newsMay25 | PROBUS Blue Mountain

Next Meeting: May 15th

Collingwood Legion
Member's Guests are Welcome

May Speaker: Bob Galway - "Richard Finnie was a Canadian author, film director, and arctic explorer."

May 2025 Newsletter

As I sit down to write the May newsletter with a hopeful message to start warm springtime events, the slow start to the season has built up a big desire to get moving !

As the PROBUS Club of Blue Mountain is a very active group, everyone is keen to start training for summer season activities and get outside to enjoy the weather.

Much in the world has happened since I last wrote to you in April; Canadians have elected a Prime minister, Mark Carney, with a substantial increase in seats, just shy of a majority. Fortunately this result has been seen as a show of strength for Canada. At a recent meeting between Carney and Trump, positive things were said about the Canada/US relationship and hostility was avoided. However, the meeting produced no concrete changes concerning US tariffs or Trump’s stated ambition to have Canada became the 51st state. Carney made the point that Canada is not for sale and never will be for sale. The invitation to King Charles III deliver the Throne Speech at the May 27th session of parliament makes it perfectly clear that Canada wishes to continue as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations with strong ties to Great Britain.

In addition the surprise election of Pope Leo XIV, who holds both American and Peruvian citizenship, caused excitement and hope around the world that peace and goodwill toward immigrants and refugees will result. Both of these elections, one in Canada and one in Vatican City bode well for increased stability and safety for Canadians.

Our spring season here brings opportunities for planning and booking travel and entertainment for the next year. I would remind any skiers that the two winter 2026 ski trips offered by Ski Legends are open for reservations and sell out quickly.

Other activities that have had successful starts include two paddling trips, to the Minnesing Wetlands, led by Carl Wintermeyer and Collingwood harbor, led by Jim Schaus and a fabulous tour of local business Sensor Tech, led by Ron Mitchell. Our gravel/road bikers are eagerly looking forward to the start of weekly Tuesday rides on May 13th , with a tour of Wasaga Beach and a lunch at a locally famous restaurant, the Iron Skillet. Many more details about upcoming events are available on the amazing club website which is a key resource for everything concerning our successful club. You should be aware that each month when our newsletter is sent out, over 80% of members open and read it, reflecting a truly excellent achievement by Nick Best and our web master Bill Booth.

After the meeting this month, we are hosting a pizza lunch for new members to meet with the club management committee to better know each other and become more involved in the club. We continue to ask all members to bring guests to our monthly meetings and to consider volunteering as activity leaders.

Please contact myself, Ron Mitchell, Stephen Hyndman or Chris Meleskie if you have an interest.

Respectfully,

Michael Coward
michael.coward@gmail.com

SPEAKER Robert Galway grew up in Red Lake Ontario. (Born in Kenora.) He obtained a research B.A. in Political Science & Economics with a minor in Geology at the University of Toronto (Victoria College–1958). Then he enrolled as a medical undergraduate at the University of Toronto – MD. (1963). His post graduate medical education was with the University of Toronto – Surgical Training Program, McGill University – Experimental Surgery Program – Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons, University of Toronto – Duncan Teaching Fellowship, and Toronto General Hospital.

He obtained research fellowship at McGill University at the Royal Victoria Hospital. He practiced as an orthopedic surgeon in Toronto in knee and shoulder reconstructive surgery, and pediatric prosthetics. Robert has an Instrument Rated Private Pilot Licence, float rating, and owned a Cessna Skylane 182, CF–ZBB. His total flying time is 2,500 hours. As an aviation historian he has more than ten publications. He has made multiple presentations to the Canadian Aviation Historical Society and other audiences.

Subject: Richard Sterling Finnie

Author, film director and Arctic explorer

A few updates for the Club:

The new Waiver form is available for your signatures.

Please Login on the Members page to see instructions. There are Buttons on the bottom of the page to allow Group Leaders to see who has a Waiver Signed. Previous Waivers are now stale and need to be renewed with the new form.

Just a note on Email protocols: (not trying to be bossy, but it may come out as such!)

If you are copying several members, please use the BCC (Blind Copy) panel to add recipients.
If you put "Probus" in the Subject panel, it will benefitit those of us who use automatic sorting.
It is always best to keep to one issue in email, rather than just replying to a long string of different subjects.

Cheers ... keep in touch.

Activities/Outings

A group of PBM members enjoyed a tour of Sensor Technology (ST) on Wednesday May 7th. ST is an innovative private company developing and processing state of the art ceramics and high quality and reliable hydrophones. ST serves the defense, energy, fisheries and oceanography industries in international markets. Our PBM members found this gem of a Collingwood company and it's products very interesting. Our visit was followed with a hearty lunch at Montana's.

Details-

Be sure to check the details here or on the Calendar for this annual outing. August 28th.

Good afternoon PBM Cyclists. I know winter keeps coming back, but it's time to be thinking about the 2025 PBM ride schedule. Your cycling committee has created a ride schedule featuring seven rides. The remainder or part thereof will be scheduled later after we see how the first seven went and how many, if any, rain cancellations we had. So get out your bikes, check them out to ensure they are safe to ride, shine them up and let's ride!

Cycling Schedule

Paddling information on the Activities/Paddling page.

Paddling Schedule

Hiking informations on the Activities/Hiking page.

Hiking Schedule

St Anton, Austria, February 5 - 14

Sun Peaks

Ski Legends Membership 2025-26

Hello Fellow Probus Blue Mountain Members.

Ski Legends has announced its ski trips for 2026.

Judging from the interest and excitement at the Legends year end breakfast these trips will go fast so, if you are interested, make sure you get your new2025?26 membership. The application is on the Ski Legends website https://probusskilegends.ca/

PDF copies of the flyers are attached.

St Anton, Austria, February 5 - 14
Sun Peaks, BC, February 25 - March 4
Ski Legends membership application for the 2025/26 is also attached
Online Trip Applications will open on Wednesday, May 21 at 6 pm.

(They will not be available before this time.)
More details will follow soon on the Legends website: https://probusskilegends.ca/

QUESTIONS? Email the trip organiser at legendsskitrips@gmail.com

And lastly, all participants must be PROBUS members and members of PROBUS Ski Legends for the coming season.

Enjoy the remaining ski days for this season!

Monty

The GPTG committee has established the first trip for 2026 which is Morocco, and it should be popular, as it is third on the list of favorite places to travel in the world, rated by Conde Naste. We are presently working on Japan as a destination, as it rates #1 destination in world travel. We are also working on Victoria BC. The trips for 2025 can be found on our GPTG Probus Canada webpage, gptg.probuscanada.ca

The news for the paddling group is that we now have a firm date for the Lake Willow Paddling Adventure. Our guides have chosen Sunday April 13th for this event. Lake Willow and its approaches are in full flood and the trip through the bush waterways should be easy. The date chosen is predicted to be warm, to make for a memorable paddling event. The Lake Willow area is the 4 th largest wetland in North America after the Everglades which is Number 1. Bonus! we don't have to go to the USA to enjoy this kind of wilderness!! Signed up paddlers have been notified! Carl

Paddling Schedule

What a blast! Lunch at the Fig and Feta. I was very concerned when I booked this venue given our experience last year. The 6 of us couldn’t hear our selves think due to the gaggle of some 50 women seated close to us. This time the restaurant was almost empty and the 11 of us had a blast!!! I had one of the best lunch meals I have had ever.

The Iron Skillet next month!

The Kitchen Bridge group continues to meet the first and third Thursday of each month at 1:00 p.m. at the legion. Great relaxed camaraderie.

We welcome all who have an interest in the game of bridge -- whether a beginner or expert.  Play commences at 1:00 pm but, if you cannot come until later, come anyway. We will fit you into a game throughout the afternoon.

George Powell georgegpowell@gmail.com

Now that you're here ...

Take a look at the rest of the website. We have info on activities, calendar, speakers list and so on.

If you need to look up fellow PROBUS MEMBERS, you can login the to the Member's area. A number of members contribute to this content, so please check it out.