Launch of new registry takes place March 30 at the Centennial Centre at 2 p.m.

When Audrey Taylor was widowed a couple of years ago,  it wasn’t only a husband she lost, but a valued travelling companion.

“My husband and I got an RV trailer in the late 50s and we travelled all over Canada and the United States,” she said. “When he died I had to change my method of travelling.”

Since then Taylor has visited Ireland, Alaska and Cuba, always in the company of her children. “Up to now I have always travelled with my family except for short trips.”

But, Taylor pointed out, her children are not always free to go away when she wants to travel, so she was very excited to meet up with Mary McLaren through the Centennial Seniors.

“We are going to Myrtle Beach soon. This is my first trip with non-family,” said Taylor.

It was a situation such as Taylor’s that prompted an idea within Huntsville Community Services to form a solo travellers’ registry in Muskoka.

To that end, a meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 30 at the Huntsville Centennial Centre, from 2 to 4 p.m. to provide information and accept registrations. The service is free.

There are some criteria, however. The Solo Travellers Registry of Muskoka is designed for male and female travellers in two age categories –  40 to 60 and 60 and over – who are looking for travelling companions. All participants are required to complete a registration form, which includes listing two references, and a police check. While there is no charge to register, the cost of the police check is $24.50.

“The reason for this is in the interests of safety,” said  Debbie Deluca, the town’s older adult program co-ordinator. “We want to cover ourselves. We want to be sure of the people that we put together.”

The registry is not a dating or booking service, nor is it a place to to find a caregiver to assist other travellers.

“We are just creating a vehicle to help people find a companion to travel with,” said Deluca. “It’s also not just for single people. It could be that a husband or wife doesn’t want to go on a trip.”

Nobody wants to have to pay the exorbitant cost of a single supplement, added Joanne Hughan, who along with Deluca, Taylor and McLaren was instrumental in setting up the new registry.

“Everywhere you go, accommodation is based on double occupancy.” It’s also nice to have someone to share your trip. “Take a photo, be company at meals,” she continued.

“I know of one older fellow who wanted to go to Egypt. He did all the research and then decided he didn’t want to go alone. In my travels I’ve always met other people who were travelling on their own. It can be lonely.”

Tour companies will often try and pair people up to save space, said Deluca. “Then the traveller doesn’t know who they are getting. It can be a bad match. This way (registry) is a much safer option.”

Taylor agreed: “My daughter had a nightmare trip once. She went to an event on her own and got stuck with someone else on their own. It didn’t go very well.”

There are also single sites online, but then the problem might be that the suggested companion doesn’t live nearby.

“Then they don’t get a chance to meet. The beauty of this is that it is local, so people can meet beforehand and see if they will be comfortable with each other,” Deluca said.

Registered participants will get together twice a year to allow for a face-to-face meeting. The rest of the time they will have the opportunity to view the registry in the main office of the Centennial Centre.

“If it’s between meetings and someone wants to go away, as a member they can look through the registry at the Centennial Centre with a staff member. They won’t be allowed to remove it,” said Deluca.

Meanwhile, Hughan has delivered flyers to all the travel agencies in town so they can apprise their customers of the service. “They think it’s a great idea. They won’t be able to actually sign people up, but the traveller will be able to go to the Centennial Centre and sign on as a member.”  

Taylor was one of the very first people to put her name down on the list.

“With the registry I can plan a trip when I want to go. I really want to visit Portugal and the Scandinavian countries to see the fjords. But if someone came up with a suggestion to go somewhere else, I’d be very interested,”  she said.

For more information on the new solo registry dial 789-6648, see page 38 in the latest issue of the Leisure Guide or attend the March 30 meeting at the Centennial Centre.