Issued by: Trans Canada Trail
Submission Closing Deadline
Date: March 6, 2026
Time: 5:00 pm (Pacific Standard Time)
Submission contacts:
- Trisha Kaplan, Director, Centre for Trail Excellence, tkaplan@tctrail.ca
- James Sakeah, Manager, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, jsakeah@tctrail.ca
Late submissions will not be considered. Please ensure your proposal is in PDF format.
Jump to section:
- Introduction
- Proposal Preparation
- Proposed Services and Qualifications
- Evaluation
- Terms and Conditions
- Appendix A: Propulso Trail-Use Data
Purpose of the RFP
The Trans Canada Trail invites qualified researchers, consultants, and organizations to submit proposals for a national study examining the health and well-being contributions associated with trail use across the Trans Canada Trail network. Led by Trans Canada Trail’s Centre for Trail Excellence (CTE), this exploratory research will leverage Propulso trail-use data (access provided by Trans Canada Trail), which includes census demographics, visitation volumes, visit duration, frequency, temporal patterns, and speed-based activity proxies, together with established public health evidence to quantify total trail-use exposure. These data will be translated into Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)-based indicators and modeled health outcomes, including contributions toward meeting physical activity guidelines, avoided premature mortality, Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained, and estimated healthcare cost savings associated with reduced chronic disease burden, preferably using the WHO Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT). Selected secondary datasets, including Statistics Canada, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and other validated sources, may be used to support parameterization, contextualization, and interpretation of results. A targeted qualitative component will complement quantitative estimates by providing contextual evidence on how these health and well-being benefits are experienced by diverse trail users across Canada.
The findings will inform Trans Canada Trail’s strategic direction, strengthen health-sector and infrastructure advocacy, and support future investments by providing clear, defensible, and policy-relevant evidence of how trail use contributes to population health, social connection, and community vitality. This project represents a focused, foundational step in Trans Canada Trail’s broader commitment to demonstrating the value of trails for individual and public health and advancing the national dialogue on the role of outdoor recreation in preventive health and well-being. The work directly supports Trans Canada Trail’s long-term impact goal of ensuring that people across Canada benefit from a nationally connected Trail Network that promotes physical activity, mental well-being, and equitable access to nature. The contract is expected to begin in March, with a maximum budget of $140,000 (inclusive of all expenses). Final contract dates will be confirmed upon agreement with the successful proponent.
Propulso Trail Use Data Description
Propulso provides anonymized, aggregate trail-use data derived from passively detected mobile device signals within defined trail polygon boundaries. These data generate conservative, population-level estimates of trail use among mobile device carriers and support spatial analysis of visitation patterns across the Trans Canada Trail network.
Visitation metrics include estimated total visits, unique visitors, and temporal distributions (daily, weekly, and monthly). Visits are defined as a maximum of one visit per device per day, with total visitation volumes extrapolated from observed device samples using a proprietary data density index. The dataset also includes visit frequency indicators, such as average visits per visitor and inter-visit intervals, enabling assessment of repeat use patterns and engagement over time.
Duration metrics capture estimated time spent on the trail per visit, calculated based on how long a mobile device remains detected within trail polygons. Visit duration is reported in minutes and disaggregated by time of day and month, supporting estimation of total trail-use minutes and seasonal exposure patterns.
Movement and activity intensity proxies include average travel speed and speed-band distributions (e.g., <5 km/h, 5–11 km/h, 12–29 km/h, 30–49 km/h). These indicators provide a basis for inferring likely activity modes (such as walking and cycling) and assigning standardized physical activity intensity categories suitable for MET-based exposure modelling, with transparent assumptions and sensitivity analyses.
Origin and catchment indicators describe visitors’ anonymized places of residence based on nighttime location patterns over the preceding six months. These data include average distance traveled to trail segments, proportions of local versus non-local users, and distance-to-trail distributions. Geographic summaries are available at aggregate spatial scales (e.g., federal riding, province, territory), enabling analysis of regional reach and access patterns.
To support equity-focused interpretation, Propulso geographic outputs has area-level census and population data to characterize the socio-demographic context of trail catchment areas, including indicators such as population age structure, income distribution, urban-rural classification, and deprivation indices. These contextual data will be used for population-level stratification and interpretation and will not be used to infer individual user characteristics.
All data are fully anonymized and aggregated, with no personally identifiable information included. The Propulso is suitable for population-level health impact modelling, including estimation of total trail-use minutes, MET-minutes accumulated, contributions toward physical activity guideline attainment, and downstream modeled health outcomes such as avoided premature mortality, Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained, and healthcare cost savings, subject to conservative assumptions and transparent methodological documentation.
Upon project initiation, Propulso will provide technical orientation to the successful proponent to support appropriate data use, integration with secondary datasets, and alignment with project analytical objectives.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Trans Canada Trail background
Trans Canada Trail is the world’s longest recreational network, spanning nearly 30,000 km across urban, rural, and remote landscapes. As a national organization, we promote the use, development, and stewardship of the Trail while enhancing the connection between Canadians and nature.
- Our role: Trans Canada Trail is the organization that advocates for, stewards and champions Canada’s nationwide trail system, providing leadership and guidance, funding and resources, outreach and engagement.
- Our vision: We envision a future in which everyone embraces the outdoors, connects with one another and experiences the restorative power of nature along Canada’s trails.
- Our mission: Through collaboration and partnerships, we lead, develop and steward an accessible nationwide system of connected urban and rural trails.
Two legal entities work together to achieve the mission of Trans Canada Trail: to connect Canadians and visitors to nature and to one another, from coast to coast to coast, through accessible and inclusive outdoor activities. Trans Canada Trail (the organization) was established in 1992; it stewards and promotes the usage of the national trail in collaboration with community-based partners. Trans Canada Trail Foundation, a charitable foundation, was created in 2010 to raise funds to support the Trans Canada Trail. Trans Canada Trail and Trans Canada Trail Foundation are each governed by an independent Board of Directors; however, they operate as a consolidated entity.
The organization has an enterprise risk system that is updated annually. Imagine Canada also accredited the organization.
The Trans Canada Trail project lead is Trisha Kaplan, Director of the Centre for Trail Excellence who will manage the overall relationship with the successful proponent. This Project lead will assist the successful proponent in identifying key players to be interviewed, provide access to files containing previous reports and data sources, and assist the proponent in accessing other Trans Canada Trail information as required. The project lead will be the key contact for the successful proponent.
2.0 Proposal Preparation
2.1 Proposal Format
All proponents are asked to organize their proposals in the same manner and order as shown in Section 4.0 – Evaluation. Proponents are free to include additional material in appendices; however, only the main body of the proposal will be evaluated.
Proponents are to limit the size of their proposal to a maximum of 15 pages, including any attachments or appendices.
2.2 Additional Information
All documentation materials submitted to the proposals should be clearly indicated in a table of contents.
3.0 Proposed Services and Qualifications
Research consistently demonstrates that physical activity and time spent outdoors are associated with improved physical and mental health. However, there remains limited, policy-ready evidence that translates trail-use data into clear, understandable health metrics at a national scale, particularly for the Trans Canada Trail.
This project will produce a focused, evidence-informed assessment of the health benefits associated with trail use on the Trans Canada Trail by leveraging Propulso trail visitation data (described above). Specifically, the study will estimate total trail-use minutes and convert these into Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)-based indicators, such as contributions toward meeting physical activity guidelines and high-level estimates of avoided mortality as well as associated estimated healthcare cost savings using established public-health frameworks. A targeted qualitative component will provide contextual evidence to explain how these quantified benefits are experienced by trail users across diverse settings.
The findings will support Trans Canada Trail’s strategic planning and advocacy efforts by providing clear, defensible, and easily communicable evidence of the Trail’s value in the health and well-being space
3.1 Scope of Work and Methodology
The objective of this project is to deliver a high-level, exploratory assessment of the physical and mental health and well-being benefits associated with trail use on the Trans Canada Trail (TCT). The successful proponent will rely on Propulso trail-use data and established public-health evidence, and a targeted qualitative study. No primary quantitative health data collection is expected.
The analysis must remain transparent, conservative, and scalable, enabling interpretation from individual trail segments to national-level summaries while maintaining methodological integrity, reproducibility, and policy relevance.
3.1.2 Quantitative Research: MET-Based Health Benefit Estimation
The quantitative component will focus on translating trail-use exposure into standardized physical activity metrics and modeled population-level health outcomes.
3.1.2.1 Propulso Data Analysis
The proponent will analyze Propulso trail-use data to estimate:
- Total trail-use minutes at national, provincial/territorial, and illustrative federal riding levels, where feasible
- Temporal patterns of use, including seasonal and monthly variation (Propulso data file)
- Visit frequency and repeat use indicators (Propulso data file)
- Movement and speed-based activity proxies suitable for intensity classification (Propulso data file)
- Geographic origin and catchment characteristics, including local versus non-local use patterns (Propulso data file)
- Area-level socio-demographic context (Propulso data file)
- Where data permit, trail-use estimates may also be disaggregated by trail type or trail context to support interpretation of how different trail environments contribute to overall exposure.
The proponent must clearly document data coverage, spatial resolution, modelling assumptions, uncertainty sources, and analytical limitations.
3.1.2.2 MET-Based Conversion and Health Outcome Modelling
Using established public-health sources (e.g., WHO, PHAC, CIHI) and peer-reviewed dose–response relationships, the proponent will:
- Apply standardized MET values to convert total trail-use minutes into MET-minutes and equivalent physical activity exposure measures
- Estimate contributions toward meeting national physical activity guidelines (e.g., equivalent number or proportion of Canadians achieving recommended activity thresholds attributable to trail use)
- Produce high-level estimates of population health impacts, including avoided premature mortality
- Estimate Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained associated with modeled health improvements
- Estimate healthcare cost savings (E.g., WHO Health Economic Assessment Tool) attributable to reduced chronic disease burden and improved population health
Where feasible, modeled indicators may be summarized at provincial/territorial and illustrative federal riding levels and compared across trail types or regions to highlight variation in trail use and associated health impacts.
All modelling must remain conservative, transparent, and explainable, avoiding complex causal attribution claims or highly speculative epidemiological simulation.
3.1.3 Targeted Qualitative Study
To complement quantitative estimates, the proponent will conduct a targeted qualitative study designed to provide contextual evidence explaining how the modeled health and well-being benefits of trail use are experienced by users.
The qualitative component will explore:
- Perceived physical and mental health benefits associated with trail use
- How trail use supports well-being, stress reduction, restoration, and social connection
- Barriers and enablers influencing access to trail-based health benefits
- Contextual factors (e.g., geography, seasonality, trail type, community setting) shaping user experiences
Methods may include a limited number of interviews, focus groups, or brief, case-based examples. Representation should reflect diverse trail users, including Indigenous communities, rural and remote users, seniors, youth, and people with disabilities, with scope and sample size appropriate to the project timeline and budget.
3.1.4 Integration and Interpretation
The proponent will integrate quantitative and qualitative findings to:
- Present a coherent narrative linking measured trail-use exposure to experienced health and well-being benefits
- Provide clear, policy-relevant interpretation of MET-based indicators, QALYs gained, healthcare cost savings (E.g., WHO Health Economic Assessment Tool), and mortality-related outcomes
- Identify methodological limitations, data gaps, and priorities for future research and monitoring
Findings will be framed in alignment with Trans Canada Trail’s strategic vision.
3.1.5 Important Research Deliverables
The successful proponent will deliver:
- A detailed analytical plan outlining Propulso-based exposure modelling, MET conversion procedures, QALY estimation, and healthcare cost savings methodology
- Documentation of all assumptions, conversion factors, data sources, and sensitivity analyses
- Quantitative outputs translating trail-use exposure into health indicators, including national summaries and illustrative provincial/territorial, federal riding, and trail-type comparisons, where feasible
- A thematic synthesis of qualitative findings
- An integrated analytical report combining quantitative and qualitative results
- Plain-language summary materials suitable for policy engagement, advocacy, and public communication
3.1.6 Final Report and Knowledge Mobilization
- The final deliverables will include:
- National high-level health impact report
- Provincial/territorial and riding-level breakdowns
- Trail-type comparisons (If applicable)
- Plain-language summaries and infographics
- A presentation deck for internal and external stakeholders
- A manuscript for a peer review journal
Equity Lens
The research must apply an explicit equity lens throughout all components of the project. This includes:
- Ensuring diverse perspectives are represented in the qualitative component
- Examining how modeled health benefits vary by geography, regional context, socio-demographic characteristics, age, and ability using area-level census indicators
- Identifying inequities in access to trail-based health benefits and opportunities for improving inclusive trail engagement
Deliverables and Timelines
Selection will be made in the middle of March 2026, and a kick-off meeting will take place soon after. The draft report should be delivered by August 15, 2026. The final report will be delivered by November 31.
3.2 Experience and Qualifications
Proponents are required to provide an overview of their business’ background and capabilities applicable to the needs and profile of Trans Canada Trail. Proponents should describe their knowledge and understanding of charities, small not-for-profit organizations operating with national scope. Proposals must include information on the range and type of services relevant to Trans Canada Trail and comparable clients and information on 3rd party vendors.
3.3 Approach, Methodology and Innovation
Proposals should describe the methodology used to develop to deliver the scope of work, including key activities and deliverables. They should also describe project types (assurance, advisory, etc.), coverage, performance measures, technology enablers, and other key elements of the plan.
Proposals should include an annual cycle of activities outlining major tasks, timeframes, resource requirements, and deliverables as part of their submission.
Proposals should describe key deliverables and timelines, including proposed approach, methodology and deliverables for each phase of projects (planning, execution, reporting).
3.4 Professional Resources
Specific information should be submitted with respect to all staff members who are proposed to have roles and responsibilities for Trans Canada Trail and should include the following:
- Name and professional credentials
- Position in the firm
- Experience and certifications
- Hourly rate where applicable
Describe the team structure and how this will align with the proposed approach.
3.5 Proposal Price Details
Proposals shall include a detailed description of all fees and the recommended method of billing and payment, including methods proposed for interim or phased billings, if any. Please note that any RFP submitted to Trans Canada Trail must include pricing details for the submission, otherwise, it may be subject to rejection.
3.6 References
Any proposal response should include a minimum of three (3) references. Reference contacts should be notified that Trans Canada Trail may contact them as part of the evaluation process. These references should include clients whose involvement with the responding firm is comparable to the services being proposed for Trans Canada Trail.
The successful proponent will provide a template of acceptable contract terms and conditions to Trans Canada Trail within two (2) weeks after notification of acceptance of its proposal. Proponents should identify any revisions to terms that they require or provide alternatives where necessary.
4.0 Evaluation
4.1 Evaluation Criteria
Trans Canada Trail, in partnership with subject matter specialists, will use a structured and competitive evaluation process. All written proposals will be reviewed and scored based on how effectively they address the specific requirements outlined in this Request for Proposals. Trans Canada Trail will select the firm whose proposal best meets its needs, based on the following evaluation criteria:
*Trans Canada Trail may choose, solely at its discretion, to conduct interviews/presentations with short listed firms.
4.2 Assumptions
Proponents must document any assumptions made in the preparation of their proposal.
5.0 Terms and Conditions
5.1 Description
This Request for Proposal (the “RFP”) is an invitation by the CTE to receive proposals from qualified proponents for research exploring impacts of trail use on Canadian health and well-being.
5.2 Non-binding Procurement Process
The process will be governed by the terms and conditions of the RFP, and that, among other things, such terms and conditions confirm that this procurement process, does not constitute a formal, legally binding bidding process or tender, and that no legal relationship or obligation, if any, regarding the procurement of any good or service shall be created between Trans Canada Trail and the proponent unless and until a fully executed contract between Trans Canada Trail and the proponent execute a written agreement for the Deliverables.
5.3 Submission Closing Deadline/Delivery
The RFP submission must be emailed in PDF format to Trisha Kaplan, Director of the Centre for Trail Excellence, at tkaplan@tctrail.ca and James Sakeah, Manager of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, at jsakeah@tctrail.ca. Please indicate “RFP – Health and Well-Being” in the email’s subject line.
Proposals must be submitted no later than March 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time).
Submissions received after the closing date and time will be disqualified from competition. Trans Canada Trail will not make allowances for delays due to factors such as email server delays and power outages. Trans Canada Trail strongly encourages proponents to avoid waiting until the final calendar day to submit responses to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances.
5.4 Enquiries
Enquiries concerning this RFP are to be directed via email only to the attention of Trisha Kaplan, Director of the Centre for Trail Excellence, at tkaplan@tctrail.ca and James Sakeah, Manager of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, at jsakeah@tctrail.ca. Please reference “RFP – Direct Response ” in the email’s subject line.
Proponents and their representatives are not permitted to contact any employees or other representatives of Trans Canada Trail, other than the contact noted above, concerning matters of this RFP, unless the above contact has specifically directed you to another to respond. Trans Canada Trail reserves the right to disqualify any proponent that does not comply with this requirement and reject the proponent’s submission.
Anyone who believes the RFP contains any error, inconsistency, or omission should submit a written inquiry via email requesting clarification, interpretation or explanation to the Trans Canada Trail contact identified above.
Please submit all inquiries via email to the Trans Canada Trail contact noted above no later than March 6, 2026.
5.5 Proposal Contents
All proponents are asked to organize their submissions in the order outlined in Section 4.0. Proponents should include a Table of Contents in their response.
5.6 Addenda
It is the responsibility of proponents to ensure that they have all the necessary information concerning the intent and requirements of this RFP, and to seek clarification of any matter they consider to be unclear before forwarding a submission. Trans Canada Trail is not responsible for any misunderstanding of this RFP on the part of a proponent. No proponent can claim any advantage from any error, inconsistency, or omission in this RFP.
No information given verbally by Trans Canada Trail, or by means of telephone, will be binding, nor will it be construed to change the requirements of the RFP in any way.
Trans Canada Trail reserves the right to modify the terms of the RFP before the closing deadline, such changes to be communicated from Trans Canada Trail in the form of an addendum to all proponents.
5.7 Confidential Information of Proponent
A proponent should identify any information in its submission, or any accompanying documentation supplied in confidence for which confidentiality is to be maintained by Trans Canada Trail. The confidentiality of such information will be maintained by Trans Canada Trail, except as otherwise required by law (including, without limitation the requirements of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, S.N.S. 1993 (“FOIPOP”), as amended from time to time) or by order of a court or tribunal. Proponents should review and understand the effect of FOIPOP on their submissions, including the criteria related to third party confidential information. Proponents are advised that their submissions will, as necessary, be disclosed on a confidential basis, to Trans Canada Trail’s advisors retained for the purpose of evaluating or participating in the evaluation of their submissions. If a proponent has any questions about the collection and use of confidential information pursuant to this RFP, questions are to be submitted to Trans Canada Trail’s contact.
5.8 Taxes
Applicable taxes of HST shall be included as separate pricing in the submitted price.
5.9 Standard Clauses
An incomplete submission and submissions that fail to comply with the specification documents will be rejected. If a submission fails to satisfy all the mandatory requirements, Trans Canada Trail will issue the proponent a rectification notice identifying the deficiencies and providing the proponent an opportunity to rectify the deficiencies. If the proponent fails to satisfy the mandatory submission requirements within the Rectification Period of one day, its proposal will be excluded from further consideration. The Rectification Period will begin to run from the date that Trans Canada Trail issues a rectification notice to the proponent.
The entire content of the proponent’s submission should be submitted in a fixed form, and the content of websites or other external documents referred to in the proponent’s submission but not attached will not be considered to form part of its proposal.
5.10 Withdrawal of Submissions
At any time throughout the RFP process, until the execution of a written agreement for provision of the Deliverables, a proponent may request to withdraw a submission. To withdraw a submission, a notice of withdrawal must be sent to Trans Canada Trail’s contact and must be signed by an authorized representative of the proponent. Trans Canada Trail is under no obligation to return withdrawn submissions.
5.11 Submissions to be retained by Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail will not return the submissions, or any accompanying documentation submitted by a proponent.
5.12 Contract Negotiations
The selected proponent will be requested to enter into direct contract negotiations to finalize an agreement with Trans Canada Trail. The proponent shall accept and agree that only contracts or amendments signed by the Trans Canada Trail will be valid.
5.13 Governing Law and Interpretation
These Terms and Conditions of the RFP Process:
- are intended to be interpreted broadly and independently (with no particular provision intended to limit the scope of any other provision);
- are non-exhaustive and shall not be construed as intending to limit the pre-existing rights of the parties to engage in precontractual discussions in accordance with the common law governing direct commercial negotiations; and
- are to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
5.14 Conflict of Interest
Trans Canada Trail may disqualify a proponent for any conduct, situation or circumstances, determined by Trans Canada Trail, in its sole and absolute discretion, to constitute a Conflict of Interest. For the purposes of this, the term “Conflict of Interest” includes, but is not limited to, any situation or circumstance where: in relation to the RFP process, if the proponent has an unfair advantage or engages in conduct, directly or indirectly, that may give it an unfair advantage, including but not limited to: (i) having, or having access to, confidential information of Trans Canada Trail in the preparation of its proposal that is not available to other proponents, (ii) communicating with any person with a view to influencing preferred treatment in the RFP process (including but not limited to the lobbying of decision makers involved in the RFP process), or (iii) engaging in conduct that compromises, or could be seen to compromise, the integrity of the open and competitive RFP process or render that process non-competitive or unfair; or in relation to the performance of its contractual obligations under a contract for the Deliverables, the proponent’s other commitments, relationships or financial interests (i) could, or could be seen to, exercise an improper influence over the objective, unbiased and impartial exercise of its independent judgement, or (ii) could, or could be seen to, compromise, impair or be incompatible with the effective performance of its contractual obligations.
Proponents should disclose the names and all pertinent details of all individuals (employees, advisors, or individuals acting in any other capacity) who (a) participated in the preparation of the proposal; AND (b) were employees of Trans Canada Trail within twelve (12) months prior to the Submission Deadline.
5.15 Notification of Successful Proponent
Notification of the successful proponent will be via direct communication.
5.16 Evaluation and Selection
An Evaluation Team will review and score the submissions received in response to the RFP. Upon selection of the most qualified proponent, Trans Canada Trail will begin negotiations in order to secure a contract. Should Trans Canada Trail be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the proponent considered to be most qualified, negotiations with that proponent will be formally terminated. Trans Canada Trail may then undertake negotiations with the next most qualified proponent. Refer to Evaluation Percentages in the Specification for details of evaluation and award.
Appendix A: Propulso Trail-Use Data
Propulso provides anonymized, aggregated mobility-derived trail-use data generated from passively detected mobile device signals within geofenced trail polygon boundaries. These data produce conservative estimates of visitation volume and activity patterns among mobile device carriers and are suitable for spatially explicit, population-level exposure modelling across the Trans Canada Trail network.
Visitation Metrics
The dataset includes estimates of total visits, unique visitors, and temporal distributions of trail use at daily, weekly, and monthly resolutions. Visits are operationally defined as a maximum of one visit per device per calendar day. Total visitation volumes are extrapolated from observed device samples using a proprietary data density index designed to adjust for sampling coverage and represent broader population patterns. Visit frequency indicators, including average visits per visitor and inter-visit intervals, support assessment of repeat use behaviour and engagement intensity.
Duration and Exposure Metrics
Visit duration is estimated based on the length of time a mobile device remains detected within a trail polygon. Duration values are reported in minutes and disaggregated by time of day and month, enabling calculation of total trail-use minutes and seasonal exposure profiles. These duration estimates form the primary exposure inputs for physical activity and health impact modelling.
Movement and Activity Intensity Proxies
Propulso provides average movement speeds and speed-band distributions (e.g., <5 km/h, 5–11 km/h, 12–29 km/h, 30–49 km/h), which serve as empirical proxies for likely activity modes such as walking, jogging, and cycling. These speed categories will be mapped to standardized physical activity intensity classifications and corresponding MET values using established public health compendia. All classification assumptions will be explicitly documented, and sensitivity analyses will be conducted to assess uncertainty related to activity mode assignment.
Geographic Origin and Catchment Indicators
Visitor origin metrics are derived from anonymized nighttime location patterns over the preceding six-month period and include aggregate indicators of place of residence, average travel distance to trail segments, proportions of local versus non-local users, and distance-to-trail distributions. Geographic summaries are available at aggregated spatial units (e.g., federal riding, provincial, territorial levels), enabling analysis of spatial reach, regional variation in trail access, and geographic equity patterns.
Contextual Demographic Inputs
Propulso geographic outputs has area-level census demographic datasets available at provincial, territorial, and selected sub-provincial geographies to support equity-oriented stratification and contextual interpretation of trail-use patterns and modeled health outcomes. Available census indicators include population age structure (average age and age-group distributions), immigration and residency status, primary language groups, educational attainment, income distributions and average income levels, housing tenure (owner versus renter), employment status, housing type, household composition, and marital status. These variables will be used exclusively at aggregated geographic levels to characterize trail catchment populations and regional context rather than to infer attributes of individual trail users. No individual-level linkage or identification will occur, and all demographic integration will comply with applicable privacy and aggregation standards.
Data Privacy and Aggregation Standards
All Propulso outputs are fully anonymized and aggregated, with no personally identifiable information included. Census data integration will occur exclusively at area-based summary levels. Combined datasets will comply with applicable privacy standards and support population-level analysis without enabling individual identification.
Suitability for Health Impact Modelling
The integrated Propulso datasets is suitable for population-level health impact modelling, including estimation of total trail-use minutes, conversion to MET-minutes, assessment of contributions toward physical activity guideline attainment, and modelling of downstream health outcomes. These outcomes may include avoided premature mortality, Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained, and healthcare cost savings associated with reduced chronic disease burden. All modelling will be conducted using conservative assumptions, transparent documentation, and sensitivity analyses to ensure reproducibility and policy credibility.
