Throughout his life, Wayne Caswill was the man on the speaker of an airplane saying “this is your captain speaking,” and now that he’s retired, he’s become a different sort of captain.
The former commercial pilot is a volunteer trail captain in Collingwood.
“They call us captains because you don’t get paid anything and it makes you feel better,” joked Caswill.
There are 35 trail captains in Collingwood, who regularly comb the 68 kilometres of recreational trails within the town’s limits to make sure they’re in tip-top shape for those who will be using them.
It’s a volunteer position coordinated by a lead volunteer (trail captain coordinator) who reports to the Trails Advisory Committee.
Caswill was formerly a member on the committee as trail captain coordinator and is often still part of volunteer projects for trail maintenance, construction, and improvements.
Now his job is to keep an eye on the George Christie nature trails, located at the end of 11th Line off Mountain Road in Collingwood. Caswill hikes the trails regularly, picks up garbage and reports any felled trees, erosion, and deterioration on the trail to the town’s Parks, Recreation and Culture department.
“You’re watching the trails on behalf of the town,” said Caswill, adding he’ll pick up garbage, bags of dog poop, and tidy up sticks and debris along the route. “If a trail is kept clean, it tends to stay that way.”
Caswill was recruited by George Christie and Jack Marley at a Probus club meeting. Marley is on the trails committee, and Christie is commonly and fondly referred to as “the Godfather” of Collingwood’s trails system.
Christie led the charge to develop trails within the town in the 1980s, and is part of most work parties if there’s work to be done on a Collingwood trail. Caswill said Christie “runs on plutonium,” and he’s inspired by Christie, Marley and the other volunteers who work to improve Collingwood’s trails.
“It’s the type of community with this volunteer network that’s in the shadows,” said Caswill. “This [trail network] didn’t just happen, this was done by people who said, ‘we can do this.’ It was done by volunteers and staff with a passion for the town.”
The George Christie Nature trails include the Eleventh Line Trail, Colberry Trail, Turkey Trail, Deer Trail, Seatbelt Trail, Snowshoe Trail, Rabbit Trail, and Squirrel Link. The Eleventh Line trail and Colberry Trail connect to the Georgian Trail, which runs from Meaford to Stayner.
According to Caswill, it’s the place for wildlife spotting in town.
“You will see more wildlife on that trail than anywhere else,” said Caswill.
On one occasion while Caswill was cleaning up some fallen branches, and being rather noisy about it, a large brown owl swooped by and landed on a branch where it could glare at Caswill.
“It was as if he was saying, ‘I hunt all night, and I sleep during the day, do you mind?’” said Caswill.
Some of the trails are surfaced with stone dust, others are just the forest floor, stamped down by the foot traffic.
“It’s as nature as you can get,” said Caswill. “You’ll get a little sample of everything sitting here.”
The trails are set in a forest with an open field to the west.
Caswill said it’s a good spot to sit back and savour the moment. It’s a quiet place where there are no sounds of traffic.
“These things ground you,” said Caswell. “You can think about whatever you want, enjoy it how you want, and it’s free … it’s a little bit of paradise.”
While Caswill hiked the trail one Friday afternoon, he stopped to chat with a cross-country skier, someone walking his dog, and a woman out for a hike. He checks in with them to make sure they’re enjoying the trail, and introduces himself. They all thank him for his work and sing the praises of the George Christie Nature Trails.
“The feedback you get from people on the trail makes it all worthwhile,” said Caswill. “People don’t always realize it’s you but they use it and appreciate it … you’re an ambassador.”
Caswill takes great pride in his section of trail and his work as trail captain. The map box at the trail head is always stocked, the garbage is cleaned up, and a fallen tree doesn’t stay there long. While volunteers aren’t allowed to operate chainsaws, Caswill said the town will respond quickly to his report of a blocked trail or overhanging tree.
“People look at their section and there’s a sense of pride,” said Caswill. “It’s a labour of love … and it’s part of your community you can be proud of.”
The George Christie Nature Trails and all of Collingwood’s trails are accessible all year-round. They aren’t plowed or cleared in the winter, but most are still traversable thanks to heavy foot traffic.
There’s parking at the trailhead, or you can access the trails from the Georgian Trail by heading west on the trail from Collingwood towards The Blue Mountains.
