THE GREAT TRAIL

Apart from its impending completion sometime next year, a slew of headlines about bicycle “superhighways” in Europe have drawn new attention to the ambitious Great Trail project. Over two decades in the making, the extraordinary trail starts in Newfoundland, or “Kilometre Zero”, according to the website, and stretches west across the great white north to British Columbia. When it is completed, it will comprise 14,913 miles of mixed-use trails.

While great emphasis has been placed in European cities on cycling as a form of green transportation, The Great Trail gives Canadians the opportunity to not only commute but also to enjoy a variety of other activities amid the country’s diverse landscapes and cityscapes. Walking or hiking, cycling, paddling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are top recommended pastimes. Albeit a boon for recreation, the Great Trail project has also boosted communities across the country.

“Trail sections are owned, operated and maintained by local organisations, provincial authorities, national agencies and municipalities across Canada,” according to the website. The “Trans Canada Trail is represented by provincial and territorial organisations that is [sic] responsible for championing the cause of the Trail in their region. These provincial and territorial partners, together with local trail-building organisations, are an integral part of Trans Canada Trail and are the driving force behind its development.”

Germany opened the first few miles of a 60-mile highway earlier this year, and the United States is planning its own bike greenway up the east coast, but neither compares with The Great Trail, a singular unifying project with benefits for all Canadian residents.

Images: Some of the sites and scenery along the great trail.

Discover the Great Trail HERE!