Category: Association

Featured Image: Watchful Eye – Erin Klatt

In September each year, the GDTA Board of Directors calls together all GDT Members for our Annual General Meeting. Part of this is the GDTA’s legal obligation as a registered Canadian charitable organization to present members our financials and have them vote to approve them.

But the other big reasons for the AGM is to:

• provide GDTA Membership with:
  • An update on the health of the association;
  • A summary of the great work our volunteer committees have achieved throughout the year; and,
  • A chance to vote for a new crop of Board Members;
• and to thank:
  • our Donors and Supporters;
  • the companies that offer Member Benefits; and,
  • everyone that has volunteered or otherwise supported the GDTA.

We’ll be posting a “year in review” blog shortly, but for now we’d like to take this opportunity to share the Volunteer Award recipients, and introduce the GDTA’s newest Board Members.

Note: The AGM moved virtually a few years back due to planning, costs, and technical challenges of hosting in person so close to the end of the hiking season. Furthermore, our membership extends well beyond a single region, so hosting virtually provides equal access to the material. But have no fear, the board appreciates the value of in-Person get togethers, which is why you saw a good number of meetups last year. We’ll be doing the same again this year. In fact, come join the folks in Calgary for our 2026 GDT Season Wrap-Up!

Volunteer Awards

The GDTA would like to call out the efforts of the following individuals for their contributions over the previous year.

New Board Members

The following amazing individuals have put their name up to join, or continue as members of the GDTA’s Board of Directors.

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René Bélanger

After completing two thru hikes, I have a new perspective on long trails and the surrounding community that supports hikers. I’m inspired to help sustainably build and maintain our local trails. I enjoyed volunteering on two maintenance trips. My background is in Computer Science, Programming, and IT. My skills include accounting, GPS mapping, and being bilingual. I’m eager to share my skills and committed to supporting the board’s work in making the GDT special.

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Rebecca Isbister

Rebecca is an avid hiker and backpacker whose love of the outdoors has taken her across the Canadian Rockies, Pacific Northwest and Tasmania, Australia. Over the past decade, she has spent countless days on the trail, including the last five years backpacking, and has reached 127 mountain summits and counting.

A prospective Great Divide Trail thru-hiker, Rebecca believes trails offer a unique way to connect with nature and inspire stewardship of wild places. If she’s not hiking, she’s usually planning her next adventure or thinking about the mountains. Rebecca brings communications and writing experience from the nonprofit and government sectors. She is excited to contribute those skills to the Great Divide Trail Association and support the completion, long-term preservation and protection of the Great Divide Trail.

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Ryan Johnson

My name is Ryan Johnson and I am excited to be putting my name forward for a position on the GDTA Board.

I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and spent most of my summers on Lake of the Woods, Ontario, where I fished for walleye, slalom skied, and explored as many of the lakes’ 14,000 plus islands as I could. About four years ago I moved to Calgary as a recent law school graduate, and the outdoors have been a big part of my life here too. What was once an annual ski trip has become 20-plus days each winter, with summers now spent hiking and backcountry camping. When I’m not at my desk or getting outside, I’m most likely at the gym or dialling in my espresso.

Professionally, I practice as a litigation lawyer and am genuinely excited about the chance to bring those skills to the GDTA, whether that is in advocacy, governance, strategic planning, or policy. Being able to combine that with a passion for the outdoors and a community I am keen to be a part of would be incredibly rewarding.

I look forward to contributing in any way I can and hope to meet many of you soon

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Melissa Miceli

Melissa has been volunteering with the Trail Protection and Advocacy Committee as Secretary since fall 2025. She grew up in Northern Ontario and developed a love of the outdoors at a young age. Melissa moved to Calgary with her partner in 2023 so they could enjoy a mountain-adjacent lifestyle. An avid day hiker and camper, she hopes to expand her backpacking abilities and start tackling sections of the GDT. A land use planner/project manager/cat herder by day, Melissa is keen to lend her expertise to various GDTA initiatives that involve relationship building, external communications, and project management.

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Vivian Van Schepdael

I’m a mountain lover at heart, happiest when I’m deep in the Rockies with a long trail stretched out ahead of me. After completing the Colorado Trail and beginning my section‑hike of the GDT, I feel strongly about helping build and protect the incredible routes our hikers rely on while respecting the land and wildlife that call the Rockies home. Volunteering on two recent trail maintenance trips sparked my interest in becoming more involved with the GDTA. Recently retired, I’m excited for the chance to support the GDTA as a Board member. I bring extensive Board experience, including four years as President of a Condo Board, along with my 34‑year career in Finance focused on leadership, risk mitigation, and process improvement. 

Re-Elected

In addition to our new board members above, both Steve and Kristine were re-elected as Board Members this year.

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Steve Harvey

Steve is currently the GDTA Vice President and is seeking re-election to the board after having served his first three year term. Steve has held a number of roles with the GDTA, including vice president, board chair, co-chair of the outreach committee, chair of the GDTA’s IT committee, and was elected to the board in 2023. He hopes to continue to advance the GDTA’s strategic plan, and see the Great Divide Trail become well known in the hearts and minds of all Canadians and protected as a source of national pride.

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Kristine O’Rielly

Kristine has been on the GDTA Board since 2022 and has been living in the GDT-region for the past 10 years. Kristine’s role during her previous Board terms has been focused within the Trail Building and Maintenance Committee (TBMC), where she has worked to improve process and communication between the Association’s largest committee and the Board of Directors. Kristine has also been a trail maintenance volunteer, a trip leader and the elk pass trailhead resupply coordinator for the GDTA. 

Kristine is an engineer, as well as a certified hiking guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, and can be found regularly hiking and skiing in the Canadian Rockies. She has volunteer experience with a number of conservation organizations including the Alpine Club of Canada, Parks Canada, Yellowstone to Yukon and CPAWS. Kristine’s mantra is that conservation is a team sport and she believes we can get further by partnering with like-minded organizations who are working toward our shared goal of preserving the wilderness of the GDT region. She hopes to continue using her skills and passion to help the GDTA advance its’ goals if selected to serve an additional 1-year term.

Backpackers, hikers, trail maintainers, map nerds, campfire storytellers: if you love the Great Divide Trail, this is for you. 

• Do you want to help shape the future of an iconic Canadian wilderness trail? 
• Do you want a front row seat into the inner workings of the GDTA and trail development? 
• Can you spare 6–10 hours a month? 

If you answered yes, we’d love to hear from you. 

The GDTA is looking for people who care about this trail and want to help steer the organization forward. You do not need to check every box or have extensive experience in any particular area. We’re an approachable group of people who value new perspectives and idea and everyone brings something different, whether that’s formal experience in charity governance, boots-on-the-ground hiking experience, or a skillset you’ve developed through work/hobbies that can apply to the huge variety of work we do.  

Enthusiasm, good judgment, and a willingness to show up and contribute are the most important qualities. We would love to connect with you! 

What the Board Does 

The GDTA is a registered charity, and the Board is accountable for making sure the Association is run in line with the law and our members’ wishes. As a group, the Board: 

• Keeps an eye on GDTA’s finances and performance 
• Sets strategic direction aligned with our Mission, Vision, and Values 
• Oversees risk management 
• Works on improving how the Board itself functions 
• Champions the Association and its members, and supports our Executive Director & staff. 

What this really means:  

Each month we have a virtual board meeting, which starts off with representatives from each committee providing updates on everything going – which is our favourite part (trail maintenance, fundraising, events, outreach, policy reviews, etc.) We review year-to-date financials (our Treasurer makes it easy to understand!), and discuss any other topics that board members add to the agenda (progress towards strategic goals, proposals for improving our operations, upcoming projects, etc.) 

What We’d Love to See (No Need to Check Every Box) 

Experience or a strong interest in any of the following is welcome. Nobody is expected to bring all of it, and if you have experience in a different area entirely that you’re excited to contribute, let’s connect! 

• Prior involvement with the Great Divide Trail Association is a great place to start (Have you done trail maintenance? Volunteered at our events or on a committee?) 
• Interest or experience in fundraising, familiarity with grant-writing 
• Financial management/budgeting 
• Legal & governance 
• Strategic planning 
• Indigenous relations 
• Event-planning, community building 
• Policy, HR, operations 
• Hiking or thru-hiking experience 

This round, we’re also looking for a new Board Secretary 

Our amazing current Board Secretary has served their term but is committed to fully training their successor and supporting a smooth handover — so you won’t be figuring it out alone. If you like taking notes, staying organized, and the odd filing of paperwork, this could be a perfect role for you! 

What We Ask of Individual Board Members 

• Help create a positive, open culture 
• Follow GDTA’s bylaws, policies, and procedures 
• Attend monthly Board meetings by virtual conference (3rd Tuesday, 7–9 pm MST) 
• Sit on one of GDTA’s 7 committees, or a working group for specific projects
• Make decisions with the Association’s best interests in mind 
• Share your ideas and perspectives, and speak up during discussions

Term: Three (3) years, 6–10 hrs/month

Compensation: None — this is a volunteer position, but it’s a meaningful way to give back to a trail you love. 

How to Apply 

We’re accepting applications until August 31, 2026. 

Send an email to agm@greatdividetrail.com, attention: Nomination Committee, and tell us: 

• What interests you about joining the board 
• Any GDTA volunteer experience you have, and/or experience in the relevant areas listed above 
• Anything else that makes you a good fit 

The Nomination Committee will reach out to you to set up a brief meeting to get to know you further, and will present qualified candidates to the membership ahead of the AGM. The membership will vote for board members at the AGM on September 28, 2026. 

Not Ready for a Board Role? There Are Other Ways to Help 

If a Board position isn’t the right fit but you’d still like to get involved, there are lots of ways to help, including remotely and outside of peak hiking season. Even a few hours can make a real difference. 

Whether you’ve hiked every inch of the GDT or you just care about protecting the wild spaces it runs through, we’d love to hear from you and explore where your passion aligns with our work so you can have fun while giving back. 

Members! Hiking season is finally back again, and our attention is certainly focused on the hikers about to set out on the GDT this year. But the board is also looking to get a jump-start on planning for the Fall Annual General Meeting. 

Save the Date: Monday, September 28, 2026; online*

(registration details will go out soon after the hiking season)

As a registered Canadian charitable organization, the GDTA has a legal obligation to present members our financials and have them vote to approve them. This has traditionally been done in September each year and has also been the venue used to provide updates on the year’s activities and vote for new board members. 

We want to hear your thoughts:

• what do you want to hear about at the AGM?
• are there people you think deserve recognition this year?
• are there updates you’ve been hoping to hear more on? 
• are there issues you want to make sure are on the board’s radar? 
• what would make the AGM more useful for you as a member?

Email your thoughts to: agm@greatdividetrail.com – We’ll do our best to address the comments we receive during the AGM.

Sincerely,

Your Board of Directors 

* Note: The AGM moved virtually a few years back due to planning, costs, and technical challenges of hosting in person so close to the end of the hiking season. Furthermore, our membership extends well beyond a single region, so hosting virtually provides equal access to the material. But have no fear, the board appreciates the value of in-Person get togethers, which is why you saw a good number of meetups last year. We’ll be doing the same again this year 

Photo Credit: Harrison Crerar – GDTA Photo Contest 2025

Do you have a passion for safety, helping others, and spending time in the outdoors?

The Great Divide Trail Association is looking for a volunteer Safety Officer to help support our trail building, maintenance, and volunteer programs. This role plays an important part in helping us develop safe practices, review procedures, support trip leaders, and contribute to a culture where volunteers can confidently work and recreate in remote backcountry environments.

Whether your background is in occupational health and safety, emergency response, risk management, outdoor leadership, or a related field, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a rewarding opportunity to give back to Canada’s premier long-distance hiking trail while helping protect the people who make it possible.

👉 Interested in learning more or getting involved? Contact us at volunteer@greatdividetrail.com or send us a direct message.

Together, we can help keep the Great Divide Trail safe, sustainable, and thriving for generations to come. 🌲🥾

The GDTA website has been a labour of love since its creation by Brad Vaillancourt in 2013. From the beginning, the goal has been to ensure that hikers can easily find all the information they need to plan an epic adventure on the Trail. It has grown to be the place hikers, members, and fans keep up to speed on everything related to the GDT and the GDTA.

More than a year in the making, the GDTA is proud to roll out a big refresh to our beloved website! Built collaboratively entirely by volunteers, you’ll still find all the content you’ve come to rely upon. The most referenced pages should be even easier to find with more links in more places. You’ll find additional content related to the Association’s commitment to Reconciliation, Responsible Recreation, our Supporters, History of Trail Work, an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions, and more.

Every page has been refreshed and adorned with fresh new images (many courtesy of our annual photo contest). Check out our credits page to learn more about who contributed these beauties!

The look may be new, but the GDTA remains committed to ensuring that the website provides the critical information future hikers.

We’d love to hear what you think of the new site. And if you find something that doesn’t seem right, we’d appreciate you dropping us a message at website@greatdividetrail.com. News, Events, and Blogs will continue to get added, and keep checking back for even more great additions throughout the year.