Menu Close

Tag: Kawarthas

Keene Station Historical Plaque

 Barry Diceman and Joe Taylor smile as they unveil our brand new historical plaque

Last Thursday, under a haze of humidity, a crowd of community members and trail supporters gathered around the new Keene Station Gazebo to witness the unveiling of a brand new historical plaque and dedication to the gazebo donors. The ceremony, carried out by Lang Hastings Trail board president Barry Diceman and Mayor of Otonabee South Monaghan Joe Taylor, was the result of many months of hard work by board members and community volunteers alike. 

To kick off the unveiling, board member Christine Painter introduced Clementine MacLeod, the Engagement and Sustainability summer student, and expressed appreciation to Trans Canada Trail for a spring clean-up grant of $1,000.  Barry Diceman delivered a heartfelt speech, honouring the accomplishments of the committee and the vibrant history of the trail. 

In his speech, Diceman explained that the board decided that the Keene Station site “needed something to add some character and information to the location” to encourage trail users to properly appreciate its historical importance. Diceman went on to thank all those who offered their help and support in the erection and maintenance of the gazebo and trail, then invited mayor Joe Taylor to help him in unveiling the plaque for the first time. 

Taylor gave a meaningful short address, acknowledging the importance of the trail to the community.  Together, Barry and Joe pulled down the curtain and revealed the plaque to the group. With an enthusiastic cheer, the crowd welcomed a new era of the Keene Station and demonstrated the strong community brought together by the Lang Hastings Trail. 

A (Literally) Trailblazing History

The above article, penned by D. Gayle Nelson, details the dramatic history of the Keene station and surrounding railway, as told by local newspaper articles. Nelson makes reference to a 1958 article describing the retirement of the Keene station, a 1967 council resolution, and the shocking 1884 accident where a freight train ran off its tracks straight into a swamp.

Nelson’s article, as well as the momentous events it describes, helps to illustrate the railway’s vivid past. Which, in turn, demonstrates the historical importance of what is now the Lang Hastings Trail.

Geocaching – The Great Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Just imagine – strolling through the great outdoors, among the trees, leaves, and rivers, searching for a small treasure left by someone you have never met?

That’s called geocaching.

OK, a little more detail. To go geocaching, you need just a few items:

  • A geocaching account. This gives you access to the coordinates of the general route for your scavenger hunt, as well as access to online clues for each treasure (the “cache”).
  • Some sort of GPS system, such as a mobile device, for entering the coordinates.
  • A sense of adventure!

Caches – which are small, inexpensive trinkets – tend to be hidden, but not buried – so you don’t need to dig! Also, they are usually located in small, waterproof containers, and typically there is a logbook where you can record your discovery for others to read. Take the cache, but make sure you leave one of your own caches behind for the next person.  

You can find a number of caches along the Lang Hastings trail, and throughout the Kawarthas. 

Anyone can participate in geocaching, either by searching for the caches or by setting them up. But whatever you do, please be respectful of both property and nature. Get outside, and enjoy!