Trans Canada Trail Representatives from all ten provinces travelled to Ottawa earlier this month to discuss the trail's future.

The Trans Canada Trail is one of the largest networks of trail in the world and today stretches over 18,000 kilometres and includes the Crow Wing Trail from Manitoba. The Crow Wing Trail is one of the largest parts of the Trans Canada at 193 kilometres long. Connecting Emerson to Winnipeg through the Municipalities of Emerson-Franklin, Roseau River First Nations, De Salaberry, St-Pierre Jollys, Niverville and Ritchot.

Crow Wing Vice-President and Trail Boss Wayne Arseny says the purpose behind his trip to Ottawa was the invitation to make a presentation on trail maintenance.

"It was a workshop and think tank on the future of the Trans Canada Trail and I was invited to be a speaker on our trail maintenance for the Crow Wing portion because we are probably the only ones in Canada that are doing it. They wanted me to enlighten them on how we are doing it, what type of work we do, and how we are managing to do it for only a few thousand dollars a year."

Arseny added there are still some sections of the Trans Canada Trail that are not yet complete, noting it's not only an issue of finishing the trail across Canada but maintaining those portions that are already complete.

"You cannot simply hire a contractor to maintain the trail there has to be some hands-on expertise and knowledge of the area. If you have never been there before, parts of the trail have grown in and there has not been any activity you have to clear it again. You have to know where you are going, what you will need, and have an idea of what you might encounter."

Arseny went on to explain that there is a lot of equipment needed to maintain these trails, that has to be transported to remote areas and you never know what you are going to encounters, adding you are like a traveling workshop while maintaining the trail and transporting some big equipment can be one of your biggest challenges.