore and learn more about the unique geology of the Tobermory area. Torben is co-author of Geology and Landforms of Grey and Bruce Counties, available for sale at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit 20 people.
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm > Over and Under the Boardwalk
(NOTE: This event is filled. Posted 2009 AUG 20 Thursday)
Join naturalist Tony Edwards for a stroll on the boardwalk and hike along the trails at Singing Sands to learn more about this sensitive and unique habitat. Discover the  curious and interesting plants and other wildlife of the area and find out what makes this Lake Huron fen habitat so important. Bring your binoculars for some birding along the trail. Easy hike. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit 20 people.
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm > Bootlegger’s Cave Rock Ramble - Expert Hike
(NOTE: This event is filled. Posted 2009 SEP 06 Sunday)
Join naturalist Sean Liipere and Sheila Buckingham for a ramble along the shoreline to the famous Bootlegger’s Cave in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Be prepared for the Escarpment at its finest, including some incredible scenic vistas. This is an extremely rugged hike, and includes climbing, so wear sturdy footwear. Advanced hikers only. Bring water. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit 20 people.
1:30 – 4:30 pm > Kayak Tour of Tobermory Harbour & Fathom Five National Marine Park
 Join Marlene Rothenbury and Kathy Orr for a paddle through the cool waters of Georgian Bay and along the beautiful Niagara Escarpment. Bring your kayak and safety gear. Experienced paddlers only. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit of 20 people.
 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm > A Tour of the “Tub”
(NOTE: This event is filled. Posted 2009 SEP 01 Tuesday)
Join historian Holly Dunham for a walk through time as you explore Tobermory’s unique local and marine heritage. Easy walk. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit 30 people.
 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm >
Fun with your GPS - Intro to Geocaching
Join Ted Spieker for a geocache treasure hunt in the Tobermory area and learn how to get the most out of your Global Positioning System.
Bring your GPS if you have one (not required). Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit 20 people.
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm > Survival in the Woods Workshop (Indoor)
Meet Ted Phillips as he reveals what you really need to know to survive in the woods! This is a repeat of the morning workshop. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre.
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm > Fossil Find (Indoor)
 Join Peter and discover how past life contributed to the rocks you experience hiking the Bruce Peninsula. You will learn how to identify the common
fossils found along the Peninsula’s shorelines and trails. Peter is the curator of the Earth Sciences Museum at the University of Waterloo
and co-author of Manitoulin Rocks! Rocks, Fossils and Landscape of Manitoulin Island. Meet at the Tobermory Community Centre. Limit 30 people.
SATURDAY EVENING ACTIVITIES
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm >
SUNSET CRUISE
 THROUGH FATHOM FIVE MARINE NATIONAL PARK
"All aboard" for a sunset cruise on the MS Chi-Cheemaun! Meet a Parks Canada naturalist as we sail through Fathom Five National Marine Park while the sun sets over Georgian Bay. Appetizers and social during the cruise. Cash bar. Parking is available at the ferry terminal. Google Maps approximate location of parking lot and ferry terminal (past where Front and Eliza Streets meet).
BOARD THE FERRY BY 5:45 P.M.
DON’T BE LATE
AS THE FERRY WILL NOT WAIT!
Sunday September 20, 2009
- Come out and join Peninsula Bruce Trail Club volunteer Hike Leaders in exploring two of our newest trails!
- As for all events, remember to wear sturdy
hiking boots, dress in layers, and bring snacks, lunch and water.
 10:00 am – 1:00 pm > Boundary Bluffs Side Trail (5.5 km)
Peninsula’s newest trail is situated adjacent to the Cape Croker reserve and campground, and ties in with part of the main trail and Hart’s
Tongue Side Trail to form an exciting new loop. Enjoy a wonderfully varied route above and below the Escarpment, featuring forests, log
tracks, field meadows, beach ridges and many interesting views in this new Bruce Trail Conservancy land. Directions: From Bruce Road 9 south of Hope Bay, take Waugh's Road east for 3 km to the end. Turn left (north) on Pit Road and follow it 300 m to park along the shoulder, on the right (east) side only, up to the bend in the road. [Google Maps approximate location.] Boundary Bluffs S.T. begins about 150 m down the hill. Google Maps directions from Tobermory. Other reference: Map 36 of the 25th edition of the Bruce Trail Reference Trail Guides and Maps.
 10:00 am – 2:00 pm > Rush Cove Loop & Pease Side Trail (8.8 km)
The new Rush Cove Side Trail offers visitors a glimpse of the interior of the recently dedicated Chris Walker Nature Reserve, featuring remnants
of the old logging industry. Enjoy forest, alvar, and views over Georgian Bay. Directions: From Bruce County Road 9 between Hope Bay and Lion’s Head, follow Scenic Caves Road to Rush Cove Road and down to the Bruce Trail
parking lot near the end. [Google Maps approximate location.] Google Maps directions from Tobermory. Other reference: km 59.1 on Map 37 of the 25th edition of the Bruce Trail Reference Trail Guides and Maps.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm > Visit the Ferndale Wind Turbines
Stop by for an inside look at the Ferndale wind turbines and meet Glen Estill, the founder of Sky Generation, who will be there to answer your questions. Meet at the entrance gate to the most southerly turbine on Hwy#6, south of Ferndale on the east side of the highway.
Other suggested activities for the afternoon
Special thanks to Parks Canada, our festival partner,
for their tremendous support.
General Information
- Email
, or
- call Frank at 519-395-4935
“Please check all start times and locations carefully and
arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your event.”
DOWNLOAD 2009 REGISTRATION FORM - PDF FILE
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