January 2026
Work is underway with Fathom Studio on the Trans Canada Trail Assessment and Tourism Opportunities project, with Rum Runners Trail as the primary focus, alongside Celtic Shores, Harvest Moon, and the Atlantic View/Salt Marsh/Shearwater Flyer trail systems.
The project is assessing how these trails, particularly Rum Runners, perform as tourism-ready experiences, with attention on visitor clarity, wayfinding, amenities, destinations, and branding rather than trail engineering. The work draws on Trans Canada Trail classification guidelines and other relevant assessment frameworks to understand strengths, gaps, and opportunities from a visitor and tourism perspective.
The findings will inform recommendations related to tourism development, branding, and economic opportunity along each corridor. A later design phase will translate those recommendations into practical concepts, including trail maps, wayfinding and interpretive signage, trailhead and stopping-place concepts, and brand elements that support future implementation and fundraising.
Engagement with trail operators and other stakeholders is part of the work now underway. Deliverables will be developed in phases, moving from assessment and analysis into design, with work continuing through 2026.
Overall, the project is progressing as planned, establishing a clearer, more market-ready tourism role for Rum Runners Trail while ensuring alignment and consistency across the broader Trans Canada Trail network in Nova Scotia.
