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Far too many people today who live outside of East York tend to think of the area as having always been directly connected to the old city of Toronto.

It's hard to imagine today when one sees the hustle and bustle of urban life that surrounds the community that at one time the former borough was very much part of the countryside.

We now look out upon places such as the Don Valley and areas that surround East York and see nothing but roads, bridges and buildings that are now half a century old.

Yet just a short generation ago, the major roads we take for granted did not exist and where houses now stand there were farmers' fields in full cultivation.

The Don Valley itself was a virtually untouched forest where people made maple syrup from the sap of local trees and where people hiked and camped in order to get back to nature.

The small-town atmosphere that characterizes East York was very much part of the daily experience in the post-war period and the people who lived here cherished the valley and ravines.

It was in great part due to that local appreciation of nature that helped to preserve the park-like atmosphere of the Don Valley despite the fact that a major roadway passes through it today.

Similar efforts were made by East Yorker's to maintain the natural setting that one finds in area such as Taylor Creek Park, over-turning plans to turn it into a roadway connection to the DVP.

Without their efforts we could have ended up with much worse than we now have due to Metro Toronto's original emphasis upon efficiency and expediency rather than on conservation.

With the parkland preserved and with people continuing to use the areas for recreation, longtime East York resident Gary Collins decided to establish a local outdoors club in 1976.

There were many other outdoor clubs available that were highly specialized, but Collins saw the need for a year-round club that would appeal to all levels of interest.

More importantly, Collins saw the need to use the natural resources that were literally in the community's own backyard.

Affiliated with the borough of East York's recreational program and using facilities such as the community centre and S.Walter Stewart Library, the Outing Club of East York was immediately popular.

While many of the activities were focused in the local area and followed the examples of East York conservationist Charles Sauriol, the club began to spread its activities throughout southern Ontario.

Today, the club's activities include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the Haliburton and Algonquin Park, along with cycling, canoeing and hiking.

If you want to learn more about the club and its winter activities, an information meeting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Mountain Equipment Co-op, 400 King St. W. near Spadina Road.