Pat’s Legacy of Wellness

Leaving a gift in my will to Trans Canada Trail was one of the easiest decisions of my life.

You see, in the 1990s, my husband Harold and I owned a resort on Sturgeon Lake in Ontario, close to one of the access points for The Great Trail of Canada. We often had visitors who were trekking the Trail.

They would stop and camp with us for a night or two, share the stories of where they’d come from and what they’d seen, and then continue their journey. We welcomed hikers and cyclists, troops of Scouts, snowmobilers and cross-country skiers – people from all over the world.

I have so many fond memories of that time. Once, our resort was featured on a Polish radio station, and a little while later, a big group of Polish tourists came to visit. None of us spoke the language, and Harold and I were scrambling – until a student fluent in Polish happened to come off the Trail. She became our translator! We had a big corn roast, and Harold taught all the kids to roll corn in a pound of butter.

Whether they came from the next town over, the next province, or another country entirely, they always had a place with us – and the Trail often brought them.

I don’t know about you, but I was taught that when you reach a certain level of comfort, it’s your turn to pay it forward. After 20 years of donations, giving a little bit more or a little bit less as I could manage, I trust this organization to handle my money wisely.

No matter how they use my gift, I know it will be one that keeps on giving. The Great Trail will continue to bring people together in a way that doesn’t happen in a city or town. I love to think about all the people in the future who will be able to connect to nature, and one another, through the Trail.

Pat Junkin
Trans Canada Trail legacy donor, Ontario