May 2026
The Coastal Current
Spring ice break-up in Deadmans Cove, Great Northern Peninsula
Message from our Executive Director
May 2026
There is something every person on the Great Northern Peninsula already knows deep down, whether spoken aloud or not:No one is coming to build our future for us.That is not a statement of defeat. It is a statement of power.For too long, rural regions like ours have been told to wait our turn, compete for limited scraps, protect our own small corners, and think modestly because our population is modest. We have watched larger centres naturally command attention while places like ours are too often expected to adapt quietly and ask for less.But numbers on paper have never measured the true value of a people.We may be small in population.We are immense in opportunity.What we have here is rare.We have coastlines the world would cross oceans to see. We have stories rooted in saltwater, courage, sacrifice, and endurance. We have communities where neighbours still know one another. We have landscapes that remain wild, authentic, and deeply human in an age where much of the world feels manufactured.We have 3 UNESCO world heritage treasures, all within a day's drive of each other.
We have heritage that money cannot replicate.
We have room to breathe in a crowded world.
We have resilience forged by weather, distance, and history.And perhaps most importantly; We have people who know how to survive.Too often, our greatest challenge is not geography.It is division.Town against town. Region against region. One success is viewed as another’s loss. One project is questioned because it did not begin in our own backyard. One community celebrated while another quietly resents.That thinking belongs to another era.And it is costing us dearly.Because the future will not be built community by community in isolation. It will be built through cooperation, shared ambition, and the maturity to understand that when one town rises, the region rises with it.A visitor who comes for one harbour often discovers ten more.
A trail through one community creates business for another.
A festival in one town raises awareness for the entire Peninsula.
A stronger regional identity benefits everyone.Success is not a fixed pie with only so many slices.It can be grown.This is not us against each other.It is us against invisibility.
Us against decline.
Us against outmigration.
Us against the belief that rural means irrelevant.
Us against the idea that our children must leave to find opportunity.
Us against the dangerous habit of thinking small.If we want to be seen, we must stand together.
If we want to be heard, we must speak with one voice.
If we want investment, jobs, momentum, and confidence, we must act like a region that believes in itself.The Great Northern Peninsula does not need dozens of competing messages.It needs one clear message:We are open for business.
We are ready to receive you.
We are proud of who we are.
We are worth discovering.
We are worth investing in.
We are building something meaningful together.The world is changing in our favour.Travelers are seeking authenticity over artificiality. Families are seeking safer and more grounded places. Investors are noticing experience economies. People are craving nature, belonging, heritage, and something real.In many ways, the world is moving toward what we already are.The question is no longer whether opportunity exists here.The question is whether we will align ourselves to meet it.The Great Northern Peninsula has never lacked beauty.
It has never lacked strength.
It has never lacked character.
It has never lacked heart.What it has sometimes lacked is the collective realization of how powerful it could become if it moved as one.We stand on the edge of the continent.There is no reason we cannot also stand on the edge of a new era.But we will not get there divided.We will get there together.Let’s show the world who the f*ck we are! (just seeing if you are paying attention)
Partnership Update and Progress Report
Over the past two months, our team has been busy meeting with communities along the Great Coastal Trail to listen, learn, and plan next steps together.
In the East cluster (Roddickton-Bide Arm, Englee, Conche, Croque, Grandois–St. Juliens, and Main Brook), we met with councils to introduce the Great Coastal Trail project, hear their early ideas, answer questions, and gather details about local trails that do not show up clearly in satellite imagery. These conversations helped us better understand trail conditions on the ground and were very warmly received.
In the Straits cluster, we worked closely with the Saint Barbe Development Association (SBDA) in Plum Point to host a community session where we presented the project and welcomed questions and input from residents, municipalities, and local service districts in the area (15+ communities were invited to these sessions). The room was full of curiosity, enthusiasm, and local knowledge.
In the North cluster, the GCTA team joined the Great Northern Chamber of Commerce event in St. Anthony to connect with businesses and community leaders from across the region and our Executive Director joined the Chamber as a Director. This showcases our commitment to the sustainable economic development of communities in the GNP and will allow us to continue building relationships with business owners. We continued building relationships with the Great Northern Trail Association (GNTA), keep reading for EXCITING news!!
Major Partnership Announcement!
Join us on June 6, International Trails Day for a Milestone Celebration & Fundraising Event at Skipper Hots Lounge in Saint Lunaire-Griquet!
This is a transformational regional initiative building on years of work by the Great Northern Trail Association, this event marks a significant milestone in the continued growth and recognition of the Great Northern Trail. On International Trails Day, the celebration highlights the trail's formal inclusion in the Trans Canada Trail's 29,000 kilometre national network, while also marking a new phase of regional collaboration with the Great Coastal Trail Authority, as the Great Northern Trail stands as a key, established segment within a broader vision for an interconnected 850 km coastal trail network connecting more than 60 communities across the Great Northern Peninsula.
The daytime race events are led by GNTA and reflect the strength of its established trail system, volunteer base, and deep community roots. The evening program brings partners together to celebrate this milestone and look ahead to future opportunities for regional connectivity and growth.
Tickets available for purchase here! Space is limited!
You are invited!
2026 Atlantic Canada Trails Conference and Trade Show
When: October 5-7, 2026
Where: Shallow Bay Motel & Cabins, Cow Head, NL
This year’s theme, The Long Walk Home, explores the deep reciprocity between people and the land. Before there were roads, there were paths etched by survival and longing. We are gathering to honor that history and to build the resilient, sustainable trail infrastructure of the future.
Why Join Us?
Networking: Connect with planners, trail builders, municipal officials, and conservationists.
Knowledge: Explore sessions on sustainable design, community engagement, and the economic impact of trails.
Growth: Learn how trails act as anchors for rural revitalization and climate-forward corridors.
Call for Presentations & Trade Show
Beyond attending, we are looking for passionate voices to lead the conversation. If you have a story or case study to share, we invite you to submit a presentation abstract.
Additionally, booth space is available for non-profit and for-profit organizations looking to showcase innovative products or services to a dedicated audience of trail stakeholders.
Trade Show Application
We would be honored to have you walk with us as we shape the future of Atlantic Canada’s landscapes.
The Great Coastal Trail Authority is HIRING Summer Employees
Great news for students eager to dive into adventure this summer — the Great Coastal Trail Authority will be hiring three Canada Summer Jobs positions! We're calling for your applications to join us in the Great Northern Peninsula, working hand-in-hand with local communities while walking stunning trails for path truthing on existing routes and those still to come.
This is your chance to contribute to an 850 km coastal network that connects communities and boosts the region, all while gaining hands-on experience outdoors. Please read our job description and fill out our form, both available here. Don't miss out — spots are limited!
A special invitation goes out to Great Northern Peninsula communities hiring students this summer. If you'd like to dedicate some of those student hours to collaborative trail work in your community — building and truthing paths that link us all — please get in touch at info@greatcoastaltrail.com. Together, we can advance the Great Coastal Trail while sparking local pride and hands-on outdoor experiences!
Community Voices
Conche. February 2026.
Conche: A Small Community with a World-Class Story
Written by Erika Pardy
At the northeastern edge of Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula, where the coastline bends into deep harbours and the Atlantic speaks in weathered tongues, sits the remarkable community of Conche. Remote, resilient, and rich in heritage, Conche is one of those places that quietly reminds us that significance is not measured by size.
Today, Conche is home to a small population of fewer than 200 residents in recent census counts, but its cultural footprint reaches far beyond its shoreline. Like many rural Newfoundland communities, it has faced the realities of outmigration, demographic change, and the shifting economics of the fishery. Yet Conche has responded not by fading quietly, but by leaning into what makes it unique: its story.
A Harbour Shaped by History
Conche’s roots run deep into the era of the French Shore, a historic stretch of Newfoundland coastline where French fishing rights were recognized for nearly two centuries following the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. French fleets from Brittany and Normandy used harbours like Conche seasonally, while English and Irish settlers gradually established year-round presence in the area. This layered history created a community shaped by multiple cultures, languages, and traditions.
By the 1800s, Conche had become an active fishing centre, especially for cod and salmon. Later, the community also welcomed families resettled from the Grey Islands during the provincial resettlement era of the 1960s, adding another chapter to its identity.
Remote by Geography, Rich by Character
Getting to Conche has always required intention. That is part of its character.
Visitors travelling the Viking Trail turn east towards the French Shore region and continue along Route 434 into Conche. The road itself becomes part of the experience: barrens, tuckamore, ocean views, quiet ponds, and a sense that you are heading somewhere real. In many ways, communities like Conche are exactly what modern travellers are searching for, authentic places untouched by overdevelopment.
Its isolation once posed challenges. Today, that same remoteness has become an asset.
The French Shore Tapestry
Conche is internationally known for one extraordinary cultural achievement: the French Shore Tapestry.
Housed inside the French Shore Interpretation Centre, this hand-embroidered masterpiece stretches roughly 66 metres (over 216 feet) and was inspired by the famed Bayeux Tapestry in France. Designed by artist Jean-Claude Roy and brought to life by local stitchers, the tapestry tells the story of Newfoundland’s French Shore, from early Indigenous presence and European exploration to settlement, fishery life, hardship, resilience, and modern times.
What makes the tapestry so powerful is not only its scale, but where it was created.
Not in a big city like Paris, or in the capital city of Ottawa. Not even in a major national museum.
It was created in Conche.
A small coastal community chose to preserve and present its own story in a world-class way. That is leadership in its purest form.
Lessons for the Great Coastal Trail
Conche offers a powerful example of what the Great Northern Peninsula truly holds. It is not simply coastline and scenery. It is living heritage, proud communities, and stories that deserve a global audience.
For trail development, tourism growth, and regional renewal, places like Conche matter immensely. They prove that visitors will travel for authenticity. They prove that culture is infrastructure. They prove that rural communities can create experiences that stand shoulder to shoulder with anything in the world.
A Place Worth the Journey
Conche does not shout for attention.
It does something better.
It earns it through humble, passionate and dedicated champions.
And for those willing to make the trip, Conche offers what many destinations no longer can: meaning, memory, and a sense that some of the world’s finest treasures are still found at the end of the road.
And if you are making the trip and looking for a place to stay, be sure to check out Moratorium Tours. A unique local experience that offers accommodations, guided adventures, and an authentic connection to the people, stories, and coastal life of this remarkable corner of Newfoundland.
It is easy, in our time of hydraulics and diesel and quiet electric winches, to overlook what these wooden posts represent. But they are the physical expression of a principle that built this coast: leverage what you have, stand firm where you must, and move forward together.
If you want to learn more about the French Shore Interpretation Center, contact Joan and her team at frenchshorehs@nf.aibn.com
Attendance at the Professional Trail Builders Association Sustainable Trail Building Conference
Melissa Mills, GCTA’s Trail Design and Development Specialist, travelled to Boise, Idaho this April to attend the Professional Trail Builders Association Sustainable Trail Building Conference, joining more than 400 trail professionals from across North America. Across several days of sessions, site visits, and conversations with industry leaders, Melissa engaged with a wide range of topics including trail design and user experience, GIS and data-driven planning, trail infrastructure materials, and workforce training and development, alongside case studies such as Boise’s Ridge to Rivers trail system and other examples of how trail networks are being used to manage environmental impacts and strengthen community connections. The conference highlighted leading practices in sustainable trail management and the growing emphasis on professionalizing the industry through standardized competencies and practical, skills-based training.
Time spent in the Boise Foothills also provided firsthand insight into real-world challenges such as erosion, trail maintenance, and the limitations of different construction approaches in sensitive landscapes.
Overall, this was a highly valuable learning experience that reinforced the GCTA’s alignment with leading industry practices and strengthened relationships with practitioners across North America. It also confirmed the importance of continued participation in PTBA conferences moving forward as a key opportunity for professional development, knowledge exchange, and keeping the GCTA at the forefront of best practices in trail planning and design.
Jennifer Pharr-Davis is coming to Newfoundland and Labrador!
Mark your calendars for July 2026.
The Great Coastal Trail Authority is proud to host a province-wide community engagement day on the power of coastal trails—and what they make possible—featuring Jennifer Pharr Davis, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and one of the most recognized voices in the global trails movement.
This isn’t just a speaking engagement. It’s a historic opportunity for NL.
Jennifer has walked thousands of miles across some of the world’s most iconic trails, but more importantly, she understands what trails do—how they shape identity, strengthen communities, and unlock economic and social transformation in places that need it most.
For Newfoundland and Labrador, this visit matters because;
It brings a global perspective to a project that is deeply local. It connects our work on the Great Coastal Trail to a broader international movement. And it creates space for meaningful conversation about how we move forward—together.
Over the course of the week, we’ll gather with community leaders, partners, and residents from across the region to explore what this trail can become: not just a route on a map, but an engine for growth, connection, and long-term resilience.
Full details will follow.
For now—save the date.
Because moments like this don’t come often.
Learn more about Jennifer here!
GCTA Staff and Contact Information:
Erika Pardy - Executive Director
epardy@greatcoastaltrail.com
Melissa Mills - Trail Design and Development
mmills@greatcoastaltrail.com
Lucas Garcia - Project Manager - Trails and Community
lgarcia@greatcoastaltrail.com
Hailee Keats - Office Admin and Partner Relations
hkeats@greatcoastaltrail.com
Send questions, comments, suggestions to
Info@greatcoastaltrail.com
Send submissions, stories, photos, recipes to
Heritage@greatcoastaltrail.com
