New database of maps of all P.E.I. trails aims for fall launch

Recreation P.E.I. is partnering with the provincial government to create a new database of every single trail on the Island.

The database will be readyfor use in the fall, said Valerie Vuillemot, executive director of Recreation P.E.I.

"Right now there's some places where there's maps [that] have been done and they're quite good resources, but they don't have everything all in one place," said Vuillemot.

The project began in March, and the fieldwork is almost complete, Vuillemot said. It's funded through the sport, recreation and physical activity division of the Department of Health and Wellness.

The mapping process

Two field workers have been mapping trails across P.E.I. with a device called a global navigation satellite system receiver, which gets co-ordinates from satellite signals and connects to a smartphone.

"They have that in their hand and they walk through or they bike [the trails]," Vuillemot said.

With those co-ordinates, the government can then create maps usingspecial software.

"While they're mapping, they're taking photos of some of the infrastructure, like the signs when you first get to the trail and any benches or bridges," she said.

The maps will also indicate what kind of surface each part of a trail is for example, whether it's paved or more of a woodland area.

"I love being out in nature," saidJohanna Reid,one of Recreation P.E.I.'s trail mappers.

"It's so relaxing and and so good for your mental health."

It takes about 15 minutes to map a kilometre of a trail, Reid said.She's mapped close to 50 trails so far, and learned a lot in the process.

"There's way more trails on P.E.I. than I everexpected," Reid said.

'Something for everybody'

Vuillemot said there are just over 200 trails on P.E.I., but the exact number is hard to calculate.

"It's quite a philosophical question, actually, when a trail becomes a trail, when it's just a pathway or when it's just a shoot," she said.

Vuillemot said there are trails for different experience levels across P.E.I.

"There's really something for everybody," she said.

"Nobody's going to go out for a trail visit on P.E.I. and be disappointed and feel like they made a bad choice once they're out there. So just get out and try it and do it, and you can always turn back if you're not having a good time."

Vuillemotsaid the new maps could have additional features in the future, like canoe launching sites and disc golf courses.

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