The Coastal Link Trail would connect the Trans Canada Trail and the East Coast Greenway in the U.S. (Nick Cameron)
A project aiming to create the longest international trail in the world will be holding a public meeting tonight at the Musquash Fire Hall.
The Coastal Link Trail will connect the Trans Canada Trail in west Saint John to the East Coast Greenway in Calais, Maine.
Right now, the group behind the project is designing and mapping the trail that will go through communities in southern New Brunswick.
Tonight’s meeting will focus on safe options for navigating the Musquash Estuary, Route 790 and 795.
Nick Cameron with the Fundy Regional Service Commission says getting local input is key to preserving natural sites already in Musquash.
“That’s a very sensitive environment that has some pretty amazing sites that we want to show off, but we also want to make sure that we don’t have a detrimental impact to that sensitive environment. The best way we can get advice on that is locals that have some really great knowledge,” he said in an interview.
Cameron says the Estuary is a major piece of the project, and they want to get it right.
“We just want to get some more input from the community so we make sure that we’re spending those dollars, wisely, that we’re designing something that will be of use to that community, so we’re looking for input on that tonight so we can best guide the design for the trail that goes through Musquash,” he said.
He says right now, the trail is still in the early stages, especially when it comes to funding.
“A lot of people have asked us, how much is this going to cost, and we can’t answer that question until we know what it is that we’re building. That’s the purpose of all these meetings, so once that’s complete we’ll have a dollar figure, we’ll know exactly how much its going to cost to build this,” he said.
Similar meetings have already been held in Saint John, St. Andrews, and St. Stephen. Once trail design plans are finished, Cameron says they hope to get shovels to the ground this year.
Point to point however, he says the trail will likely take ten years to complete fully.
The Coastal Trail Link Incorporated holds $1 million in seed funding to be used this year. Beyond that, Cameron says they’ll be looking for government support, fundraising efforts, and even support from the private sector.
He says they’re also always looking for volunteers and community partners, and more information on how to do so can be found online.
The meeting is at 6:30 PM at Musquash Fire Station #1, 35 Malcolm Meehan Road. All public are welcome to attend.
