The Red Cap Outdoor Club
In celebration of this bit of history, the newly created Take the Roof Off Winter Red Cap Outdoor Club embraces the philosophy that was illustrated by the original Red Cap Snowshoe Club: playing together, being active, and having fun in the outdoors!
Red Caps are known as people that embrace and celebrate our winter season, encourage and participate in spontaneous outdoor play, enjoy connecting with others through outdoor fun, and strive to re-connect with the natural environment. Not a bad group to be a part of! Wear your Red Cap with pride!
You and your family and/or friends can become “Red Caps” by joining the Red Cap Outdoor Club. Red Cap members receive the official Take the Roof Off Winter toque and the provincial Red Cap e- bulletin promoting exciting outdoor recreation related events and activities happening across the province. As a Red Cap Outdoor Club member, you and your family and/or friends will commit to enjoying outdoor, physical activities throughout the winter. Activities need not be structured – in fact, the club encourages spontaneous, unstructured, red-cheeked play...as long as it's outdoors, active, and fun! Make sure to get your official red cap to signify your club membership status. A limited number of red caps will be available through Recreation Nova Scotia.
To sign up for the Red Cap Club, click here.
What is the Red Cap Outdoor Club?
 In 1874 the Red Cap Snowshoe club was founded, made up of eleven male members. It was the oldest local sports organization, along with the Halifax Snowshoe Club and the Halifax Junior Snowshoe Club. The members established a "view to encourage a taste for the exercise of snowshoeing."
The club colors were blue, red, and white. All members wore a knitted jersey, with white and blue spots accompanied by a red sash, red hats with blue tassels, white knickerbockers, red stockings with white anklets and white gloves. The first captain wore white tassels and the second captain wore blue and white tassels. Quite the outfit!
The Red Caps slogan was "Are we or are we not?" Reply, "We are!" Their headquarters were the Costen House in Halifax, where they went after each race to eat and drink. The club was an opportunity for these members to get together and be social, and get lots of exercise while they were at it!
Tramping all the Way...
Twice a week, between 40-50 members would meet at Burns Monument at the Public Gardens to take a "tramp", or hike. Once a month there were short distance races of 100, 200, and 440 yards.
The long distance races were held every couple of years. The first race was held in 1875 from Halifax - the willow tree to the four-mile house in Rockingham. This was 7 1/16 miles, and in 1886 Edward Richardson made record time in this race, finishing in one hour eleven minutes.
There were no records of the Red Cap club between 1918 and 1929 and the club stopped for World War 1 and the depression.
You can visit the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame located on 1645 Granville Street. There they have an old Red Cap Uniform and articles you can read, along with the bylaws of the club. There is a great history of snowshoeing in Nova Scotia -why not be a part of it?
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