New Brunswick Trails Council shuts down after 25 years, citing lack of provincial funding

In the 1990s, hundreds of kilometres of abandoned rail beds in New Brunswick were converted into walking and cycling trails, but after 25 years, the organization that oversees trails in the province is shutting down.

“We’ve sent registered letters out to all our trail sponsors to let them know that as of October 31 we will cease to be in operation,” said Judy Wilson-Shee the President of the New Brunswick Trails Council.

Wilson-Shee says they are closing due to a lack of funding from the provincial government. According to NB Trails Executive Director Poul Jorgensen, it cost more than $200,000 to maintain the trails in 2018.

The group is now taking down its signage on all trail entrances.

“We do not have any responsibility on these trails, and our insurance liability was on here so we can’t have our signs on these trails anymore,” Jorgensen said.

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The trails council used to bid on contracts with the Department of Energy and Resource Development for its maintenance work.

New Brunswick trails also received $48,000 per year in grants from the tourism department. The provincial government says bidding on contracts with one department while accepting grants from another is a conflict of interest.

For now, trails will stay open, but no maintenance is currently being done.

“Right now I am not sure who is going to take over making sure the maintenance gets done, and that’s very important because you have to have safe trails,” said Wilson-Shee.

“It takes an awful lot to maintain these tails and if no maintenance is continued they will fall into disrepair in a very short order,” said Jorgensen.

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Energy and Resource Development Minister Mike Holland was not made available for an interview, but in a statement, he said that the trail system will be sustained through the work of municipalities, regional service commissions, trail managers and trail user groups.

“We would certainly be on board to help any group out that would be willing to come forward. We’d we willing to sit at the table and discuss things with them but I think it has to be separate identity from the government,” he said.