May 18, 2021by Alicia Leggett Followhttps://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?
After several years of planning, the 5,000+ mile Eastern Divide Trail is nearing completion. The off-road-centric bikepacking route will start in Newfoundland, Canada, and end in Key West, Florida, connecting the grand vistas and ecosystems of the eastern mountains via gravel, dirt roads, bike paths, quiet backroads, and singletrack. The route will be divided into eight carefully designed segments that can be ridden sequentially or independently.
Background
Back in 2015, the Eastern Divide Trail (EDT) was conceived to link the two great Eastern Continental Divides and create a bikepacking-specific route akin to the legendary long-distance hiking trail in the same region, the Appalachian Trail (AT). Similar to the AT, the EDT will connect the scenic eastern mountains and their seemingly infinite ecosystems via the historical and cultural landmarks, natural wonders, and beautiful backcountry that thread through some of the oldest mountains in the world. What this region lacks in oxygen-deprived, high-altitude passes, it makes up for with boundless folded mountain vistas, bristling clear streams, lush forested vegetation, ever-changing ecosystems, and layers of history. Indeed, traversing these landscapes can provide an experience that rivals the one many bike packers seek out on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.
CALGARY — Measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic made for a bumpy ride for most of the ski and snowboard industry in Canada, as revenues slumped even at resorts that were able to maintain near-normal lift ticket sales in a season that’s coming to a close.
While some resorts are reporting increases in visits thanks to local support, most were hurt by the loss of well-heeled international guests as well as COVID-19 related disruptions to food and guest services, said Paul Pinchbeck, CEO of the Canadian Ski Council.
“Across Canada, we’re probably looking at a 35 to 40 per cent decline in our total revenues,” he said in an interview, though he noted the impact varies widely from region to region.
Western resorts cater to a destination traveller who spends more money, “whereas the eastern resorts and the small resorts tend to have a local who comes all the time, but doesn’t have quite as high a spend.”
The province is expanding the BC Parks budget to help make provincial park visits more enjoyable than ever.
During the next three years an $83 million increase is on the way for BC Parks, helping build new campsites, expanded trails and strengthened management of the park system.
“It’s absolutely clear how deeply people care about our provincial parks. The pandemic has brought more people than ever to visit BC Parks so they can safely spend time with family and friends while connecting to nature,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
“Investing in our parks helps secure our magnificent natural legacy so more British Columbians can appreciate its beauty. We are also supporting local businesses and the economy by creating employment opportunities through new investments in park infrastructure.”
In response to more demand for camping and out recreation, the money will be heading towards construction of new campgrounds, and more campsites and amenities at existing campgrounds.
With seven existing trails running about six kilometres, the local trails system is still in development, but promises to be one of the City’s top tourism draws, according to the Cold Lake Bike Park and Trails Society.
The society, formed last spring, now has seven members, and Don Harris and Ed Machtmes updated City Council on progress on the project during its Tuesday, September 8 meeting.
To date, nearly 900 volunteer hours have been invested in the construction of the trails. That doesn’t include time spent on regular trail maintenance and inspection.
“I can’t emphasize enough how are volunteers and the community have stepped up,” Matchmes added. “We have saved tens of thousands of dollars from people that would just come up out of the blue. We post on social media that we need either people or materials or what have you, and it just shows up. It’s just amazing.”
Since it opened in 2007 , Revelstoke Mountain Resort has held a reputation for its monster vertical (at 5,620 feet of lift-accessed terrain, it’s the longest descent in North America), alpine bowls, rainforest glades, record snowfall and near-ridiculous scenery. But where most resorts also boast thriving summer operations to complement winter skiing, RMR had largely stayed relatively quiet on the summer front, with most warm-season activities centralized on the bottom of the mountain.
Until this year, when it became British Columbia’s newest bike park, giving RMR’s epic terrain a new lens through which to shine.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened its new bike park on June 23, 2020. IAN HOUGHTON
New Ipsos survey for Corona Canada reveals that amid pandemic travel fears, Canadians are eager to explore Canada on vacation
TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2020 /CNW/ – Vacations are a little closer to home this year, but the good news is that eight in ten Canadians (83%) believe that there is a lot to see and do from coast to coast. Today, Corona Canada announces the launch of “Rediscover the Outdoors,” a travel auction program that provides an immediate investment into the Canadian tourism industry with pre-purchased experience packages from Travelzoo that will be available for consumers to browse and bid. From weekend wilderness excursions to an afternoon spent paddle boarding, local travel packages available on the website encourage Canadians to reconnect with the outdoors safely, while supporting local tourism.
MANITOBA GOVERNMENT JOINS PARTNERS TO INVEST MORE THAN $325,000 IN TRAILS FOR HEALTHY ACTIVE LIVING
– – – Trails in Whiteshell Provincial Park Enhanced Through Innovative Re-use of Pedestrian Bridges: Ministers
Watch news conference
The Manitoba government and a number of partners are jointly investing more than $325,000 to enhance a trail network in Whiteshell Provincial Park with an adaptive re-use of twin pedestrian bridges that were once installed in Winnipeg, Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard and Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires announced today. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to find ways to enjoy the great outdoors, and this investment enhances the accessibility of hiking trails,” said Guillemard. “This support will allow families more opportunities to explore our beautiful province while encouraging active and healthy lifestyles.” Once fixtures in King’s Park in south Winnipeg, the two red wooden pedestrian spans have been refurbished and installed at Hanson’s Creek and Cabin Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park in a project spearheaded by Trails Manitoba and Trans Canada Trail.
Increase seen in trash, dogs off leash, feeding wildlife
CBC News · Posted: Sep 02, 2020 11:37 AM NT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago
There has been a large increase in visitors to Gros Morne from within Newfoundland and Labrador this year. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
As Gros Morne National Park has seen an increase in local visitors this summer, staff have also seen some unwelcome sights: more litter on trails, dogs off-leash, people feeding wildlife and even toilet paper scattered in the wilderness.
Rob Hingston, Parks Canada’s acting visitor experience manager at Gros Morne, said while they see some of that every year, “this year it seems to be a little bit more obvious.”
“I think what we have is, we have a lot of people that may not be familiar with national parks and what’s expected behaviours with regard to looking after their own safety, and with regard to how they should keep the park unimpaired and protected,” said Rob Hingston, Parks Canada’s acting visitor experience manager at Gros Morne.
Plan calls for reducing unofficial trail network, conserving sensitive habitats, ecosystems
CBC News · Posted: Aug 30, 2020 12:00 PM ET
Taking in the fall foliage from a lookout in Gatineau Park, Que. (Submitted by Vee Robillard)
The National Capital Commission’s (NCC) newly released draft master plan for Gatineau Park emphasizes conservation, while at the same time encouraging park users to engage in outdoor activities that are environmentally friendly.
The plan, released Friday, calls for reducing the number of unofficial hiking trails and limiting development to protect sensitive habitats and ecosystems.
It also outlines a strategy to expand the park’s boundaries by integrating adjacent NCC-owned land into its territory.
The draft plan was developed after a three-year consultation process where the NCC sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, including the park’s users, representatives from local Indigenous communities, elected officials and special interest groups.
If the plan is approved by the commission’s board, it will guide the long-term planning, use, and management of the sprawling green space for at least the next decade.
A previous version of this story misstated the number of kilometres of unofficial trails in Gatineau Park. There are approximately 330 km of unofficial trails in Gatineau Park.Aug 31, 2020 5:12 PM ET
Jackson Morton’s paddle travelled hundreds of kilometres before washing up onshore
CBC News · Posted: Aug 30, 2020 5:00 AM ET
Jackson Morton, seen here canoeing in the Moisie River in Quebec, where he would later lose his favourite paddle. (Submitted by Jackson Morton)
Jackson Morton loves taking long canoe trips in the Canadian wilderness, but it turns out his favourite paddle has an even bigger appetite for adventure.
The outdoor education major at Queen’s University was working for Camp Hurontario and leading a canoe trip on the Moisie River in Quebec last year when the paddle got away from him during a stretch of rough water.
He “ended up tipping over into a rapid,” he told Ismaila Alfa, host of CBC Radio’s Metro Morning.
“When we popped up the paddle was gone.”
‘I sort of expected it was gone’
A lengthy search failed to turn it up, and as the weeks and months went by, Morton lost hope that anyone would find it.
“Once tripping season was over I sort of expected it was gone,” he said.
After tripping season ended last summer, Morton didn’t expect to see his paddle again. (Submitted by Jackson Morton)
It was made in the style of legendary Ontario paddle-maker Ray Kettlewell, with the “perfect balance between the blade and the shaft.” That made it special, Morton said.
But while he mourned the loss, the paddle was on the move, travelling down the Moisie and into the St. Lawrence River.
Paddle found
One year later, Parks Canada employee Kent Baylis was on vacation with his family about 30 kilometres east of Baie Comeau, Quebec.
His girlfriend came back from a walk with some news: she had found a paddle that had washed up on the beach.
That Baylis and his family were the ones who found the paddle is a special stroke of luck, Morton explained to Alfa.
Though he lives in Quebec, Baylis grew up in Ontario, and is “one of the few people who would have recognized what it was,” he said.
The paddle as it looked when it washed up near Baie-Comeau, where Kent Baylis found it while on vacation. (Submitted by Kent Baylis )
Baylis saw Morton’s name and the Fishell Paddles mark, and contacted the company, who posted it on Instagram.
Morton had just popped out of the water after a swim when friends alerted him to post, and “within five minutes I was on the phone with Kent.”
While the paddle remains in Quebec, Baylis hopes to hand-deliver it to Morton the next time he visits family in southern Ontario, and Morton says he’ll be happy to have it back.
Baylis, who has lived in Quebec for a decade, recognized the distinctive Ray Kettlewell-style paddle from his summers in northern Ontario. (Submitted by Kent Baylis )
The enduring mystery? Where the paddle went during its year away.
“It must have come out of the mouth of the Moisie somewhere near Sept-Iles. Then it would have had to survive the winter,” said Baylis.
“Then it made its way about 150 kilometres further west along the coastline [of the St. Lawrence],” he added.
“It’s pretty rugged terrain… I’m quite surprised it ended up where it did.”
Canadian Trails - Sentiers Canadiens 
