Our vision
One region. One connected trail network.
Imagine leaving home in any neighbourhood of Moncton, Dieppe or Riverview and reaching any park, river or town centre in the region, on foot or by bike, under trees, without gaps. That is the future we want to see emerge, together.
Why MDR Trails?
Our region already lives as one
Greater Moncton is already connected by the way people live their lives. You might live in Dieppe, work in Moncton, ride in Riverview, run along the Petitcodiac and meet friends across a bridge. Our communities have municipal boundaries, but residents experience the region as one connected place.
The responsibility for public infrastructure belongs to public institutions. We respect that. Our role is different: MDR Trails is a citizen-led vehicle that turns this regional reality into regional energy, by mobilizing residents, volunteers, businesses and donors around the trails we all share.
The Dieppe riverfront in summer: one region, lived every day across three communities.
A shared vision
Three communities, one system
The Big 5: a necklace of green corridors that could one day connect the region’s five great parks across Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, and link toward assets like the Trans Canada Trail and the Dobson Trail. Some of the missing links sit deep inside our communities, like the gap at the end of the Humphrey Brook Trail in Moncton.
- Irishtown Nature ParkMoncton
- Mapleton ParkMoncton
- Centennial ParkMoncton
- Rotary St-Anselme ParkDieppe
- Mill Creek Nature ParkRiverview
Where and how connections are made is up to the municipalities and regional public institutions responsible for them. Our part is to help build the community support that makes those choices easier.
Conceptual illustration only, not a plan. Corridors would be designed and decided by the responsible public partners. A more detailed map is in preparation with a local design firm.
Green corridors
The anatomy of a great corridor
Every great trail corridor works as three layers together. It’s the standard we champion, and rally support for, alongside the region’s trail builders.
The route
A safe, accessible, all-season surface for walking, running and cycling. Connected at both ends, never a dead end.
The green layer
Trees, shade, native plantings and mini-forests along the way, cooling the route, sheltering wildlife and making every trip beautiful.
The amenities
Wayfinding, benches, bridges, repair stations and lighting where it matters: the details that turn a path into public infrastructure.
Ideas we champion
Built for the next fifty years
A connected network takes more than paths. These are the kinds of public investments we help rally community support around, in collaboration with the partners responsible for planning and building them.
Bridges & crossings
Carrying the network over rivers, creeks and roads.
Bike pump stations
Self-serve air and tools at key junctions.
Amenities to go farther
Picnic tables, benches, water fountains and pedal-assist electric bicycles.
Smart signage
Wayfinding that orients, counts and informs.
Riverfront footbridge, Dieppe: the connective tissue of a year-round network.
The experience
Alive in every season, and after dark
A great network is more than a path: it adapts to seasons and stays welcoming year-round, from summer commutes to winter fat-bike nights.
We see trails as connected infrastructure and habitat at once, where every improvement serves both people and ecosystems. That is the experience we mobilize the community around.
Winter night riding at Mill Creek: a network alive twelve months a year.
How the vision moves forward
Everyone has a role
The vision is what we want to see emerge. Our mandate is what we do to help it along: mobilize, connect, support.
Public partners lead
Municipalities and regional public institutions plan, build, govern and maintain public trail infrastructure. The decisions are theirs.
MDR Trails mobilizes
We connect citizens, volunteers, donors and businesses, and channel their energy toward the priorities identified with public partners.
The community contributes
Residents, organizations and businesses walk, ride, volunteer, give and speak up for trails in every neighbourhood.
The vision needs hands
Curious how education and innovation strengthen the movement, or ready to add your energy?