Trail use helps dispel the winter blues
Outside images, TRANS CANADA TRAIL; centre images, DIANNE WHELAN.
“Connection” is the word that best captures the experiences of Dianne Whelan, a B.C.-based writer and filmmaker, along her quest to traverse all land and water routes of the Trans Canada Trail.
“For my entire journey, the currency was connection – with humans as well as with nature,” says Ms. Whelan, who chronicled her adventures in the 500 Days in the Wild documentary. “We’re very fortunate to have the longest trail in the world, which is accessible no matter where you are in Canada. The beautiful thing about the Trans Canada Trail is that it has sections that are very wild and remote and others that go right through cities.”
The Trans Canada Trail – connecting Canada’s coasts from the Atlantic to the Arctic and Pacific oceans – crosses a wide variety of terrain, including prairie and mountain landscapes, boreal forests, water bodies like Lake Superior, the Arctic tundra and the Canadian Shield.
Ms. Whelan’s adventures include being swept out to sea and bear encounters, yet the one challenge that threatened to derail her ambition was related to winter: a flash freeze left her stranded in the wilderness in Northwestern Ontario. Fortunately, help arrived and “human kindness saved the day.”
Getting outside in winter
Despite her wintertime challenge, Ms. Whelan hasn’t lost her appetite for venturing outside in the colder season. “The best thing you can do is go outside for a walk. It’s good for your mental health and for getting rid of the blues,” she says, adding that the Trans Canada Trail has accessible and easy routes for winter use – including rail trails – as well as sections for the more adventurous. “There is something for every skill level. And in winter, there are no bugs.”
As in other northern nations, winter activities are part of Canadian culture, says Eleanor McMahon, president and CEO of Trans Canada Trail. “Winter may not be everyone’s favourite season, but many people embrace it. And there’s no better way to do that than to go outside and have fun, whether by walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or fat-biking, which is a burgeoning new activity. And many people cycle year-round.”
Studies show that as little as 10 minutes outdoors can lower blood pressure and improve mood and focus. Blahs to Ahhhs, Trans Canada Trail’s popular winter wellness campaign, encourages people to tap into the countless mental, emotional and physical health benefits associated with trail use. And there are tips and stories on the website, panel discussions and guest speakers, and a contest, says Ms. McMahon, who can be found on trails every day, often in the company of her dog. She is not alone in her enthusiasm for getting outside.
“Trails are having a moment in Canada and around the world,” she says. “That’s been evident for a few years. And Canada is the perfect place for getting out on a trail, whether for a daily commute, an outing with family and friends or a vacation.”
In response to anecdotal reports about an uptick in trail use during the pandemic, Trans Canada Trail conducted a national survey. It found that 85 per cent of Canadians used trails on a regular basis, representing a 40 per cent increase compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Subsequent polls show that this is “becoming a lasting habit,” says Ms. McMahon. “Most people tell us they plan to continue using trails. And why not? It’s cost effective, convenient and gives us joy.”
Alongside boosting health and well-being, the Trans Canada Trail brings significant benefits for the economy: with health-care savings amounting to $62-million a year, and direct and indirect spending contributing about $23-billion annually to the national economy.
“This is also good for the environment, especially when people walk or cycle to work,” says Ms. McMahon, who adds that this impact has attracted substantial federal funding – and that none of these benefits could be realized without the support of the over 500 dedicated trail organizations and partners across Canada.
A legacy of connection and boosting well-being
Another theme that emerged during Ms. Whelan’s journey was “the connection from the past to the future,” she recalls. “We cannot just think about ourselves. Indigenous communities, for example, consider the next seven generations.”
Ms. McMahon also regards “trails [as] places for acts of reconciliation. Parts of the Trans Canada Trail follow ancient trading routes used by Indigenous people, which speaks to the history of Canada – and points to how vital this infrastructure is for our future.”
A long-term view is more important than ever as “many of today’s children and adolescents suffer from anxiety and depression,” says Ms. Whelan. “They’re growing up at a time of accelerating climate change, and they’re watching countries and leaders fail to take assertive action.”
An endeavour like the Trans Canada Trail offers an antidote, she suggests. “By setting aside land that will always be accessible – and by building trails – this tells future generations that there are people who care.”
On her six-year journey, Ms. Whelan encountered “one kind person after another, from every political party and from every cultural group. It didn’t matter what our politics were. What mattered was what we shared: our love for the land and our respect for one another.
“For me, the Trans Canada Trail is this beautiful metaphor for something that connects us all.”
Trans Canada Trail’s fourth annual Blahs to Ahhhs winter wellness campaign is presented by TD Bank Group, with generous support from VIA Rail, Columbia Sportswear, Tell Your Trail and The Great Canadian Sox Co. for contest prizing.
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