Trent University Opens the Morton Family Trail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Revitalized trail named after supporters of Sport & Wellness

Thursday, September 29, 2011, Peterborough

Trent University has revitalized the 2.3 kilometre Morton Family Trail, located in the Trent Canal Nature Area along the east bank of the Symons campus, named in honour of Mr. David and Dr. Patricia Morton for their $100,000 donation in support of the Sport, Recreation & Wellness for All campaign and for their strong support of the University.

“Trent is a university acclaimed for its talented faculty and dedicated staff, but also for the splendid athletic and recreational facilities available for community use, including the beautiful Nature Area trail system,” said the Mortons. “Like so many folks who enjoy these delightful trails, we love to traverse them all year round. We feel very honoured by the naming of The Morton Family Trail.”

Improvements to the Morton Family Trail include widening of the trail’s footprint to allow individuals to walk two abreast, the addition of more wood chip ground covering to improve the ambiance and feel of the trail, the installation of several new benches, each with a spectacular view and several located along the canal, and a revised trail map and updated brochure. The newly named trail will be anchored by a plaque to honour the Morton family.

David and Patricia Morton have long and strong ties to Trent University and the Peterborough Area. After retiring as president and CEO of the Quaker Oats Company, Mr. Morton joined the Trent University Board of Governors in 2004, serving as chair from 2008 to 2011. In 2002 Trent University granted Mr. Morton an Honorary Doctor of Laws; in the same year he received Peterborough’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Professor Emerita Patricia Morton retired from Trent University in 2002 after 26 years of service as a professor. She has also been very involved with the area community as a volunteer on many non-profit boards, including the Morton Community Healthcare Centre in Lakefield.

Mr. and Prof. Morton’s generous support of the Sport, Recreation & Wellness for All campaign is just part of their tireless dedication to Trent University. They have been generous supporters of the First Peoples House of Learning, the Morton Graduate Scholarship in Indigenous Studies, the Patricia and David Morton Indigenous Studies Undergraduate Award, the Board of Governors Leadership Scholarship, the Ted Tremain Award for Study Abroad and the Phyllis Morton Memorial Bursary.

“We are strong supporters of Trent because of our own experience with its tremendous contributions to the life of both its students and the Peterborough area community,” they said.

David and Patricia Morton live in Peterborough and are the parents of two children, Denise and Neil, and the grandparents of six grandchildren.

Trent University has been a leader in the environment since its inception in 1964. The opening of the Morton Family Trail in the Trent Nature Areas solidifies the University’s commitment to preserving and celebrating its natural setting.

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For more information, please contact: Sherry Booth, senior development officer, Planned Giving & Leadership Gifts, 705-748-1011, ext. 7593