Vernon Outdoors Club marks 50 years of fun in the fresh air
Published 5:41 pm Tuesday, September 29, 2026
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The Vernon area is replete with outdoor spaces that are worth celebrating.
Doubly so when a local outdoors club hits the half-century mark.
The Vernon Outdoors Club celebrated its 50th anniversary by cumulatively covering one kilometre for every year. On Saturday morning, Sept. 19, just over 50 of the club’s members hit the waters of Kalamalka Lake on kayaks and canoes, or embarked on the rail trail by foot or by bike, and together they handily surpassed their 50-kilometre goal.
The club began planning for this milestone anniversary last fall, when former president George Reid suggested that a kilometre for each year of the club’s existence would be a fitting way to show club members’ longstanding dedication to all things kinetic in the great outdoors.
The club boasts about 300 members, and past members were also invited to take part in the celebration. Some life members (those over the age of 80 who are no longer required to pay annual dues) helped prove that outdoor activity is for everyone, regardless of age.
In fact, one of the club’s decades-long goals has been to eliminate barriers so that everyone can enjoy the outdoors.
“In reading through archives and learning of the club’s history this past year, I feel that I have learned so much about where the club has developed its culture of inclusiveness and respect of the outdoors. We are blessed to have so many alumni come out this weekend to celebrate the work they started and to see the club continue to thrive,” said Deb Thrall, co-chair of the club.
People join the Vernon Outdoors Club because of their love of hiking, biking, cycling and being on the water, Thrall said.
“We value physical health but also find a social aspect fulfilled in being with others who are like-minded in their love of the outdoors,” she said. “Friendships are formed and sustained; bonds are created when you ‘suffer’ together, climbing up that mountain or peddling up that hill as we celebrate the achievement of reaching the top together.”
It’s an environmentally conscious group as well. The club practices the philosophy of ‘Leave no Trace,’ or pack out what you pack in.
Safety is primary, next to enjoyment.
“We value preservation of our natural spaces for future generations to enjoy. Our club dedicates volunteer time and money to maintaining trails, not just for our club use, but for all people in the public to enjoy. The Vernon Outdoors Club has so much value in the Vernon community and I am grateful to be a part of its successes,” Thrall said.
Saturday’s celebration took the form of a mock race to the finish line on Kal Beach in Coldstream. A dinner event for more than 100 members followed and was a chance for stories to be told and memories to be shared.
To learn more about the club, visit vernonoutdoorsclub.org.