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A growing system of trails at Bonshaw Provincial Park received royal dedication from the Prince of Wales during his visit this afternoon, said Brian Thompson, co-chair of the Bonshaw Hills Public Lands Committee.

“It was an honour to welcome Their Royal Highnesses to Prince Edward Island, and we were deeply honored to have The Prince of Wales be the first official visitor to the new trail system,” Mr. Thompson said. “The story of how these trails were created – and His Royal Highness being here to help name them – will be retold by future generations of Islanders who will use and enjoy them.”

The new trail is part of what will become a series of pathways connecting Bonshaw and Strathgartney provincial parks known as “Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall Trail System.” Members of the committee as well as Island athletes, kayakers, young Earth Rangers, a fly fisher, and a Mi’kmaq elder greeted His Royal Highness as he walked with Premier Robert Ghiz and others through some of the most spectacular natural areas the province has to offer.

Besides natural beauty, the trails will offer unmatched recreational opportunities represented by those who met His Royal Highness along the way – hiking, mountain biking, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. Island Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth athletes told Prince Charles that the trails will help them in their dryland training.

Creating a series of trails connecting the two parks was one of 20 suggestions submitted by the members of the Bonshaw Hills Public Lands Committee. The 16-member committee of government and non-government stakeholders was created to make recommendations for the long-term conservation and management of public lands adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway realignment project.

A subcommittee is currently working on implementing the full committee’s recommendations. The committee’s final report and further information is available at www.gov.pe.ca/tir/bonshawhills.