The Goodyear Memorial Side Trail winds through meadow & forest on the Riverside Woods Nature Reserve, an over 200-acre property owned & protected by the Bruce Trail Conservancy. This property is part of the Niagara Escarpment Plan area.
“Where is the Escarpment?”, you ask. Here, the Escarpment lies under your feet – buried beneath glacial till and outwash deposits. Only periodic Escarpment outcrops are visible in this area, example within Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. As you hike the Goodyear Memorial Side Trail down toward the Nottawasaga River and back up again, you will note, (if your knees don’t tell you), that the river valley is the prominent topographical feature of this trail.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy purchased this land from Scouts Canada in early 2023 – a purchase recognized as a good fit and of mutual benefit to both organizations. It allows the Bruce Trail Conservancy to preserve this land as part of our ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever. Further, a condition of the sale was that, following guidelines, the Scouts would be allowed to camp on a designated part of the property for a maximum number of nights per year and they do!
The name Goodyear Memorial recognizes that in 1946 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company purchased a portion of this land in memory of its employees who perished as part of Canada’s armed forces fighting to defend democracy during World War II. Camping first occurred on the property in August 1946.
In 1957, Goodyear generously donated the land to the Lakeshore District Scouts in 1957. In 1968, Scouts Canada purchased the rest of the land. By 1997 it became the Regional Camp for the Scouts’ Central Escarpment Region. Many young people from southern Ontario, including the Toronto area, enjoyed being in nature and camping on this land. In 1956, Scouts, Cubs & Rovers planted 10,000 pine trees here and in the mid 1990’s, also planted over 150 hardwood trees.
Camping continued until 2016. After the camp closed, some vandalism unfortunately occurred. A majority of the large structures are in poor condition, considered to be a safety hazard and will be demolished. Some specific smaller structures have been rehabilitated by Bruce Trail volunteers example – new roof.
The Goodyear Memorial Side Trail extends for 2.2 km, predominantly within the area on the property designated as Escarpment Natural, the highest degree of protection under the Niagara Escarpment Act. In the interior forest, the Goodyear Memorial Side Trail follows along some existing or former Scout trails & paths. Where new trail has been added, it has been done in a manner to minimize disturbance to interior forest species.
As the name “Memorial” suggests, while you are hiking this scenic trail you may think back to those young Canadians who gave their lives during World War II. You may also hear in your mind the happy shouts of young people camping here and swimming in the Nottawasaga River. You may say a quiet “thank-you” to the many Scout leader volunteers who made the camp possible and taught children about nature on this land. You may also think of Bruce Trail Conservancy supporters who donated, making possible the purchase & conservation of this land for future generations to enjoy. We walk a trail together with dignity from a proud past into a hopeful future!
Note: For further information on the Indigenous and settler history of Riverside Woods, see the Upland Trail Side Trail story.
