$1.4M in donations help complete Confederation Trail

P.E.I.'s portion of the Trans-Canada Trail will be complete in time for 2014 celebrations on the Island, thanks to $1.4 million in donations announced Tuesday.

The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is donating $1 million to the project, with an additional $400,000 from Trans Canada Trail. That will allow the 30-kilometer section from Stratford to Iona to be completed, and make P.E.I. the second province to finish its portion of the Trans Canada Trail.

The trail is scheduled to be finished by 2017. Newfoundland and Labrador has already completed its section.

"What hikers and bikers are looking for is a safe accessibility to trail and that's what P.E.I. is delivering," said Deborah Apps, CEO of the Trans Canada Trail.

"The fact that by next year at this time P.E.I. will be 100 per cent completed is really an exciting opportunity for us."

Tourism Minister Rob Henderson says it's important to get the 444 kilometre trail network done in time for next year's 2014 festivities, marking the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference that launched the talks that led to Confederation.

"The Confederation Trail is the premier trail in North America," said Henderson.

"This is only going to be a way to extra add on the incentives and promotions to attract more visitors into cycling and hiking here in the province."

So far, 72 per cent of the nationwide network is complete.

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