BARRHEAD – Prior to its closure, Tracey Pandachuck used to work at the Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) in Barrhead, and one of her co-workers was a young woman who lived in the city but had a residence in the area.
This co-worker joined a group that Pandachuck herself has been part of for roughly 20 years — the Barrhead Walkie-Talkie Volksssport Club, a local recreational walking group.
Pandachuck recalled how this co-worker was so thrilled about joining the group, not only for its social aspect, but because she got to see so many places she wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
“Even people who live here don’t know what’s around them,” Pandachuck said.
The Barrhead Walkie-Talkie Volkssport Club actually formed in 1988, with one of its original members being Dr. Charles Godberson, a long-time area physician who practiced in the area for nearly 50 years.
That’s why the name is somewhat antiquated — obviously, no one really uses walkie-talkies anymore — but it still kind of fits what the group does.
“We do walking, but we do a lot of talking,” Pandachuck joked.
In truth, “volkssport” (which means people’s sport) began several decades ago in Germany, and now there are volksport clubs all over Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the world.
“It’s a group that’s bigger than our little club,” she said, noting the Volkssport motto is “Fitness, Fun, Friendship.”
Although the focus of the Barrhead club (and many others) is still on walking, club members also engage in cycling, swimming and cross-country skiing.
Because they are part of a larger organization, Pandachuck said local members can travel to other areas and take part in activities organized by other Volksssport clubs.
For instance, the Volkssport Club of Medicine Hat is organizing five “Majesty Walks” that include two walks in and around Medicine Hat and two walks down by the community of Elkwater at the edge of Cypress Hills.
Pandachuck said the Barrhead club’s membership has been in the mid-twenties for the past few years, though currently it stands at 29 members, which is the highest number they ever had.
She said they started doing “bush walks” in the early 2000s, travelling out to an area like Tawatinaw or the sandhills out by Fort Assiniboine and doing a five to ten-kilometre walk along an established trail.
“Some of them are more hikes than walks, for sure,” she said.
Pandachuck noted that their president, Margaret Attrill, is always on the hunt for new trails around the neighbouring countryside.
Unless they’re going to join another group, Pandachuck said they generally try to not travel more than an hour to go for a walk.
Pandachuck said they meet every Tuesday at the Barrhead Splash Park before travelling out to an agreed-upon location. (If members are familiar with said location, they might meet them out there, she added.)
She said they alternate between evening and day walks to allow those who have to work at specific times to participate in at least some walks.
Depending on the number of people they have out and other factors such as the actual length of the trail, Pandachuck said they typically walk between five to 10 kilometres.
One such local walk they hosted recently took place during the Fort Assiniboine bicentennial celebrations from July 7-9. On the final day, about eight club members were joined by a handful of paddlers from the Athabasca River Brigade for a hike along the Hudson’s Bay Pack and Cart Trail.
Despite the oppressive heat and the emerging clouds of mosquitoes, Pandachuck said it was a very successful walk for the group of 32 walkers.
On a related subject, Pandachuck indicated they have been relatively lucky this year with bad weather, only having to cancel one of their walks.
They’ve also been very lucky in terms of encounters with wildlife; Pandachuck could only recall one instance where they ran into a bear out by the sandhills.
She said the fellow at the back of the group looked over his shoulder and noticed a little bear following them. He kept up with the group for about 10 minutes before taking off.
“We’re very aware that we’re in their territory, so you’ve got to respect that and just keep an eye out,” Pandachuck said, noting they take precautions like carrying bear spray.
On the subject of how people join the club, Pandachuck said they basically accrue new members via word of mouth, though sometimes people find them via their Facebook page.
Anyone needing more information could contact Attrill, the president, at 780-674-4403 or by e-mailing [email protected].
