One of the advantages of TCC membership is the opportunity to attend chapter meetings throughout the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany and share stories with like-minded fellow travelers. You can expect a warm welcome at any of our meetings. If traveling, be sure to check out chapter dates on our website.
Meet the Eastern Canada Chapter
By Rick Shaver
Six years ago, on behalf of TCC Canada members, I had the pleasure of seeking permission from the TCC Board to establish a Canadian chapter of our unique and special club. Since then, our Eastern Canada chapter has had 20 fascinating meetings.
We have consistently averaged 15-20 travelers per meeting, most of which have been held at my company’s office in the shadow of the CN Tower in downtown Toronto.
We’ve been fortunate to have had a nice range of interesting speakers including: the Canadian Ambassador to the UAE and Mexico, the Consulate General for the Kingdom of Bhutan, the travel editor of the Toronto Star newspaper, renowned photo journalists and writers, as well as a president of an Arctic/Antarctic Travel Company.
Equally engaging speakers have been our own chapter members who have recounted some of their adventures in the four corners of the globe.
What is so special about a Canadian TCC meeting? Well, Along with a certain polite kinda humble “Canadian-ness” that prevails over our view of the world, we all seem to share some common traits: curiosity and enthusiasm about the world, always interested in the next adventure, as well as a certain respect and marvel for different cultures.
All are world travelers but do so in different ways. There are dedicated cruisers, and opportunistic keeners who always have a future TCC destination in their crosshairs. We have a couple guys who for decades work half of the year and travel to unique and exotic locations for the other.
Along with guest speakers, we have two enduring “features” at each of our Eastern Canada meetings: both are interactive and allow members to share their travel stories and activities.
- The first one is where we share stories around a common travel theme:
- “Tell us about a memorable island experience”
- “A creepy crawler or bug story”
- “A crazy or interesting overnight stay somewhere”
- “An unusual border crossing”
We’ve even had a Christmas gift exchange where members bring a tacky tourist treasure from their travels that they’d like to share, along with a story.
The other permanent fixture at our meetings is: “where ya been/where are ya going” reports: More often than not, members get excited and say “I’ve always wanted to go there…” or “I’ve been there/here’s an idea for you!”
In the end, I always tell people, the club meetings are all about sharing the passion of travel and the excitement of exploring what our amazing planet has to offer.
Be sure to check the Eastern Canada meeting schedule on our web page. We’d love to have you join us in Toronto anytime!
