Trail Walk episode # 6

Monday, 23 May, Victoria Day... somehow Gilles Michaud is in the photo but the 4 hardy souls that will start the walk for the day are; David McIsaac, Leah Michaud, Helen McQuaid, and Donna Grant.
This morning we are leaving Wellington and heading toward our destination for the day, Summerside.

Its a cool morning as we say farewell to the group determined to reach their destination for the day, Summerside, a 22 Km journey.

Everyday as we walk the trail we see the many beautiful scenes that nature offers us, as well the occasional animal or bird.                                Can someone help us with this one...is it a duck?

      

After six days on the trail we finally break 100 Km.

We could not have made it this far without leaning on each other.

We are saddened by what we saw, the clear cutting that had taken place along the trail as we approached Miscouche.

As we walk a little further we notice the high power lines that align the trail and wonder how harmful to the health of those persons that use the trail.

We arrive in Miscouche at 12 noon. A small break is taken as some of us allow other persons to take on the last leg of the day to Summerside.

David and Gilles arrive in Summerside at 01:30...we are ahead of our estimated time of arrival that was to be 02:00...David seems to be walking at a much faster pace...not bad for an old fellow that is fast approaching 70.

A few photos of the sites in Summerside.

The Summerside Farmers Market.

What was once the Summerside Railroad Station.

We are later told that a group of ladies from the CWL along with Sr. Regina McQuaid showed up to greet us but we had already left for home.

 We are grateful for your support as we continue to make known the PEI Strategy for the Eradication of Poverty.

 Hopefully we will see you in the morning as we return to Summerside at 09:00 to begin our walk to Kensington.

Trail Walk episode #5

Its 8:30 in the morning,  Helen McQuaid , David McIsaac, and Donna Grant  are ready to leave Ellerslie.

Cheerfully we head down the trail heading toward Richmond and if we have enough energy on to Wellington, 19.7 Km

Its a beautiful sunny day and the walk is easily made to Richmond but we have picked up another walker along the way, Leah Michaud.

We are always pleasantly surprised by the lovely scenery and the flowering trees that one can see along the trail.

While in Richmond we are invited to Helen's home for noon tea and home made muffins....what a delicious treat!

Following our noon break we are off once again. Now we are heading toward Wellington.

Along the way we are  pleasantly surpised as we are greeted by a family; Melvin and Loraine Gallant, Janice, mother of Emily and Leah and a friend Chesley. All have decided to join us in our walk.

The children remind us to take time to enjoy the bright yellow Marsh Marygold growing along the trail.

It's 2 pm and our group has grown in number as we arrive in Wellington. 

While in Wellington we are met and interviewed by Jacinta, the reporter from La Voix Acadienne. We explain that we are part of a coalition of groups that are walking the Trail to promote the upcoming public meetings that will take place this coming fall to assist the government in developing a strategy for the Eradication of Poverty in PEI.

Tomorrow, 23 May, we will depart Wellington and head toward Summerside.

Trail Walk episode # 4

David has been on the trail for a total of 3 days and needs to rest before his 4th day.

The group for today's walk had a difficult decision to make, to go or not to go? The morning air is very cool and it will be a wet day. Decision is made...it is a go.

Morning of May 21st......Francis Pickle, David, and Donna Grant are the walkers for the Eradication of Poverty Walk as they line up before departing Portage.

It would seem that the inclement weather has David hesitating to go on while the two women are determined to go on.

Although not a pleasant day, it being cold and wet, the scenery on the trail is always breathtaking.

What a pleasant surprise as we approach Ellerslie; we are met by Paula Biggar, the MLA for Tyne Valley and her husband  Dale. Helen McQuaid has also joined the walk.

We arrive in Ellerslie and the group lines up for a photo-op with Paula, but she is not quite satisfied with David's Eradication of Poverty sign.

There now, this is much better Paula says....

The group is invited to the Ellerslie Red & White for a treat, compliments of Paula.

Tomorrow a.m., 22nd May, we will gather in Ellerslie and leave for Richmond....thank you for joining us...your comments are appreciated.

Confederation Trail Walk episode 3

Thanks to Greg and Donna Grant who drove us to our starting point as we prepare for another adventure on the trail.Today our departure point is from O'Leary.

The  group for today includes Beulah Costain, Leah Michaud and our steadfast David McIsaac. Before departing we are met by a reporter from the Journal Pioneed to interview us. We tell him that we are walking to bring awareness of the public meetings that will take place in late summer or in the Fall regarding the Eradication of Poverty on PEI.

As we start the sky is overcast with a wet drizzle but as the day progressed it was a beautiful sunny day.

Nature offers us many pleasant scenes as we make our way on the trail. We stop to marvel at a colorful growth of wild violets.

We arrive in Portage at 1:15 pm and decide that this will be our stop point for the day.

Tomorrow, May 21st, we will depart from Portage and head toward Richmond. 

Confederation Trail Walk episode 2

A bright and sunny day in PEI as we begin the second round of our walk. Elmsdale, where we left off yesterday, becomes our starting point for to-day. David McIsaac and Bill Costain are off at 9 am and heading, hopefully in the right direction, to O'Leary.
They must have chosen the right way because O'Leary was seen in the distance at approximately 1pm.
Once again we meet up with our trail companions from New Hampshire. Both have a big and what seems to be heavy backpacks nevertheless they are moving along at the same pace as we are.

Included is an article in the West Prince Graphic:

David and Bill arrive in O'leary and they are ready to call it a day.

Tomorrow, 20 May, we will try to reach Portage. Thank you for following us on the blog your supportive comments are most welcome.

Tignish PEI Our Start point

Wednesday morning , there is a light mist over the western part of the island as we arrive in Tignish. Ann McIsaac-McRae, drives our car up to the Tignish village park, the start point of the PEI Confederation Trail.
Its approaching 10 am David McIsaac and Gilles Michaud check out the Trail map and the signage (see photo).

Other persons begin to arrive to wish us well as we begin our walk (see the photo).

 Among those persons is one that has experienced the bitterness of poverty, Stella McRae (photo) a 92 year old, mother of 15 children, a grandmother and a great grandmother.

Its time to move on, there are a few persons that decide to begin the walk with David and Gilles. They are; Beulah and Bill Costain, Helen McQuaid.

David and Gilles say farewell to our companions and are now off on their on with a determined stride that will lead us to the village of Elmdale, a distance of  27 Km., our destination for today.

In the late afternoon as we progress in our walk our solitude is interrupted by encountering fellow walkers on the trail. We soon learn that they have come from New Hamshire  and have always wanted to experience walking the entire Confederation Trail. We talk about the high number of persons in our province that suffer from poverty. They tell us that they have many neighbours in their home town that can't find work and that they have lost their homes.

Its 4:30 in the afternoon we are dog tired as we finally arrive to our destination for the day.

Tomorrow, 19 May, we will begin where we left off, Elmsdale, and try to walk as far as O'Leary.
Continue to join us in our adventure and in our attempt to bring an awareness of the Eradication Poverty In PEI.

ERADICATION OF POVERTY

Members of the Poverty Eradication Strategy for P.E.I., spearheaded by the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice and Poverty Bites together with the Christian Life Community and other groups are working hard to achieve an effective poverty eradication strategy for P.E.I. To that end they are sponsoring a Confederation Trail walk from Tignish to Elmira. The Poverty Eradication Coalition believes that the federal and provincial governments need to effectively address the root causes of poverty and help bring an end to a situation that causes a great deal of suffering, ill health and feelings of marginalization.  Research has demonstrated that it costs the province much more to maintain the current situation of poverty than to eliminate it.

The P.E.I. government has committed to a Poverty Eradication Strategy and is preparing for the necessary public hearings that such a strategy requires. It is hoped the hearings will take place in late summer and early Fall. The Coalition believes that people who attend the hearings will have a better understanding of the root causes of poverty. To that end it is important that low income people come out and participate in the hearings and tell their stories. The walk which begins in Tignish at 10:00 am on May 18 and finish in Elmira on June 12, will emphasize the importance of attending the public meetings and encouraging low income people to tell their stories as a way of educating the public and the government about the realities of poverty.  

For further information please contact Ann McRae at (902) 831-2484 or visit the walk blog at http://www.povertypei.blogspot.com/