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This new symbol of Canadian unity will connect Canada's regions and serve as a tremendous recreation and tourism resource. The trail will link hundreds of communities, pass through many parks and areas of spectacular natural scenery and expose travellers to Canada’s rich natural and cultural heritage.

The Trans Canada Trail will wind its way through every province and territory linking hundreds of communities along its route. It will be the longest trail in the world – a shared-use trail accommodating five potential activities: walking, cycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling (where possible/desired).

The southern BC portion of the route will be over 1600 kilometres long and will wind its way from Victoria to the Alberta border. Communities in northeastern BC are working to establish a TCT connection through their region. The southern trail will pass through some of BC’s most stunning landscapes: the Kootenays, the Okanagan, the Fraser Valley and the lower mainland to Victoria. The trail will follow a variety of corridors: abandoned railway lines, resource development roads, park and forest trails and some secondary roads.

The Trans Canada Trail is an excellent example of governments and community groups working together on projects that provide recreational opportunities, while fostering economic development for local communities. It is a natural choice for a millennium project as it will leave a lasting legacy for all British Columbians.

How it's Happening

Trails BC was founded in 1994 to develop the British Columbia portion of the trail. Like the national Trans Canada Trail Foundation (http://www.tctrail.ca/), Trails BC is a volunteer-directed non-profit organization funded through donations and sponsorships.

Volunteer support is essential to the Trans Canada Trail initiative. Individuals, communities, schools, service clubs, corporations, governments and countless other organizations have joined together in this national partnership.

The communities that will benefit from the trail are helping bring it about, and regional councils along the BC portion of the route are working to make sure key decisions about the route are locally controlled.

Donations from individuals and organizations are playing an important part. Each $40 donation to the non-profit Trans Canada Trail Foundation makes a metre of the trail happen and nearly 20,000 British Columbians have already bought their metre.

Donors will have their names imprinted in one of the trail pavilions along its route. Those who support at least ten metres of trail can also have a permanent message inscribed on a special panel in one of the pavilions. In BC, pavilions are already in place at Penticton, Granville Island and Victoria. For more information on how to contribute to the Trans Canada Trail, go to the Trans Canada Trail Foundation website at http://www.tctrail.ca/.

British Columbia's Involvement

British Columbia has emerged as a leader in working toward completion of the trail, and thousands of British Columbians have become involved in making it reality.

The British Columbia government is a strong supporter of the Trans Canada Trail project, and is working with local community groups and Trails BC.

In order to provide broad policy direction for managers and users of the Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia, guiding principles have been developed which are subject to the legislation, regulations and policies of British Columbia. The principles have been endorsed by the Province of British Columbia, the Trails Society of British Columbia and the Trans Canada Trail Foundation. You can access the Guiding Principles at http://www.luco.gov.bc.ca/trancan/principles.htm.

Some portions of the trail in BC are already complete and open for use. However, users should recognize that the Trans Canada Trail is a work in progress and some sections require upgrading. Trail users should also be aware that resource development activities may occur adjacent to, across, or on the trail.

The purpose of this website is to provide some general, touring information for cyclists. As work continues on BC’s Trans Canada Trail, more information will be added to this site.