2023.5.3| CBC News Loaded

The Newfoundland and Labrador government could soon build a new 850-kilometre trail network on the Great Northern Peninsula, according to a draft plan obtained by CBC/Radio-Canada.

The Great Coastal Trail would be almost three times as long as the East Coast Trail. 

The first phase of the project — 500 kilometres of new trails linking Parson's Pond, just north of Gros Morne National Park, to the L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site — would cost about $21 million, according to a preliminary estimate. 

CBC/Radio-Canada obtained a copy of a draft proposal prepared in February by Tracy Consulting on behalf of the provincial government and the Central Development Agency. 

The Great Coastal Trail would be a catalyst for tourism and economic development for the region, according to the document.

The proposed Great Coastal Trail would span some 850 kilometres from the northern tip of Gros Morne National Park to Roddickton-Bide Arm. (Louise DuGuay/Radio-Canada)

No timeline; plan still in draft stage

During the project's first phase, about $18 million would be spent on building trails, bridges and other amenities like camp sites. 

About $2.5 million would be spent on salaries for three permanent and 80 seasonal employees. Between May and October, 20 teams of four would work to maintain the trail network.