Rosemère, Québec native Alexandre Bilodeau became a hero with his incredible performance at the Vancouver Olympic Games, and was recently celebrated by his home town of Rosemère at an event in his honour held on April 7th.
As part of the festivities, the Trans Canada Trail Park that was officially opened on June 8th of last year, was renamed the Alexandre Bilodeau Park. The Trans Canada Trail enthusiastically agreed to the name change and representatives were on hand to applaud the young man who, just one year ago, had participated in the opening of the Trans Canada Trail Pavilion in Rosemère. What a difference a year makes!
Rosemère Mayor, Madame Hélène Daneault, made the unveiling announcement:
« Alexandre, on February 14th, you thrilled Rosemère and all of Canada by winning the first Olympic gold on home soil. Beyond this enormous achievement, you have devoted a great deal of time to your community. It therefore makes sense for all of us to show our admiration and gratitude in a special way.
Among the projects in which you took part, you will remember cycling with the pupils of l’Académie Sainte-Thérèse, your childhood school, to the inauguration of the Trans Canada Trail Pavilion. I know that those young people remember it well!
As I said a little earlier, we want to draw attention to both your gold medal and your commitment to community involvement. For these reasons, the Town of Rosemère recently agreed to immortalize this historic moment by renaming Rosemère’s Trans Canada Trail Park the Alexandre Bilodeau Park.
This park represents our link to the Trail, which spans all of Canada and reaches, among other places, Vancouver, the site of your greatest success to date. »
Congratulations Alexandre on your magnificent achievement. The Trans Canada Trail is pleased and proud to have participated in this tribute.
May 17th, 2010
In association with Environment Canada, Trans Canada Trail is proud to celebrate the richness of our natural world and bring attention to the importance of safeguarding biodiversity.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of living things. All living species on Earth have a relationship to each other and the ecosystems in which they live. The more variety of species and ecosystems there are, the easier it is for our natural environment to recover from change. A loss of one species through habitat destruction or pollution affects the lives of other species, including human beings, who depend on a wide variety of plants and animals in our daily lives.
Nature matters
To raise awareness of the value of biodiversity, Environment Canada welcomed Canadians between the ages of 9 and 35 to submit a video or written essay on why nature matters. One winner and two runners up have been selected from each age group – see the exciting results… [More]
What you can do
The International Year of Biodiversity is a unique opportunity to increase understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining 
life on Earth. Find out more by visiting Environment Canada’s Biodiversity website. Share youth-oriented links like the Hinterland Who’s Who biodiversity series with your children or students. Explore and discover the great outdoors with an Urban or Nature Biokit.
To get you started, think about the plants, animals, wetlands, or forests near you. Why does nature matter? Tell us in your own words – we’d love to hear from you.
May 16th, 2010
Raleigh Canada’s new national marketing campaign encourages Canadians to choose bicycling as a healthy, environmentally-friendly way to have fun. Raleigh has been a valued contributor to the Trans Canada Trail’s development since 2000. Thank you Raleigh Canada!
May 10th, 2010
Dana en route to Granby, Quebec |
On Friday April 30, Prince George forester Dana Meise reached Montreal, an important milestone on his epic walk across Canada. The 36-year-old adventurer is hiking from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the Trans Canada Trail. To date, he has walked close to 4500 km.
Meise began his expedition in May 2008 at Cape Spear, Newfoundland, the Atlantic terminus of the Trans Canada Trail. Over two summers, he walked across four Atlantic Provinces and part of Quebec. He started this year’s walk in Granby, Quebec at the spot he left off last fall. He hopes to reach the Prairies by late fall.
Since Meise was a small boy, he has always wanted to explore. “I read stories about the great Canadian explorers like David Thompson and Alexander Mackenzie. I always dreamed of undertaking a unique and inspiring journey,” says Meise.
Meise has endless stories to tell about the remarkable places he has discovered on the Trans Canada Trail as well as the inspiring people he has met (from the Anne of Green Gables’ cast to the Rt. Hon. Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada).
Meise is a natural story-teller and has entertained many with hilarious tales about his journey. He likes to visit elementary schools to tell children about his hike and teach them about goal-setting, believing in themselves, following dreams and never giving up.
Follow Dana’s journey on the web (The Great Hike) and on Facebook (Support the Great Hike).
May 5th, 2010
