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\ KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING THE CAPE TO CAPE LONG DISTANCE TRAIL, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA by John Glynn-Morris Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia September 2008 © Copyright by John Glynn-Morris, 2008 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-56345-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-56345-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 14-1 Canada DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY To comply with the Canadian Privacy Act the National Library of Canada has requested that the following pages be removed from this copy of the thesis: Preliminary Pages Examiners Signature Page (pii) Dalhousie Library Copyright Agreement (piii) Appendices - Copyright Releases (if applicable) TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF FIGURES xii ABSTRACT xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED xiv ACTS CITED xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvi CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 STUDY OVERVIEW 1 1.2 GO ALAND OBJECTIVES 3 1.3 STUDY SIGNIFICANCE 3 1.4 TERMINOLOGY 4 1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THESIS 5 CHAPTER 2 - NOVA SCOTIA AND CAPE TO CAPE CONTEXT 6 2.1 CAPE TO CAPE TRAIL INTRODUCTION 6 2.2 NOVA SCOTIA OUTDOOR RECREATION 7 2.3 NOVA SCOTIA OUTDOOR RECREATION TRENDS 9 2.4 NOVA SCOTIA PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS 11 2.5 NOVA SCOTIA PRIVATE LAND AND LAND RIGHTS 11 2.6 NOVA SCOTIA TRAILS 13 2.7 NOVA SCOTIA PAST AND PRESENT LONG DISTANCE TRAILS 14 2.8 NOVA SCOTIA SHELTERS 14 IV 2.9 RURAL LAND-USE COMPLEXITIES: TWO CASES 15 2.10 CAPE TO CAPE TRAIL PROPONENTS 16 2.11 CONCLUSION 17 CHAPTER 3 - LITERATURE REVIEW 19 3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING 19 3.1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING BACKGROUND 19 3.1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, OUTDOOR RECREATION AND LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS 20 3.2 OUTDOOR RECREATION 21 3.2.1 OUTDOOR RECREATION BACKGROUND 21 3.2.2 OUTDOOR RECREATION SETTINGS AND TYPES 22 3.2.3 OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM 24 3.2.4 OUTDOOR RECREATION AS NATURE-BASED TOURISM 25 3.2.5 OUTDOOR RECREATION DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS 26 3.2.6 OUTDOOR RECREATION ACTIVITY TRENDS 28 3.2.7 OUTDOOR RECREATION AND OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES 29 3.2.8 BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION 30 3.2.9 COSTS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION 30 3.3 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS 31 3.3.1 WORKING DEFINITION BACKGROUND 31 3.3.2 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS: DEVELOPMENT PURPOSE AND PROPONENTS 32 3.3.3 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS: GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS 34 3.3.4 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS: TRENDS 34 3.3.5 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS: BENEFITS 34 3.3.6 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS: COSTS 36 3.3.7 LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS: DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY IN CANADA 36 3.4 SHELTERS AND ACCOMMODATIONS 3 8 3.4.1 SHELTER AND ACCOMMODATION USE ON LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS 38 3.4.2 SHELTER AND ACCOMMODATION RANGE AND TERMINOLOGY 39 3.4.3 SHELTERS: LOCATIONS AND DESIGN 41 3.4.5 EXISTING SHELTER-ASSOCIATED LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS 43 3.4.6 SHELTERS: COMMON THEMES 43 3.4.7 SHELTERS: BENEFITS 43 3.4.8 SHELTERS: COSTS AND ISSUES 45 3.5 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING A LONG-DISTANCE TRAIL 45 3.5.1 VISION 47 3.5.2 MANAGEMENT PLAN 47 3.5.3 MAINTENANCE 48 3.5.4 PARTNERSHIPS 48 3.5.5 FUNDING 50 3.5.6 MARKETING AND PROMOTION 50 3.5.7 INFRASTRUCTURE 50 3.5.8 LOCAL COMMUNITIES 51 3.5.9 PRIVATE LANDOWNERS 51 3.5.10 LIABILITY 52 3.5.11 COMMUNICATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS 52 3.5.12 CONSIDER SERVICE, ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES 53 3.5.13 USER-CONFLICTS 53 3.6 CONCLUSION 54 CHAPTER 4 - METHODS 56 4.1 CASE STUDY 56 4.2 STUDY AREA 56 4.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY 56 4.4 BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH 57 4.5 SELECTION OF METHODS 57 4.6 SAMPLING AND INTERVIEWING 58 4.7 DATA ANALYSIS 61 4.8 WEAKNESSES AND JUSTIFICATIONS 65 4.9 LIMITATIONS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS 66 4.10 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 67 4.11 TERMINOLOGY CHANGE 67 CHAPTER 5 - RESULTS 68 5.1 COMPREHENSIVE RESULTS 68 5.2 VISION AND PURPOSE 75 5.2.1 ADDRESS ROLE OF OHV USERS 75 5.2.2 CREATE COMMON VISION 79 5.2.3 INCORPORATE COMMERCIAL ACCOMMODATION AND BASIC WILDERNESS SHELTER 80 Vll 5.3 ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 80 5.3.1 CLARIFY ROLES 81 5.3.2 PROPONENTS MUST BE PATIENT 81 5.3.3 MUST BE COMMUNITY-LED 82 5.4 PLANNING PROCESS 82 5.4.1 ACQUIRE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS' SUPPORT 82 5.4.2 CONFIRM AND CLARIFY LIABILITY COVERAGE 84 5.4.3 EVALUATE COMMUNITY TRAIL DEVELOPMENT MODEL 86 5.4.4 PLANNING 87 5.4.5 MARKET LDT ASSOCIATED BENEFITS 88 5.4.6 ACQUIRE PROXIMATE COMMUNITY SUPPORT 89 5.4.7 EARLY AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION 90 5.4.8 MAINTENANCE 91 5.4.9 DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS 91 5.4.10 COUNTY-MUNICIPALITY GOVERNMENT SUPPORT 92 5.4.11 DETERMINE FUNDING SOURCES 92 5.4.12 STRATEGIC TIMING AND CONTEXT UNDERSTANDING 93 5.4.13 TRAIL PROMOTION 93 5.4.14 PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT 94 5.5 LONG-DISTANCE TRAIL DEVELOPMENT 95 5.5.1 NEW WILDERNESS SHELTER DEVELOPMENT DESIGN 95 5.5.2 UNDERSTAND EXISTING LDT MODELS 96 5.5.3 NEW TRAIL DEVELOPMENT DESIGN 96 5.6 CONCLUSION 97 CHAPTER 6 - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 98 6.1 BRIEF OVERVIEW OF STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES 98 6.2 COMPARISON OF KEY CONSIDERATIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE LITERATURE AND BY KEY-INFORMANTS 98 6.3 SIMILARITIES 100 6.3.1 VISION AND PURPOSE 100 6.3.2 ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 103 6.3.3 PLANNING PROCESS 104 6.3.4 LONG-DISTANCE TRAIL DEVELOPMENT 110 6.4 DIFFERENCES 111 6.5 DISCUSSION 112 6.6 KEY FINDINGS 114 6.7 IMPLICATIONS 115 6.8 LIMITATIONS 115 CHAPTER 7 - CONCLUSION 117 7.1 RESEARCH SUMMARY 117 7.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE C2C 117 7.2.1 ESTABLISH C2C LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE 118 7.2.2 CREATE A COMMON VISION 118 7.2.3 ASSESS THE COMMUNITY TRAIL MODEL AND DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT PLAN 119 7.2.4 CONFIRM LIABILITY COVERAGE, AND DETERMINE FUNDING SOURCES AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS 120 7.2.5 CONDUCT LOCAL COMMUNITY, PRIVATE LANDOWNER AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS 120 IX 7.2.6 DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS 121 7.2.7 ASSESS C2C ANTHROPOGENIC AND BIOPHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 121 7.2.8 DEVELOP A C2C PROPOSAL 122 7.3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LONG-DISTANCE TRAIL PRACTITIONERS AND SCHOLARS 122 7.4 RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS 123 7.5 SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 123 7.6 CONCLUSION 124 REFERENCES 125 APPENDIX A - Selected Nova Scotia Hiking Trail Findings 138 APPENDIX B - Benefits of Trails in Canada 139 APPENDIX C - East Coast Trail Economic Benefits Study Summary 141 APPENDIX D - Selected Long-Distance Trails with Shelters 143 APPENDIX E - Comprehensive Trail Development Model 147 APPENDIX F - Interview Request Letter 148 APPENDIX G - Formal Interview Consent Form 149 APPENDIX H - The Hut-to-Hut Concept Explained 154 APPENDIX I - Interview Schedule 155 APPENDIX J - Coding Manuel 156 APPENDIX K - Coding Schedule 158 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Key Areas Required in Promoting a Positive Climate for Trail Development in Nova Scotia 8 Table 2 Different Criteria and Characteristics of Tourists and Outdoor Recreationists 25 Table 3 Long-Distance Trail (LDT) Characteristics 32 Table 4 Twelve Challenges Facing the Ontario Trails Community 37 Table 5 Literature Summary of the Key Considerations for Developing a LDT 46 Table 6 Comprehensive Results (n=18) 69 Table 7 Summary of Key Results (n= 18) 74 Table 8 Key Considerations for Developing a LDT as identified by C2C Key- Informants and the Literature 99 XI LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Proposed Cape to Cape Trail, Nova Scotia, Canada 7 Figure 2 Range of Long-Distance Trail Shelters 41 Figure 3 Interview Data Structure 61 Figure 4 Example of Interview Data Structure in Practice 61 Xll ABSTRACT This study examines the key considerations around developing the Cape to Cape (C2C) long-distance trail (LDT) as the first of its kind in Nova Scotia, Canada.