Tag: canadian trails federation

Say Hello to Your New Trans Canada Trail!

June 8, 2021

Old name, new look

You may have noticed that things look a little different these days on our website, social media pages, and maybe even trail signs. As of June 1, 2021, the name of The Great Trail of Canada has changed back to its original name, and is once again known as the iconic Trans Canada Trail.

The background

Back in 2016, we decided to separate the name of our organization (Trans Canada Trail) from the name of the physical trail (The Great Trail), as a way to celebrate and highlight the significant milestone of connection in 2017.

Charting our course for the future

Post-connection, we began the process of charting a course for our future. In order to build on this historic achievement, we undertook significant consultation and research with our partners, donors, funders and stakeholders to secure their input on our future direction.

Part of this outreach included focus groups and research into the name change. As good stewards of our brand, understanding how our name and our work resonate is valued feedback. We were also looking to respond to lingering concerns and confusion about the name change.  To address this, we conducted extensive polling and focus group research to find out exactly what Canadians know about us, and what they think of our name.

What we heard

The research showed that the Trans Canada Trail name was the preferred option. Almost all participants told us that they favoured the original name for the physical trail. And, the majority (70%) supported returning to the original name.

When we asked them why, the reasons included an emotional connection to the name and a strong sense of pride in a name that identifies the Trail as uniquely Canadian.  The other piece of information that the research yielded was the low level of awareness of The Great Trail name. The Trans Canada Trail name surpassed that of The Great Trail by a factor of 10:1.

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Local Flavours: The Complete Guide to Riding in Fernie, British Columbia – from Pinkbike

April 27, 2021

THE COMPLETE RIDING GUIDE TOFERNIE, BRITISH COLUMBIAWords, photos, & video by Ben Haggar

Presented by
Tourism Fernie

Note from the author: 2020 was weird and 2021 is shaping up to be just as unpredictable. It’s hard to know what travel will look like this year for both domestic and international tourism in BC. What I do know is that daydreaming about these incredible riding destinations and making plans for when travel is both safe and responsible is good for the soul and keeps me motivated to ride the trainer in my garage.This episode was produced in August 2020 when BC Covid cases were extremely low, travel was allowed and all pertinent safety measures were taken into consideration from face masks, physical distancing and buckets of hand sanitizer. For updated advise on travel restrictions and provincial guidelines visit the BC CDC website and Tourism Fernie’s Covid-19 travel section. Enjoy, keep dreaming and stay safe out there.

Fernie sits right in the south-eastern corner of BC, nestled in the picturesque Elk Valley. The landscape is classic Canadian Rocky Mountains with emerald rivers flowing through heavily wooded valleys and towering limestone peaks reaching skywards as far as the eye can see. The riding here mirrors the natural terrain with easier green and blue trails generally lower in the valley with the black and double black trails beginning higher in elevation where the mountains become steeper.

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Parks Canada Releases Minister’s Response To Round Table Consultations – National Parks Traveler.org

April 20, 2021

By Jennifer Bain – April 19th, 2021

A trio of people at Pukaskwa National Park in Ontario. People of all backgrounds, cultures and traditions want to see themselves reflected in Parks Canada staff/Parks Canada, Scott Munn

Canadians wants Parks Canada to work harder to make racialized communities, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2+ communities and people living with disabilities feel welcome in its parks, conservation areas and historic sites.

That was a key takeaway of “Let’s Talk Parks, Canada!” — the 2020 Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada, a national consultation that’s held every two years to help shape the agency’s response to challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.

The round table was delivered through virtual engagement sessions and an online engagement portal in October and November. It drew a record 4,500 emails and 20 written submissions, and attracted 60 organizations to nine virtual discussion forums. More than 500 ideas were shared through the online portal and 8,000 people were engaged over social media.

“Getting outside has been indispensable to many of us during this difficult year, myself included,” Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, wrote in his report and response to the round table. “COVID-19 has reinforced the need to ensure that all Canadians can access, enjoy and feel welcome in all natural and cultural heritage places.”

Wilkinson’s report details 12 action areas that “will help to protect more nature, strengthen Indigenous leadership in conservation, protect Canada’s built heritage, foster diversity in the stories shared at Parks Canada administered places and make these important places even more inclusive and welcoming to all visitors.”

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Volunteers Come Together to Repair Well-Used Bridge in George’s Brook – VOCM Local News Now

August 18, 2020

Aug 17, 2020 7:21 AM

Although the province has several months until snowmobiling weather, the summer is a good time to groom trails and fix up old bridges.

A group of volunteers took advantage of some nice weather over the weekend to get together and fix up one of the bridges in George’s Brook that was in need of repairs.

The bridge is part of a 76-kilometre multi-vehicle trail that runs through the old Bonavista railway line, the Forest Access Road in Lethbridge, and along to Clarenville.

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Summertime in Canada’s prime cottage country, where the only traffic is ‘moosejams’ – National Post

August 18, 2020

Muskoka’s timeless landscapes feature thousands of lakes, vast forests of green and classic Canadian Shield rock Author of the article:Sharon Lindores Publishing date:Aug 16, 2020

Editor’s note: This story refers to Deerhurst Resort near Huntsville, Ont., where a coronavirus outbreak occurred after the August long weekend. Deerhurst Resort remains open and said its “stringent prevention measures” have kept it safe for guests and staff.

As I look out on Lake Opeongo there’s no one in sight other than my guide, steering the canoe. I’m surrounded by lily pads and the only sounds are birdsongs, our paddles hitting the water and our friendly banter.

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Hay River trails being improved – NNSL Media

August 17, 2020

by Paul Bickford August 15, 2020

A five-year project is improving the trail system in Hay River.

The initiative, now in its second year, is working on the 14.6 km of trails, which are part of the recreational infrastructure of the Town of Hay River.

“For us, it’s something that’s important to maintain and have in good condition for people to be active, healthy and get outdoors,” said Stephane Millette, the recreation director with the Town of Hay River.

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Conservation group calls for multi-million dollar investment in B.C.’s parks

August 17, 2020

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says B.C. Parks needs additional $60 million for long-term success

Andrea Ross · CBC News · Posted: Aug 16, 2020

A non-profit conservation group is calling on the province to invest an additional $60 million in upgrades, infrastructure, education and staffing to secure a sustainable future for B.C.’s parks.

B.C. Parks saw its budget reduced slightly from $41.7 million to $40.6 million this year. Bruce Passmore, executive director of the B.C. Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, says this budget needs to be boosted drastically if the province expects to keep its wilderness areas pristine for years to come.

B.C. Parks has been “chronically underfunded” for a decade, he said.

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Work begins on trail that would run from St. Stephen to Saint John – CBC News

August 14, 2020

Saint John council to consider bike lane improvements as part of Coastal Link project

CBC News · Posted: Aug 14, 2020 

A major project is underway on the waterfront in St. Stephen, and it could become a significant development in Saint John as a motion will come before Common Council on Monday.

The Coastal Link Trail would be a cycling and hiking route from the city to Maces Bay, St. George, Saint Andrews, St. Stephen and points between and beyond.

“We are going to build a world-class trail network,” said Darren Turner, the semi-retired army engineer, who is chairing the volunteer-led initiative.

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Centre Wellington councillor walking to Ottawa for mental health fundraiser

August 14, 2020

Neil Dunsmore’s Elora-to-Ottawa trek to raise awareness, funds for Cody Shepperd Project – Wellington Advertiser

ELORA – Centre Wellington councillor Neil Dunsmore is planning to walk from Elora to Ottawa in September in an effort to raise awareness and funds for The Cody Shepperd Project, which supports people – particularly youth – with mental illness.

“There’s a mental health crisis in our community,” Dunsmore said in a phone interview on Aug. 10.

“I’ve been trying ever since I was elected to raise awareness and get people talking. There are a lot of supports; there is help.

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Alberta Equine Partners take action for those facing financial distress – Lethbridge News Now

August 13, 2020

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — Alberta’s Equestrian Federation (AEF) is taking pro-active action to ensure horses are cared for during the coming winter months.

It’s estimated Alberta is home to 33 per cent of Canada’s horse population – roughly about 320,000 horses. The equine industry is diverse and includes racing, sport, ranching, breeding, boarding, pleasure, recreation, and companion animals.

With that in mind, it’s known the COVID-19 pandemic is already causing financial distress on the equine industry in the province and there is likely to be a struggle this winter to provide basic care to horses.

A recent province-wide survey of the Alberta equine community, found one in five respondents said that they need help for their horses, donkeys or mules.

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