Trail Care Event: Fredericton
Celebrating Parks & Trails Day along the Wolastoq in Fredericton
To celebrate Fredericton’s Parks & Trails Day, Fredericton Trails Coalition and the City of Fredericton came together to organize an expo, art exhibition and much more, including a 5-kilometre run, during a family-friendly event along the City of Fredericton Trail.
Fredericton’s Mayor, Kate Rogers, presented opening remarks and welcomed everyone to Parks & Trails Day, and the event kicked off with an all-ages run across the 600-metre-long Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge to the South Riverfront Trail.
Allison Leonard, Trans Canada Trail’s Director, Communications, was also present at the event and spoke on behalf of the organization.
“Fredericton’s Parks & Trails Day illustrated just how important trails are to a community,” says Allison. “Every person I talked to had a story to share about the role trails played in their life – their route to work, the place where their kids ride bikes after school, their path between shops, breweries and artwork. I’m so proud that this excellent network of trails is a part of our national trail system.”
A barbecue, kids’ activities, Art on the Bridge and an expo!
Community members enjoyed kids’ activities, organized with the help of Beaverbrook Art Gallery; an informational wellness and recreational expo featuring 31 participants; and Art on the Bridge, an outdoor art exhibit along the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge, featuring 46 artists. Two free barbecues were also set up, and over 700 hotdogs were served throughout the day!
“Our 2024 Parks & Trails Day event was a celebration of trails, greenspace and healthy active living. It was a prime opportunity to recruit volunteers, raise awareness of trail safety and engage trails users,” says Stephen Marr, president of the Fredericton Trails Coalition.
A flotilla with dozens of paddlers
In addition to the land-based activities, the City of Fredericton announced its new Blue Trail program. As part of the Blue Route launch, a planned flotilla of up to a hundred paddlers were expected to gather upriver by the Second Nature Outdoor watercraft dock and launch at 4:30 pm to drift downriver as a “people-powered” flotilla was to land across the Wolastoq river at the Carleton Park dock. Unfortunately, the winds picked up significantly and the event was postponed due to safety concerns.
Thank you to generous sponsors and community groups
Trail Care is made possible thanks to generous sponsors Columbia Sportswear and Toyota Canada. Fredericton’s Parks and Trail Day was also made possible thanks to generous local sponsors: City of Fredericton Recreation, Canadian Tire, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Nashwaaksis Lions Club and Stingray Communications.
Encouraging active transportation and trail safety, thanks to dedicated volunteers
Another focus of Parks & Trails Day is active transportation and safety, which Stephen says is possible thanks to dedicated volunteers in the community who work to raise awareness about greenway trail use, cycling safety and volunteer recruitment. He also credits past and present Trail Care grants, which have allowed the volunteer group to install a solar-powered LED light at the Fredericton Trans Canada Trail Pavilion as part of a pilot project, and also produce informational pamphlets about trail use, bike safety and more.
“The Trail Care funds have allowed us to offer recognition to our volunteers, such as branded name tags, a branded Trails Day T-shirt for volunteering, and an invitation to a volunteer recognition event,” says Stephen. “Every event we attend and every opportunity we encounter has two additional goals: volunteer recruitment and opportunities for sponsorships. The Trail Care program funds allow this to occur on an annual basis.”
Volunteer/organizer spotlight
Stephen Marr is the current President of the Fredericton Trails Coalition and has been Vice President and Treasurer of Fredericton Trails Coalition over the past eight years.
