In Victoria, celebrities celebrate completion of Canada’s Great Trail
Foster donates $50,000 to segment bearing his name
David Foster paid a visit to his hometown Thursday as the cross-Canada Great Trail celebrated “100 per cent connection” in B.C.
The Grammy Award-winning musician unveiled a plaque marking the milestone at an event at the Inn at Laurel Point.
The Great Trail, described as the world’s longest network of multi-use recreational trails, stretches more than 24,000 kilometres through diverse landscapes and communities — including 3,000 kilometres in B.C. It was formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail.
Valerie Pringle, co-chairwoman of the Trans Canada Trail Foundation, thanked partners, donors, volunteers and representatives from all levels of government.
“We are so grateful to our supporters for all they have helped to create in British Columbia — a connected trail that encourages locals and visitors to discover our beautiful Canadian landscapes,” Pringle said.
“The Great Trail in B.C. is spectacular — from incredible desert scenery to magnificent mountain ranges connecting communities from northern B.C. to Vancouver Island.”
The project, launched in 1992, has been 25 years in the making.
The mission beyond 2017 is to enhance and improve the trail, with plans calling for the conversions of roadways into greenways and the addition of spurs and loops, said Deborah Apps, president and CEO of Trans Canada Trail.
“The future of the trail still depends on the commitment and generosity of communities across Canada,” she said.
“The cross-Canada connection celebration marks the beginning of a new chapter — one that will see the trail grow, improve and thrive for years to come, benefiting future generations.”
Foster, a champion of the project, donated $50,000 to the City of Victoria for the development of David Foster Way. The waterfront pathway is part of the Great Trail’s B.C. section and will cover five kilometres from Rock Bay to Ogden Point.
Elders Elmer George and Mary Ann Thomas of the Songhees and First Esquimalt Nations, respectively, delivered opening remarks, followed by speeches from Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon and other dignitaries.
Fiddler Daniel Lapp and students from the Victoria Conservatory of Music performed a selection of some of Foster’s greatest hits to honour his presence at the hotel, which is adjacent to David Foster Way.
Dignitaries were to have been taken on a guided tour of David Foster Way, but it was called off because of heavy rain.