The Editor,
Canada Day celebrations took place almost a month ago and next year will be our nation’s 150th birthday. No doubt, plans are now being formulated to make it a whopper.
Let’s hope that high on the priority list will be the improving to the Trans Canada Trail.
The nucleus of the trail through B.C. is splendid. In most instances, local governments have maintained it without having any standards to strive for.
But since 1992, when The Great Trail idea began, there are so many politicians, professionals, philanthropists, celebrities and volunteers to give our thanks for the Trans Canada Trail that we have today.
Canada’s 150th birthday could well be called the second beginning of the trail. The 24,000-km inspirational, nation-connecting trail will require some governing structure and, of course, budgeting arrangement. The legislation required is up to someone to establish a form of governance that would give the trail a spine to work with what is already established.
It would probably set some primary standards for physical trail itself, or perhaps specify what is acceptable, or what the preferable choices would be. But of prime importance — and what makes this legislation necessary — the cost should be born by our federal and provincial governments.
There are many who could become a part of the new beginning and visualize the Trans Canada Trail as almost important as the Trans-Canada Highway, or to inspire our nation-building efforts. Please give it some thought.
Cliff E. Van Alstyne,
Port Coquitlam
