All women of this community and beyond are invited to this weekly walk on the rail trail, each Monday morning starting at the trailhead parking lot at the end of Forbes Street, Glen Morris. Meeting at 9:00am, the walk is 4km round trip and takes about an hour. With different walking speeds, there is always someone to walk with!
The history of this group is shared below, and it is quite wonderful, and we are thrilled that since the group has grown so much, Glen Morris United Church has offered the Robson Community Room for all to gather in post walk from 10:00-11:00am. For a weekly $2 donation, coffee and treats are ready and waiting for us thanks to the generosity of Jane Hutchinson who always has the coffee on! With more information below, we do hope you'll join us sometime soon! Contact Margaret McPherson at mmm@silomail.com for more information and to be added to the weekly reminders - they are most entertaining and educational!
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(This article was shared in the Ayr News, January 16, 2022 - we no longer wear masks!)
In 1995, two friends, Linda Sims and Ingrid Douglas, decided to start a routine of walking on the Cambridge to Paris Rail Trail every Monday morning at 10:00 AM. They started their walk at the parking lot in Glen Morris and walked in the direction towards Cambridge until they reached the old German woolen mill with a return trip of 4 km. The two friends walked together every Monday morning for several years until one day Pam Gillespie asked to join them and just the 3 of them walked that same route for many years. In 2005, several more asked if theycould join and so the group grew and grew. There are now at upwards of 30 on an email list who walk when it works for them.
At first they called themselves the "Monday Walkers" and Ingrid sent out a very short reminder email to everyone each Sunday. After Covid concerns slowed things, they gradually started to gather again during the summer of 2020 and Karen Murray-Hopf took over the email reminders and suggested renaming the group the "Sole Sisters" as they had become so much more than just a walking group. With various levels of walkers ranging from ‘recovering from injury or surgery’, slow, medium or fast speeds, they are now always conscious of keeping a social distance and wearing masks. Exercise and being outdoors has been key, but the friendship, camaraderie and just plain fun have been at the forefront. With smaller groups walking according to the preferred speed originally, they wanted a chance to meet as a large group afterwards and started gathering at the Halfway Café ( now the Riverbend Grillhouse) when owned by Victor and Maria Fernandes, but when they decided to close on Monday's,Ingrid decided to welcome the group to her home for an hour following the walk, treating everyone to a cup of coffee or tea. During the summer of 2020 Kathy Marziano invited the group to swim in her pool following the walks, where she also provided coffee. Post walk coffee time has been put on hold since the fall due to Covid. In the fall of 2021 Margaret McPherson, in an effort to recruit more walkers, offered to send out weekly reminder emails which also include interesting trivia and great inspiration as the group continues their ‘Sole Sisterhood’. As well, the group contributes to a fund which allows the purchase of cards/flowers when members of the group are in need of support.
The walkers come from Glen Morris, Cambridge, Paris, Ayr and St. George and all are welcome to join us at 10:00am on a Monday morning at the rail trail parking lot on Forbes Street in Glen Morris, 9:00am in summer months. Walking happens in most weather, but occasionally is ‘detoured’ to McPherson School Road when the trail is not walkable. If you’re interested in being a part of this group, contact Margaret McPherson at mmm@silomail.com