International Friendship Trail Openings
This fall, the Bruce Trail Conservancy is partnering with trail organizations from the United Kingdom and Taiwan to create two new International Friendship Trails.
These exciting additions to the International Friendship Trails program stem from collaborations with partners through the World Trails Network. Like twin towns, these partnerships aim to promote mutual publicity, partnership, and international cooperation. On the Bruce Trail, a section will be named in honour of the partnering trail with on-site signage and information included in the Bruce Trail Reference Guide and on the BTC website.
With the World Trails Conference taking place this fall in Ottawa, this is the perfect opportunity to officially open these new Friendship Trails as delegates visit Canada.
We invite those interested to join us for these openings to celebrate our new partnerships.
International Friendship Trail Openings
South West Coast Path Friendship Trail in the Peninsula Section
Date: September 26, 2024
Time: 10:00 am
Location: MapleCross Nature Reserve at Cape Chin
Representatives from the South West Coast Path and the BTC, alongside volunteers from the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club, will gather to celebrate the opening of this new Friendship Trail. The Friendship Trail will follow the Cape Chin Meadow Side Trail and the Main Trail at Cape Chin creating, a loop of about 10km.
The South West Coast Path, the longest established National Trail in the UK, stretches 630 miles along the southern coastline from Somerset through Cornwall into Devon and Dorset, ending at Poole Harbour. Known for its spectacular coastal views, rocky cliffs, and diverse flora, it pairs beautifully with the Bruce Trail in the Peninsula section, which boasts similar features along Georgian Bay. The new Friendship Trail will be twinned with a section of the South West Coast Path that runs from the old fishing village of Cawsand in Cornwall, along the Plymouth city waterfront and the Devon coast to Wembury.
Mountain to Sea Greenway Trail in the Iroquoia Section
Date: September 28, 2024
Time: 10:00 am
Location: City View Park
Visitors from the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association will join BTC staff and volunteers in Waterdown for the grand opening of the Mountain to Sea Greenway Friendship Trail. The opening ceremony will take place at 10:00 am and will be followed by a 3-hour hike taking us along the designated Friendship Trail to Grindstone Creek and Smokey Hollow before returning to City View Park.
The Mountain to Sea Greenway trail in southwestern Taiwan is a 177 km long-distance hike from the Yanshuei River estuary to Jade Mountain, the highest peak in East Asia. The Bruce Trail will be twinned with the Tefuye Historical Trail section of the Mountain to Sea Greenway, a 6.4 km long trail originally used by the Tsou people as a hunting path. During Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945), a railway was constructed along this historical trail to transport cypress trees logged in the Alishan area. Remnants of the old railway and wooden bridges are still found along the trail.
About the World Trails Network
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is a proud member of the World Trails Network.
The World Trails Network brings trail associations, trail advocates, enthusiasts, and professionals together from around the world to foster global collaboration and networking for the betterment of the world’s trails.
Friendship Trail Badge Series
By hiking the Friendship Trail route on the Bruce Trail and on the corresponding twinned portion on the international trail, you can earn badges! Once you have completed both sections, contact the Bruce Trail Conservancy and we will send you the Friendship Trail badge and corresponding trail badge, at no cost.
