Meewasin Trail event celebrates Canada 150

The Meewasin Valley Authority in Saskatoon is encouraging residents of Saskatchewan to come out to the valley to celebrate Canada 150 on the Meewasin Trail as part of a nationwide event.

Working with the Trans Canada Trail organization, the Meewasin administration is inviting people to come out onto the trail this Saturday as part of a national Canada 150 event to get as many Canadians as possible onto the many links of the Trans Canada Trail.

“Saskatoon is part of this whole network, and Meewasin has played a key role,” Meewasin Valley Authority interim CEO Doug Porteous said.

The Trans Canada Trail, also known as the Great Trail, is a project to link trails in Canada together as one cross-country, coastto-coast path that extends through every province and territory.

The TCT website reports the project as being 93 per cent complete, with 22,000 out of 24,000 kilometres of trail joined as part of the project.

Waterways, walking paths, horse trails and more all make up the Canada-wide “multi-use” trails. The part of the path through Saskatoon is about 20 kilometres long and extends through the Meewasin Valley Trail along the river to Chief Whitecap Park, where it leaves the city again.

“If you want something that defines Saskatoon, and defines our culture, defines our past and our future and gives us life, it’s the South Saskatchewan River running through the Meewasin Valley,” Porteous said.

“We’re going to have a great, great river valley here now and for future generations.”

The Trans Canada Trail project has been underway for 25 years.