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The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed 18,078-kilometre (11,233 mi) corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world. It has its counterparts in other greenway routes like the 12 EuroVelo routes and the USA's East Coast Greenway.
To date it has been funded largely by Canadian federal or provincial governments. There have also been corporate donors and individual donors. It is still under construction and, as of 2005, is about 62% complete. The first province to have completed its designated section of the trail is Prince Edward Island (see Confederation Trail).
Much of the trail has been built as a rail trail along defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by CP and CN rail. As such, much of the Trans Canada Trail development emulated the successful Rails-to-Trails initiative in the United States, whereby these transportation corridors are "rail banked" as recreational trails, allowing conversion back to rail should future need arise. Other areas such as the large Kinsol Trestle on Vancouver Island need expensive renovations to make the development and continuation possible.
Some parts of the Trans Canada Trail run along existing trails such as the Rideau Trail, or along the trail system of parks such as Gatineau Park. Other parts of the right-of-way for the Trans Canada Trail have been paid for by individual donations. For $50 any person can have their name inscribed on a metre of trail and more than a hundred thousand people have done so.
The main section runs along the southern areas of Canada connecting most of Canada's major cities and most populous areas. There is also a long northern arm which runs through Alberta to Edmonton and then up through northern British Columbia to the Yukon.
The trail is a multi-use trail, and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, cross country skiers, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobilers. In theory, the trail is equipped with regularly spaced pavilions which provide shelter as well as fresh water to travellers, but this varies widely from section to section, and particularly from province to province. In fact the quality, use and maintenance of the trails is quite different in different jurisdictions.
A Map of the Trans Canada Trail can be found on the official website.
"Mile Zero" of the Trail is located outside the Railway Coastal Museum in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Photos
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Trans Canada Trail in Manitoba at Silver Springs Park viewed from Birds Hill, East St. Paul
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See also
External links
 Bike and Hiking Trails in Canada |
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