From the Editor

Ava Gartner and Emilie Pellerin enjoy the view after a long day on the wall (front). A view of Stawamus Chief and the Grand Wall area (behind). Photos Peter Hoang

Raising a glass to our volunteers

Each winter, the ACC recognizes the efforts of club volunteers from across the country, volunteers that have given their time to lead trips, provide leadership, run projects and generally make our 24 sections across Canada operate. You can see the list of volunteer award recipients for 2022 on page 17.

It’s worth noting that the committee that reviews these applications is itself comprised of club volunteers. And the members who’ve submitted the applications for their peers to be recognized are typically volunteers themselves too. The ACC runs on volunteers at every level.

Scroll down the list and see if there’s anyone from your section, anyone that you know, anyone who deserves a pat on the back and our thanks – these annual volunteer awards are a big deal.

We also have a story on Helmut Microys, who has given so much to the club over the years, more than a single magazine page can detail. We’ll continue to highlight one amazing ACC volunteer each issue and bring you a bit of their story.

The profile on the Squamish Section in this issue also happens to be about volunteers, specifically how the section builds a cohort program with an eye toward sustainability of their volunteer base. This issue’s Camp Journal is written by the Toronto Section’s Alex Perel, and covers the GMC tune-up course held in Canmore in June. Alex and the rest of the amateur leaders are essential to our annual camp, leading rope teams and providing general support to the mountain guides.

The Keene Farm property in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State has been a jewel in the crown of the Montreal Section for more than 50 years. Our feature on Keene tells the interesting history, including a devastating fire, a rebuild and a modernization over the years.

GMC amateur leaders and Montreal Section members taking care of the Keene Farm property are just two more examples of volunteers making our club run in all parts of our country.

We hope all of our members have an awesome and adventurous summer, wherever they are. We hope you enjoy this issue of the ACC Gazette, and that you get a chance to thank an ACC volunteer near you.