Board Members
Vera Cvetkovic – Club President & Board Chair
Vera and her family are not new to the Bruce Trail, but she started contributing more to the BMBTC community in the last couple of years. First as Communication Director and now as Club President. Besides her full-time job as a technology executive, she is very interested in outdoor activities, cooking, and making stained glass mosaics. Actively serving non-profit and professional association boards and member of WGOB and ICD.
Jim Lewis-Secretary/Vice President
I was fortunate to start hiking with my Dad on the Bruce Trail as a youth. This was in the Burlington and Hamilton areas. I moved to Collingwood in the early 1980’s. I have spent a great deal of time on local trails with my children as they were growing up, and now with my grandchildren. I believe strongly in the importance of the BTC’s endeavors to secure and conserve a ribbon wilderness in perpetuity. I look forward to contributing to an organization that has provided so many benefits for my family and myself.
Arie Van Walraven – Treasurer
I was born and raised on a small dairy farm near Gananoque Ontario, graduate of Queen’s University (B. Com. Hons.) and retired after 40 years practicing accounting. Most of my weekends were spent hiking everywhere, and I have completed about 75% of the Bruce Trail. My goal in retirement is to spend most of my time outside, and working on the Bruce trail satisfies that goal. As a bonus, the hikers benefit from my efforts and the biodiversity on our land is improved. I am proud to be able to contribute more through membership on the Board.
Stan Kaczmarek – Land Steward Director
I’ve been a BMBTC Board Member for little over 6 months. I moved to the Collingwood area from Northern Ontario after working 35 years in the Mining Sector. I have always enjoyed outdoor activities; particularly X-C skiing, running, hiking, and biking. Hiking has now become one of my foremost activities, and the proximity to the Bruce Trail accommodates that perfectly. Helping out with trail maintenance and construction work adds to the overall satisfaction.
Linda Finley – Trail Director
Bev Matthews – Landowner Relations
Our volunteer work with the Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Club includes connecting with landowners who have generously allowed Trail access and other property owners in our Section. Our work with the Bruce Trail Conservancy includes exploring opportunities to permanently secure the Bruce Trail in the Blue Mountains Section.
Victoria Knodel – Communication Director
Born and raised in the beautiful Thornbury area, I have always connected deeply to nature. Along with my partner, I’ve spent countless hours hiking, biking, and walking the stunning trails of the Bruce Peninsula, making the trails a regular part of our lives. Our passion for the outdoors is what first drew us to the Bruce Trail, and we have been dedicated to exploring and protecting these scenic landscapes ever since. As a member of the Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Conservancy communication team and social media coordinator, I work to share the beauty and importance of these trails with others, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy this incredible natural heritage.
Murray Morrison – Volunteer Engagement Director
I have lived in the Collingwood area since moving here in 1978, drawn by the desire to enjoy the escarpment and water activities that abound in the area. I am passionate about preserving and sustaining agricultural land and our green spaces. I have been a Bruce Trail member for several years and especially enjoy hiking with my grandkids. I retired from a 40 year career in agricultural sales and presently work with my son at Morrison Pumpkin Farm.
Annette Sandberg – Hike Director
Annette Sandberg grew up on the Niagara Escarpment on a 200-acre farm between Castle Glen and Scenic Caves. She now resides in Collingwood. Annette is a historical researcher, freelance writer, and professional speaker whose main interests are documenting her discoveries about the ancient formation of the Niagara Escarpment, Indigenous and early settlers in our local area, and the healing power of nature. After completing the 900km Bruce Trail end-to-end hike from Queenstown to Tobermory, she became a Blue Mountain Bruce Trail Club hike leader and is a long-standing club member. Annette spent twenty years as a senior Provincial Volunteer Ground Search and Rescue Team member. She served a two-year term on the Town of Collingwood Trail and Active Transportation Advisory Committee and continues serving as Director of Education with the Escarpment Corridor Alliance Group. Annette also continues her twenty-plus years teaching outdoor survival programs as a Certified instructor through Adventure Smart. Annette believes connecting with nature through hiking creates an inner balance vital to our well-being. As our new Hike Director, Annette will share her knowledge and love for the land to continue encouraging people to participate in the BMBTC hiking program.
Helen Stukator – Events and Membership Director
I grew up in Toronto in a family who was passionate about the outdoors and active living. Twenty years ago, I moved to Collingwood with my young daughters and since then I have enjoyed exploring many, many great hikes on the Bruce Trail. I have also hiked in the Rocky Mountains, Utah, Peru, and Spain and am happiest in a good pair of trail shoes. Joining the Board for the BMBTC offers me a fantastic opportunity to give back to an organization that has provided me and my family with wonderful memories. I look forward to supporting hikers who venture into our area and ensure they too will create lasting memories exploring our region. The Bruce Trail provides Southern Ontarians and our visitors with a way to unwind and rejuvenate through the beauty of nature.
Michael Treuman – Director at Large
I studied engineering and retired from a career in and around the computer business. I became an outdoor enthusiast at summer camp in my teens when I took up sailing and water-skiing. As a weekender from Toronto, I joined the Blue Mountains Club in 2001 where I have been a trail captain, hike leader, and land steward, as well as President for three years. I am currently a member of the BTC Board of Directors.
Doug Kube – Director at Large
I and my family have been in Collingwood for 18 years benefiting from all the Niagara escarpment and Georgian Bay has to offer, hiking the Bruce Trail, skiing Blue Mountain and boating on the bay. I have worked for 35 years in the environmental and sustainability field advising companies on environmental, social and governance (ESG), risk and compliance issues. Having held Director-level positions at leading Canadian companies and not-for-profit organizations I hope to leverage my knowledge and experience in supporting the BMBTC in upholding the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s mission of “preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
Rob Johnston – Director at Large
I worked in the GTA and moved to Collingwood after retiring in 2019. My family have Beaver Valley roots and a cabin on the Bruce Peninsula. I love it up here. I have been a hiker for years and have walked the Bruce Trail end-to-end. What the founders, members, and volunteers have done in creating the Bruce Trail for everyone’s use amazes me, so I help where I can, mostly on events and trail maintenance, but also whatever needs doing. See you out there!
Paul Swindall – Director at Large
Having lived and worked in the GTA for many years, my introduction to the Bruce Trail came when we adopted twin boys. Always on the lookout for active things to do, I soon became obsessed with hiking as a great “energy burning” activity. Over the course of 7 years we hiked from Niagara Falls all the way north to Boyne Valley from our base in Mississauga. When we moved to Collingwood in 2016, we picked up where we left off, hitting most of the trail from Primrose to Tobermory. Volunteering for the Blue Mountains Club is my attempt to give back for many years of enjoyment.
