Well, prior to 1970, folks followed the Radial Line electric railway that ran from Guelph to Toronto. In fact, the Rotary Club of Guelph, through the instigation of Phil Gosling of Bruce Trail fame, blazed a trail on part of it and had searched the land titles from Guelph Eastward to Crewson Corners.

In early 1970, Jill Leslie decided that a formal trail should be established towards the East from Guelph to join up with the Bruce Trail South-East of Acton. To put her plan into action, Jill wrote to the President of the Bruce Trail Association seeking advice and assistance. She took his recommendation and contacted the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club. At this Club's annual meeting, Jill presented her idea. As the Acton section of the Bruce Trail came under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club, the proposal was passed on to their executive.

Meanwhile, Jill called a meeting in Guelph of local residents belonging to the Bruce Trail Association. Over the next year, four meetings were held to discuss progress in obtaining landowners' consent, building of stiles and blazing the trail. By the Fall of 1971, with the help of some members of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club, and under the direction of Jim Pierce (Club President, at the time), the then-named “Radial Trail Club” had almost completed the trail to Limehouse.

By Winter of 1971, Phil Gosling encouraged the group to form a non-affiliated club and they took on a new name, the "Guelph Trail Club". At the first meeting in 1972, a tentative constitution and a preliminary budget of $100 to finish the Trail and publish the handbook was presented. The membership fee was set at $2 which included a handbook.

In June, 1972, Jill Leslie agreed to head up a study for a trail between Guelph and Preston. Through to Spring of 1973, work parties under the guidance of Jill and Mike Zerner blazed their way to Preston, so that on May 27, 1973 the Speed River Trail was officially opened by Mayor Norm Jary and Gord Chaplin, a Cambridge Alderman. And this was the year that also landed the Club's first end-to-end hike.

Growth of the Club

Since its inception, many partnerships, trail improvements, and advertising activities have continued the development of the Club’s benefits to the Community. Some of the milestones included:

• The Landowner Registry was started, regarding the club's trails
• Ontario Trails Council was established by the Ontario government and G.T.C. member, Bill Coates was appointed Chairman
• The Federation of Ontario Hiking Trails Associations were initiated
• We helped the City of Cambridge establish the Mill Run Trail
• The Club Badge was designed, followed by a badge for those who completed the End-to-End hike
• Our first and second edition of the Club information brochure was printed