July canoe and hike
23 Participants
THE ANNEX
GLEANER
July 2007 page 2 by Elena Yunusov
Natural remedies
The wilderness is where people get better, according to Street to Trail, Founder and executive director Paul Mackle. The local program takes homeless people off the streets and sends them on organized hikes into the woods, and canoeing and cycling trips. The program helps participants overcome depression, drug and alcohol addictions, and gain confidence to help themselves, according to Mackle.
He said he wholeheartedly believes in the healing power of nature and hiking trips that take people away from the relative noise of the city. A longtime resident of the Annex, Mackle was a director with the Toronto Bruce Trail Club for years, and founded Street to Trail as a special way to share his love for the wilderness and to help others.
“I met a woman once who was on her way to get drugs, but she went on a hike instead. Upon her return from the hike, that woman, a heavy drug user, went home. People tell me these hikes help them drop their vices, one by one,” Mackle said.
Macke sifted through numerous photographs of his hikers: a homeless man reflecting on a beauty of Georgian Bay, a group of smiling people on top of the mountain enjoying a beautiful view of the autumn forest, and hefty steaks browning on a campfire grill.
“I was a builder, I used to build houses, and now I build lives. I love a good challenge,” Mackle said. “When people feel good they are going to do good.”
The ultimate dream is to make Street to Trail a national program, Mackle said wilderness trips make homeless people function as a team, master self-reliance and community living skills, and ultimately restore hope.
For more information about the program and how to become a supporting member, please visit http://www.street-to-trail.org/ or e-mail paulmackle@yahoo.com
GLEANER
July 2007 page 2 by Elena Yunusov
Natural remedies
The wilderness is where people get better, according to Street to Trail, Founder and executive director Paul Mackle. The local program takes homeless people off the streets and sends them on organized hikes into the woods, and canoeing and cycling trips. The program helps participants overcome depression, drug and alcohol addictions, and gain confidence to help themselves, according to Mackle.
He said he wholeheartedly believes in the healing power of nature and hiking trips that take people away from the relative noise of the city. A longtime resident of the Annex, Mackle was a director with the Toronto Bruce Trail Club for years, and founded Street to Trail as a special way to share his love for the wilderness and to help others.
“I met a woman once who was on her way to get drugs, but she went on a hike instead. Upon her return from the hike, that woman, a heavy drug user, went home. People tell me these hikes help them drop their vices, one by one,” Mackle said.
Macke sifted through numerous photographs of his hikers: a homeless man reflecting on a beauty of Georgian Bay, a group of smiling people on top of the mountain enjoying a beautiful view of the autumn forest, and hefty steaks browning on a campfire grill.
“I was a builder, I used to build houses, and now I build lives. I love a good challenge,” Mackle said. “When people feel good they are going to do good.”
The ultimate dream is to make Street to Trail a national program, Mackle said wilderness trips make homeless people function as a team, master self-reliance and community living skills, and ultimately restore hope.
For more information about the program and how to become a supporting member, please visit http://www.street-to-trail.org/ or e-mail paulmackle@yahoo.com
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