Brian Baetz grew up in Walkerton Ontario. In the Summer of 1976, the Walkerton Rotary Club sent him to Camp Copneconic just south of Flint, Michigan. That opportunity (and the Ontario Athletic Leadership Camp) gave him the confidence to apply for engineering programs that Fall in his Grade 13 year, and he was at U of T in the Fall of '77. He is still very grateful for the growth afforded by the Rotary leadership camp.
Brian went on to earn his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering at the U of T and his PhD in environmental engineering at Duke University. He started his teaching career at McMaster University in 1988 and was Chair of Civil Engineering amongst many other administrative positions. He retired in 2018 but returned to the university as the Director of the School of Engineering Practice and Technology. Brian’s research interests are in the areas of sustainable and resilient communities and green infrastructure.
He opened his presentation by talking about all of the wonderful trails that we have in Dundas, the area nearby, within the province and even within Canada. Probably everyone on the call is familiar with the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail. Many DVSRC members use the trail for both hiking, bike riding and, these days, cross-country skiing. The trail is wide and quite accessible.
Brian talked about getting back to nature as a source of Vitamin “N” and also the importance of trails and outdoor spaces in terms of “Aging in Place”. The Town of Dundas and the Spencer Creek Trail are the connectors between the Dundas Valley Trails and the Cootes to Escarpment Park System.
Brian is proposing that our club (and others) join him in reimagining the Spencer Creek Trail. It has become over-grown in places and is discontinuous in others. It is inaccessible in many places (even for able bodied hikers) and poorly signed. There is also an opportunity for ceremonial plaques along the trail to honour folks who have contributed to its creation. The Rotary Club of Dundas has, in the past, sponsored a section of the Spencer Valley Trail that originates behind the parking lots of the old Canadian Tire store.
