By Bill Hutchins
with photography by Ian MacAlpine
When it comes to documenting some of the rich history of our region, Steven Manders really can dig it.
You won’t find him couch-bound watching television and reminiscing about the good old days. He’s too busy creating new experiences for himself.
Steve is an avid outdoor enthusiast on so many levels, whether it’s tracing long-abandoned rail lines, counting crows, taking pictures of nature or enjoying the thrill of whitewater kayaking.
He has put together an eclectic list of accomplishments, many of which have occurred in his nearly 20 retirement years. “I like to get out and explore. These are my Mount Everests,” he boldly declares. Steven has packed a lot into his eight-plus decades of life and says he has no intention of slowing down in the pursuit of his varied interests.
Born in 1944 in Toronto, Steven was one of five children to parents Donald and Winifred, though most of his childhood was spent growing up in Kingston’s west end. “My parents moved us to Montreal when I was three and then to Kingston’s Reddendale neighbourhood when I was about five. Back then, the area was mostly farmland with cows.”
Steven recalls riding his bicycle to the beach of nearby Lake Ontario, . . .