Things may have changed over the years for the Summerstown Trails. And that’s the way Vic Leroux likes it.
When he was growing up, Vic Leroux regularly cross-country ski raced his kid brother from the Glen Road family farm in South Glengarry, down the power line to the Summerstown Trails, around the outside loop and back home. These friendly out-and-back runs fostered a deep connection to this forested playground. It came as no surprise when Vic became part of a small nucleus of people who organized the Friends of the Summerstown Trails (FOTST) as a non-profit corporation in 2010.
Now 63, Vic—a retired City of Cornwall firefighter and Fire Chief and South Glengarry Fire Chief—is currently in his fourth year as president, and his good-natured sense of humour belies his sharp administrative skills. He acts as the go-to person for all partnerships with the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Township of South Glengarry, the South Nation Conservation Authority, and the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA).
These successful collaborations have breathed new life into the trails. What began as a mecca for cross-country skiers 51 years ago has now evolved to include 20 kilometres of skate and classic ski trails, 20 kilometres of snowshoe trails, plus 10 kilometres of fat bike trails. Diversification began in 2013 when Gilles Parisien, FOTST’s current vice-president, and Pat Clarke, a longstanding local champion for outdoor activity, suggested mapping out snowshoe trails. From that initial discussion grew new trail users as well as the Summerstown Forest Dion Snowshoe Race, first held in 2014.
“Vic has a great ability to get users to work together for the good of our community and out-of-town users,” says Gilles, the Race Director. “We’re lucky to have him.”
The evolution continued in 2018 when Richard Pilon, RRCA general manager, and Joe McNamara, FOTST director-at-large, approached Vic with the idea of developing fat bike trails. They wanted to piggyback onto the existing snowshoe trails for use by winter cyclists with the RRCA promising to assume the grooming duties for those particular trails. The result?
“Fat biking is fast becoming a very popular attraction in Summerstown,” says Richard. This multi-use approach for the trails is working. In 2021, FOTST’s membership doubled to 360 registrants. The 60 active volunteers helped maintain the school program, equipment rentals, and ski lessons. And hikers continued to enjoy the trails year-round. All this, despite pandemic-related restrictions.
We need to have succession,
recruiting fresh ideas and people.
—VIC LEROUX
What gives Vic the greatest sense of satisfaction is watching generations of people enjoying the trails: a family of four with dad pulling a toboggan, or young new Canadians who visit on a school trip and return with their parents in tow.
“That’s our future. We need to have succession, recruiting fresh ideas and people,” he says. “It’s so important to have representation across the board for all activities. Everyone has different interests but we’re all on the same page.”
To learn more about the Summerstown Trails visit their website: summerstowntrails.com
