'There's something for everyone': P.E.I. winter woodlot tour returns after cancellation

The P.E.I. Winter Woodlot Tour has turned into a winter highlight for many Islanders. Weather forced postponements and cancellation in 2016 but organizers are hoping for another success, as the 2017 event gets underway Saturday.

Other than last year, the tour has been an annual event since 2011.

Not even the organizers anticipated the way Prince Edward Islanders would respond to the idea of a day in the woods, which is the idea behind the annual P.E.I. Winter Woodlot Tour.

"We were quite shocked at how the idea and the event struck a chord with people right from the very beginning," explained Philip Pineau, watershed coordinator for the Hunter-Clyde Watershed Group in Hunter River.

"We thought the middle of the winter is a time when most people are desperate to find something to do and that's where the idea was hatched."

Pineau was part of the first organizing committee, along with Tracy Gallant from the Wheatley River Improvement Group, Hunter-Clyde's Andrew Lush and Stephen DeWolfe from the P.E.I. Department of Forestry.

"We just wanted some publicity and to bring people out into the natural world to see how things like wetlands and wildlife and woodlots are all wonderful places to engage in both commercial and recreational activities," said Pineau.

First event in 2011

The first year, Pineau admits, organizers had no idea what to expect. The first tour was held at a place called the Buffalo Road, near Wheatley River, P.E.I.

"I think we plowed a spot for 20 cars and we wound up having somewhere between 600 and 700 people come," he said.

"In those post-Christmas weeks, it's kind of dark and gloomy and people are looking for a reason to get outside, to take their kids outside."

Attendance has more than doubled in the following years, and now attracts more than a thousand people annually. The 2015 event was held at nordic centre in Brookvale, P.E.I. with crowds over 1,200.

"We knew we were on to a winner," said Andrew Lush, watershed manager for the Hunter-Clyde Watershed Group.

"We even had people come across from the mainland to visit as well."

'Something for everyone'

There are usually more than two dozen presenters and activities, from tapping maple trees, horse-drawn sleigh rides, chainsaw safety to a demonstration of rope walkways from Scouts P.E.I.

"I think we've really tried hard to make it an event where everyone can find something that's of interest to them," said Lush.

Adding to the appeal, it's all free.

"I think people are surprised as to what they see," Lush said.

"Some people do spend the whole morning out there."

Weather problems

As with any event in the winter, the P.E.I. winter woodlot tour has struggled with weather issues. Last year, after several postponements, the event was cancelled.

"It was pretty frustrating to be honest," said Pineau.

"We really did it reluctantly last year."

The problem wasn't too much snow or specific snowstorms, but the mild winter.

"We were holding it in a field that couldn't take the traffic and it would have turned into a big bog."

Raising awareness

Organizers are heartened to see lots of response on social media to the plans for this year's event.

"We're very happy to see that it doesn't seem to have disappeared from peoples' minds and everybody's still pretty keen to come, so that's great," said Pineau.

The event has also given the watershed groups a boost.

"Not only do we do most of work in the summer, a lot of our work is hidden quite frankly," Pineau said.

"This has turned into a very big event in terms of publicizing the work that watershed groups do."

The event does receive some support from P.E.I.'s wildlife conservation fund, to help pay for tents and other expenses.

"It's definitely a pretty cost effective event, bang for the buck," he said.

Most of the watershed people are also volunteering their time because they don't work year-round, something Pineau says they're happy to do because the event has become such a success.

The 2017 P.E.I. Winter Woodlot Tour is located down the Clyde Road, which is off Route 2 between Hunter River, P.E.I., and Fredericton, P.E.I., with activities starting at 9 a.m. and wrapping up at 1 p.m.

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