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98-864: The Union Transportation Trail is a 9-mile (14 km) rail trail situated in western Monmouth County, New Jersey . It extends from Hornerstown, New Jersey , to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. The trail occupies the former roadbed of the Pennsylvania Railroad 's Pemberton & Hightstown line , which was originally chartered by the Union Transportation Company (UTC) in 1864. The railroad connected local dairies and farms with larger railroads at rail junctions in Pemberton and Hightstown, New Jersey . Traffic gradually dried up, and

196-619: A World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it is believed to be the Vinland settlement of explorer Leif Erikson . (The Icelandic Skálholt map of 1570 refers to the area as "Promontorium Winlandiæ" and correctly shows it on a 51°N parallel with Bristol , England). Before and after the departure of the Norse, the island was inhabited by indigenous populations. About 500 years later, in 1497, the Italian navigator John Cabot (Zuan/Giovanni Caboto) became

294-526: A "baby bonus" for each child in a family. The Confederates were led by the charismatic Joseph Smallwood , a former radio broadcaster, who had developed socialist political inclinations while working for a socialist newspaper in New York City. Following confederation, Smallwood led Newfoundland for decades as the elected premier . His policies as premier were closer to liberalism than socialism. The first flag to specifically represent Newfoundland

392-712: A colonial governor on the island. After 1713, with the Treaty of Utrecht , the French ceded control of south and north shores of the island to the British. They kept only the nearby islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon , located in the fish-rich Grand Banks off the south coast. Despite some early settlements by the English, the Crown discouraged permanent, year-round settlement of Newfoundland by migratory fishery workers. Thomas Nash

490-616: A corridor to be " Rail Banked " or placed on hold for possible conversion back to active status when or if future need demands. While many rail trails have been built, other proposals have been cancelled by community opposition. The stature of the conversion organization, community involvement, and government willingness are key factors. On the other hand, there are a growing number of cases where existing rails and infrastructure, in service or not, are being called to be torn up for trails. Two cases of this are in New York State , against

588-445: A forerunner to the much later British Empire. Newfoundland is considered Britain's oldest colony. Settlers developed a variety of dialects associated with settlement on the island: Newfoundland English , Newfoundland French . In the 19th century, it also had a dialect of Irish known as Newfoundland Irish . The closely related Scottish Gaelic was also spoken on the island during the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in

686-439: A historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nationwide nonprofit group that advocates for rail trails and has many documents and advice on building a rail trail. Per their records, the U.S. currently has 22,107 miles of rail trail complete. As of 2015 , Michigan has the most total mileage (2,381) of any state. Germany has

784-521: A number of cities disused rail tracks have been converted into linear parks . One example is the High Line (also known as "High Line Park"), a 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park created on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad . Inspired by the 3-mile-long (4.8 km) Promenade plantée (tree-lined walkway), a similar project in Paris completed in 1993,

882-484: A pedestrian and bicycle trail. The development of rail trails in southeastern Australia can be traced to the gold rushes of the second half of the 19th century. Dozens of rail lines sprang up, aided by the overly enthusiastic " Octopus Act ", but soon became unprofitable as the gold ran out, leading to a decreased demand for timber in turn. Decades later, these easements found a new use as tourist drawcards, once converted to rail trails. Dozens exist in some form, like

980-588: A rail corridor that was originally built for the now-abandoned Kettle Valley Railway . The trail was developed during the 1990s after the Canadian Pacific Railway abandoned train service. The longest rail trail in Canada is the Newfoundland T'Railway that covers a distance of 883 km (549 mi). Protected as a linear park under the provincial park system, the T'Railway consists of

1078-584: A rail to trail conversion. Even residents who are not encroaching on railway lands may oppose conversion on the grounds of increased traffic in the area and the possibility of a decline in personal security. Because linear corridors of land are only valuable if they are intact, special laws regulate the abandonment of a railroad corridor. In the United States, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regulates railroads, and can allow

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1176-658: A small subset of rail trails in which a railway right-of-way remains in use by trains yet also has a parallel recreational trail . Hundreds of kilometers of rails with trails exist in Canada, Europe, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Newfoundland (island) Newfoundland ( / ˈ nj uː f ən ( d ) l ə n d , - l æ n d / NEW -fən(d)-lənd, -⁠land , locally / ˌ n uː f ən ˈ l æ n d / NEW -fən- LAND ; French: Terre-Neuve , locally [taɛ̯ʁˈnœːv] ; Mi'kmaq : Ktaqmkuk )

1274-605: A southern extension into New Egypt , which may extend further south into eastern Burlington County and connect to the Kinkora Branch Trail and the Pemberton Rail-Trail . This would function as a link with the southern New Jersey/greater Philadelphia trail network. Rail trail The Bermuda Railway ceased to operate as such when the only carrier to exist in Bermuda folded in 1948. Some of

1372-437: A total area of 111,390 square kilometres (43,008 sq mi). According to 2006 official Census Canada statistics, 57% of responding Newfoundland and Labradorians claim British or Irish ancestry, with 43.2% claiming at least one English parent, 21.5% at least one Irish parent, and 7% at least one parent of Scottish origin. Additionally, 6.1% claimed at least one parent of French ancestry. The island's total population as of

1470-549: A total of 1,200 km (750 mi) , a significant figure considering the size of the country. The gradient is never more than six per cent, and the tracks are open to all forms of non-motorised travellers, including cyclists, horse-riders, hikers and even roller-bladers. There is also the Vennbahn , which runs along an unusual border between Belgium and Germany. Baana is an old cargo rail track in Helsinki converted into

1568-597: Is Corner Brook , which is situated on the Bay of Islands on the west coast of the island. The bay was named by Captain James Cook who surveyed the coast in 1767. The island of Newfoundland has numerous provincial parks such as Barachois Pond Provincial Park , considered to be a model forest, as well as two national parks. The island has many tourism opportunities, ranging from sea kayaking, camping, fishing and hunting, to hiking. The International Appalachian Trail (IAT)

1666-535: Is a large island within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It is situated off the eastern coast of the North American mainland and the geographical region of Labrador . The island contains 29 percent of the province's land area, but is home to over 90% of the province's population, with about 60% of the province's population located on the small southeastern Avalon peninsula . The island

1764-516: Is a provincial Registered Heritage District, as well as a National Cultural Landscape District of Canada. This is one of only two national historic sites in Canada so recognized for their Irish heritage. Entertainment opportunities abound in the island's three cities and numerous towns, particularly during summer festivals. For nightlife, George Street , located in downtown St. John's, is closed to traffic 20 hours per day. The Mile One Stadium in St. John's

1862-698: Is being extended along the island's mountainous west coast. On the east coast, the East Coast Trail extends through the Avalon Peninsula for 220 km (140 mi), beginning near Fort Amherst in St. John's and ending in Cappahayden , with an additional 320 km (200 mi) of trail under construction. The Marble Mountain Ski Resort near Corner Brook is a major attraction in

1960-402: Is dictated by the free market value of the land, so that land in urban and industrial cores is often impractical to purchase and convert. Therefore, rail trails may end on the fringes of urban areas or near industrial areas and resume later, as discontinuous portions of the same rail line, separated by unaffordable or inappropriate land. A railroad right-of-way (easement) width varies based on

2058-522: Is known about them beyond archeological evidence of early settlements. Evidence of successive cultures have been found. The Late Paleo-Eskimo, or Dorset culture , settled there about 4,000 years ago. They were descendants of migrations of ancient prehistoric peoples across the High Arctic thousands of years ago, after crossing from Siberia via the Bering land bridge . The Dorset died off or abandoned

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2156-466: Is low, though, less than 12% in the same 2003 study. The referendum campaign of 1948 was bitterly fought, and interests in both Canada and Britain favoured and supported confederation with Canada. Jack Pickersgill , a western Canadian native and politician, worked with the confederation camp during the campaign. The Catholic Church, whose members were a minority on the island, lobbied for continued independence. Canada offered financial incentives, including

2254-732: Is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait . It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River , creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary . Newfoundland's nearest neighbour is the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon . With an area of 108,860 square kilometres (42,031 sq mi), Newfoundland

2352-631: Is the world's 16th-largest island , Canada's fourth-largest island , and the largest Canadian island outside the North . The provincial capital, St. John's , is located on the southeastern coast of the island; Cape Spear , just south of the capital, is the easternmost point of North America , excluding Greenland. It is common to consider all directly neighbouring islands such as New World , Twillingate , Fogo and Bell Island to be 'part of Newfoundland' (i.e., distinct from Labrador). By that classification, Newfoundland and its associated small islands have

2450-530: Is the venue for large sporting and concert events in the province. In March, the annual seal hunt (of the harp seal ) takes place. Largest municipalities (2016 population) Newfoundland is roughly triangular, with each side being approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi), and having an area of 108,860 square kilometres (42,030 sq mi). Newfoundland and its associated small islands have a total area of 111,390 square kilometres (43,010 sq mi). Newfoundland extends between latitudes 46°36'N and 51°38'N. Newfoundland

2548-436: Is the youngest province in Canada. Newfoundland was organised as a colony in 1825, was self-governing from 1855 to 1934, but after a financial crisis the legislature was suspended and it was ruled through a Commission of Government (see Dominion of Newfoundland ). On June 22 and July 3, 1948, the population of the colony voted in referendums 52.3% to 47.7% in favour of joining Canada as a province. Opposition to confederation

2646-655: Is thought to have been an image of a green fir tree on a pink background that was in use in the early 19th century. The first official flag identifying Newfoundland, flown by vessels in service of the colonial government, was the Newfoundland Blue Ensign, adopted in 1870 and used until 1904, when it was modified slightly. In 1904, the crown of the Blue Ensign was replaced with the Great Seal of Newfoundland (having been given royal approval in 1827) and

2744-652: The Beltline Trail and the West Toronto Railpath . In central Ontario, the former Victoria Railway line, which runs 89 kilometres (55 mi) from the town of Lindsay, Ontario , north to the village of Haliburton, in Haliburton County , serves as a public recreation trail. It can be used for cross country skiing, walking, and snowmobiling in the winter months, and walking, cycling, and horse riding from spring to autumn. The majority of

2842-522: The Beothuk language , which is often considered to be a member of the Algonquian language family although the lack of sufficient records means that it is not possible to demonstrate such a connection confidently. The tribe is now typically considered extinct, but evidence of its culture is preserved in museums and historical and archaeological records. Shanawdithit , a woman who is often regarded as

2940-629: The Bishop of Newfoundland until a separate Bishop of Bermuda was created in 1919, though Newfoundland would become a Dominion in its own right from 1907 (the Dominion of Newfoundland ), before reverting to colonial status in 1934, and finally joining the Dominion of Canada in 1949 as the Province of Newfoundland . The European immigrants, mostly English, Scots, Irish and French, built a society in

3038-796: The Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston, New York , and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Old Forge, New York . In Connecticut, the not-in-service section of track on the Valley Railroad has been proposed by locals to be converted to trail. Though perceived by residents to be, as it has not carried a train since the 1960s, the railroad has never been formally abandoned. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection acquired

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3136-841: The Codroy Valley area, chiefly by settlers from Cape Breton Island , Nova Scotia. The Gaelic names reflected the association with fishing: in Scottish Gaelic , it was called Eilean a' Trosg , literally 'Island of the Cod '. Similarly, the Irish name Talamh an Éisc means 'Land of the Fish'. The first inhabitants of Newfoundland were the Paleo-Eskimo , who have no known link to other groups in Newfoundland history. Little

3234-924: The Middlewood Way in Cheshire and the Ebury Way in Watford . Notable rural rail trails include the Dava Way , running along the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres in the Scottish Highlands , and the High Peak Trail in the English Peak District . In London , a more unusual scheme has been proposed to convert some disused London Underground tunnels into subterranean rail trails under

3332-747: The Milton Keynes redway system runs throughout Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, in parts using the former trackbed of the defunct Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (closed 1962) and the Grand Union Canal towpath. Together, these paths form part of the long-distance National Cycle Network Route 6 and Route 51 . Other urban and suburban rail trails include the Fallowfield Loop Line in Manchester ,

3430-598: The National Arts Council . The disused railway consists of the main line from the Tanjong Pagar railway station to Woodlands, extending either 24 km (15 mi) or 26 km (16 mi), depending on the source. There is also the Jurong spur line, 14 km (8.7 mi) in length. The area occupied by the railways is at least 80 ha (200 acres), and up to 173.7 ha (429 acres) when

3528-581: The Trans Canada Trail and other walking trails are abandoned railways. A small railway line from Musquodoboit Harbour ( Musquodoboit Trailway ) to Dartmouth are nearly fully used by community members and tourists. Another extremely large section is used from Halifax to New Germany to Yarmouth to Grand Pre . A considerable part of the Trans Canada Trail are repurposed defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by CP and CN rail rebuilt as walking trails. The main section runs along

3626-813: The United States of America , the remaining continental colonies and the North Atlantic Ocean colony of Bermuda were organised and administered as British North America . All except the Newfoundland Colony and Bermuda confederated in 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada . Newfoundland and Bermuda would retain links (possibly explaining similarities between the Newfoundland English and Bermudian English ), including settlement in Newfoundland of Bermudians such as Joseph Outerbridge , especially their being grouped under

3724-500: The sea ice and weather of this isolated location and the native wildlife its residents relied upon for food and income . The First World War had a powerful and lasting effect on the society. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded. On July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, France, 753 men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over

3822-404: The 17th century came Irish fishermen, who found so many fisheries that they named the island Talamh an Éisc , meaning 'Land of the Fish', more loosely 'the fishing grounds' in Irish. In 1583, when Sir Humphrey Gilbert formally claimed Newfoundland as a colony of England, he found numerous English, French and Portuguese vessels at St. John's. There was no permanent European population. Gilbert

3920-535: The 1960s and 1970s. This research estimated that the settlement dates to about the year 1000, and the site contains the earliest-known European structures in North America. In 2021, an interdisciplinary team used the Miyake event of 993-994 as a benchmark in dendrochronology (tree-ring studies) to precisely determine that Vikings were present in L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland in year 1021. Designated as

4018-547: The 2006 census was 479,105. Newfoundland was long inhabited by indigenous peoples of the Dorset culture and the Beothuk , who spoke the now-extinct Beothuk language . The island was possibly visited by the Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson in the 11th century as a rest settlement when heading farther south to the land believed to be closer to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River called " Vinland ". The first confirmed visit

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4116-600: The 37-kilometre (23 mi) Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail , but only a few – such as the 95-kilometre (59 mi) Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail — have been fully developed. Progress is frequently hampered by trestle bridges in unsafe condition, easements that have been sold off to farmers, and lack of funds. Funding is typically contributed in roughly equal parts from federal, state, and local governments, with voluntary labour and in kind donations contributed by local groups. The latest addition to

4214-531: The Beothuk and Mi'kmaq, though this is refuted by indigenous oral history. The Mi'kmaq, Innu and Inuit all hunted and fished around Newfoundland but no evidence indicates that they lived on the island for long periods of time and would only travel to Newfoundland temporarily. Inuit have been documented on the Great Northern Peninsula as late as the 18th-Century. Newfoundland was historically

4312-688: The British Parliament designated Newfoundland Red and Blue ensigns as official flags specifically for Newfoundland. The Red and Blue ensigns with the Great Seal of Newfoundland in the fly were used officially from 1904 until 1965, with the Red Ensign being flown as civil ensign by merchant shipping, and the Blue being flown by governmental ships (after the British tradition of having different flags for merchant/naval and government vessel identification). On September 26, 1907, King Edward VII of

4410-632: The High Line has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway and rails-to-trails park. Railroads in North America were often built with a mix of purchased land, government land grants, and easements. The land deeds can be over a hundred years old, land grants might be conditional upon continuous operation of the line, and easements may have expired, all expensive and difficult issues to determine at law. Railroad property rights have often been poorly defined and sporadically enforced, with neighboring property owners intentionally or accidentally using land they do not own. Such encroachers often later oppose

4508-422: The Mi'kmaq. The latter readily traded with Europeans and became established in settlements in Newfoundland. Newfoundland is the site of the only authenticated Norse settlement in North America. An archaeological site was discovered in 1960 at L'Anse aux Meadows by Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad . This site was the subject of archaeological studies throughout

4606-412: The New Jersey Department of Transportation will fund the construction of a 3.2-mile (5.1 km) extension of the trail from its current terminus at Old York Road in Upper Freehold. This extension will cross over the New Jersey Turnpike and connect to a proposed trail head and parking lot, located near the intersection of Airport Road in East Windsor. Additional expansion is also being considered, including

4704-419: The New World unlike the ones they had left. It was also different from those that other immigrants would build on the North American mainland. As a fish-exporting society, Newfoundland was in contact with many ports and societies around the Atlantic rim. But its geographic location and political distinctiveness isolated it from its closest neighbours, Canada and the United States. Internally, most of its population

4802-415: The Rail Trail scene in Victoria is The Great Victorian Rail Trail which is the longest rail trail in Victoria covering 134 km (83 mi). It has become popular with tourists as it meanders through steep valleys and open farm country. The Rail Trails Australia website is a good source of local information. about trails in Australia. A number of rail trails have been established through New Zealand;

4900-519: The Red and Blue Ensigns retained as ensigns for shipping identification. On March 31, 1949, Newfoundland became a province of Canada but retained the Union Jack in legislature, still designating it as the "national" flag. This was later reaffirmed by the Revised Statutes Act of 1952, and the Union Jack remained the official flag of Newfoundland until 1980, when it was replaced by the current provincial flag. (See Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for continued discussion of provincial flags.) As one of

4998-471: The Sarnia Bridge was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame . A railroad between Gateway Road and Raleigh Street (i.e. streets immediately parallel to the railway on each side) in Winnipeg , Manitoba , was turned into a 7 km (4.3 mi) asphalt trail in 2007. It is called the Northeast Pioneers Greenway, and there are plans for expansion into East St. Paul , and eventually to Birds Hill Park. In Nova Scotia , almost every section of

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5096-419: The United Kingdom declared the Colony of Newfoundland, as an independent Dominion within the British Empire , and from that point until 1965, the Newfoundland Red Ensign was used as the civil ensign of the Dominion of Newfoundland with the Blue Ensign, again, reserved for government shipping identification. In 1931 the Newfoundland National Assembly adopted the Union Jack as the official national flag, with

5194-527: The abandonment of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1989, the government of Prince Edward Island purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The Confederation Trail was developed as a tip-to-tip walking/cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. In Quebec, Le P'tit Train du Nord runs 200 km (120 mi) from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier . In Toronto , there are two rail trails,

5292-424: The best known are the Hauraki Rail Trail (linking Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha and Waikino/Waihi), Otago Central Rail Trail and the Little River Rail Trail . The New Zealand Cycle Trail project, a Government-led initiative, will greatly accelerate the establishment of new trails. The first seven projects (not all of them rail trails, though) were announced in July 2009 and will receive NZ$ 9 million in funding of

5390-443: The border from Malaysia. Government agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) have taken responsibility for developing and implementing ideas and activities for the former rail lands. The URA has a dedicated web site on Rail Corridor. An example of activities permitted include street art on a section of the disused railway, supported by the SLA, URA, Land Transport Authority and

5488-465: The city, but this scheme has not been officially approved. With more than 2,500 kilometers of rail trails (Via Verde) in a network of 117 cycling and walking itineraries, Spain ranks high in the European greenways scene. The trails are managed or coordinated by the Spanish Railways Foundation, an institution created in 1985. Many of the converted tracks were originally built for the mining industry, connecting remote mountain sites with port locations on

5586-457: The coast, now offering picturesque rides from wild interior landscapes to the seaside, following near-flat routes with long-spanning viaducts and bridges, plus a number of tunnels. Cuts to Ireland's once expansive rail network in the mid 20th century left Ireland with a vast network of disused railways. While many lines were ripped up and the sections of the land acquired by private owners, a number of former railways do exist intact, thus providing

5684-424: The coast, the area available to the Beothuk to harvest the marine resources they relied upon was diminished. By the beginning of the 19th century, few Beothuk remained. Most died due to infectious diseases carried by Europeans, to which they had no immunity , and starvation. Government attempts to engage with the Beothuk and aid them came too late. The Beothuk did not have friendly relations with foreigners, unlike

5782-439: The early years of the 19th century. The French name for the island is Terre-Neuve . The name Newfoundland is one of the oldest European place names in Canada in continuous geographical and cartographical use, dating from a 1502 letter. It was stated in the following 1628 poem: A Skeltonicall continued ryme, in praise of my New-found-Land After the 1783 independence of the thirteen continental colonies that became

5880-426: The federal government passing legislation promoting the use of railbanking for abandoned railroad corridors in 1983 which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990. This process preserves rail corridors for possible future rail use with interim use as a trail. By the 1970s, even main lines were being sold or abandoned. This was especially true when regional rail lines merged and streamlined their operations. As both

5978-640: The first European since the Norse settlers to set foot on Newfoundland, working under commission of King Henry VII of England . His landing site is unknown but popularly believed to be Cape Bonavista , along the island's East coast. Another site claimed is Cape Bauld , at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula . A document found in the Spanish National Archives, written by a Bristol merchant, reports that Cabot's crew landed 1,800 miles or 2,900 kilometres west of Dursey Head , Ireland (latitude 51°35′N), which would put Cabot within sight of Cape Bauld. This document mentions an island that Cabot sailed past to go ashore on

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6076-459: The first places in the New World where Europeans settled, Newfoundland also has a history of European colonization. St. John's is the oldest city in Canada and the oldest continuously settled location in English-speaking North America. The St. John's census metropolitan area includes 12 suburban communities, the largest of which are the city of Mount Pearl and the towns of Conception Bay South and Paradise . The province's third-largest city

6174-488: The former Galway to Clifden railway into a greenway, but negotiations are still underway with landowners regarding its routing. A section of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway railway line, from Claremorris to Collooney has been touted for redevelopment as a greenway, but has met with some recent opposition from groups wishing for reestablishment of the railway itself. The RAVeL network in Belgium combines converted tracks, byways and towpaths , adding up to

6272-419: The former right of way were converted for automobile traffic, and in 1984 18 miles were converted to a rail trail, reserved for pedestrian use and bicycles on paved portions. The rail bed spans the length of the island, and connected Hamilton to St. George's and several villages, though several bridges are derelict, causing the trail to be fragmented. The Kettle Valley Rail Trail in British Columbia uses

6370-439: The gravel-surfaced 2.2-mile (3.5 km) section between Millstream Road and Jonathan Holmes Road. A 2.0-mile (3.2 km) extension to the trail was completed in 2011, with the 3.0-mile (4.8 km) section between County Route 526 and Herbert Road/Sharon Station Road being added in February 2015. Construction on the segment between County Route 526 and Davis Station Road, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length, commenced in 2015 and

6468-516: The history of the railroad. Their primary revenue is tourist operations, so rail traffic is seasonal; though all three have been granted rights to carry freight, should customers show interest. Though rare, there are several cases in which trails convert back to active railroads. One example occurred in 2012 in Clarence, Pennsylvania , where the R.J. Corman Railroad Company received permission to rebuild 20 miles (32 km) of railbanked line to serve new industries. Conrail had ceased operating over

6566-460: The island prior to the arrival of the Norse . After this period, the Beothuk settled in Newfoundland, migrating from Labrador on the mainland. There is no evidence that the Beothuk inhabited the island before Norse settlement. Scholars believe that the Beothuk are related closely to the Innu of Labrador. The tribe later was declared "extinct" although people of partial Beothuk descent have been documented. The name Beothuk meant 'people' in

6664-434: The land around the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and other nodes are included. Given the location of the railway lands in land scarce Singapore, there was concern that the lands would be developed. Organisations such as the Nature Society Singapore developed comprehensive plans to maintain the rail lands for nature-related pursuits. The Green Corridor web site is a campaign website dedicated to preserving its natural form. In

6762-433: The largest number of rail trails in Europe, with 677 rail trails with a total length of 5,020 kilometres (3,120 mi) (as at February 2015). 80 more projects are being planned or under construction. Some of the longest rail trails are in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . These are the Maare-Mosel-Radweg with 39 kilometres (24 mi) on the old rail track, the Ruwer-Hochwald-Radweg with 44 kilometres (27 mi) on

6860-509: The last full-blood Beothuk, died in St. John's in 1829 of tuberculosis . However, Santu Toney, born around 1835 and died in 1910, was a woman of mixed Mi'kmaq and Beothuk descent, meaning some Beothuk must have lived on beyond 1829. She described her father as Beothuk and mother as Mi'kmaq, both from Newfoundland. The Beothuk may have intermingled and assimilated with Innu in Labrador and Mi'kmaq in Newfoundland. European histories also suggest potential historical competition and hostility between

6958-458: The line from Penn Central in 1969, and subsequently signed a long-term lease with the railroad. The railroad has been continually working to bring this section of the line back into service. Both Departments strongly support the preservation of the line, and have provided support to the railroad with property encroachment from abutters and the provision of railroad ties . All three of these examples are heritage railroads , which serve to protect

7056-605: The line in 1990, and 10 miles (16 km) was converted to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails. Most original rail lines were surveyed for ease of transport and gentle (often less than 2%) grades . Therefore, the rail trails that succeeded them are often fairly straight and ideally suited to overcome steep or awkward terrain such as hills, escarpments, rivers, swamps, etc. Rail trails often share space with linear utilities such as pipelines, electrical transmission wires, and telephone lines. Most purchase of railway land

7154-651: The line was abandoned by UTC in segments, starting in 1950 with the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike . The line was completely abandoned by 1984. The roadbed was later acquired by Jersey Central Power & Light and was subsequently leased for trail use in 1998 by the Monmouth County Park system. The Union Transportation Trail—named after the UTC—first opened in September 2010 with

7252-549: The mainland. This description fits with the Cape Bauld theory, as Belle Isle is not far offshore. After Cabot, the first European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese, Spanish, Basque, French and English migratory fishermen. In 1501, Portuguese explorers Gaspar Corte-Real and his brother Miguel Corte-Real charted part of the coast of Newfoundland in a failed attempt to find the Northwest Passage . Late in

7350-755: The majority of rail trails are maintained by either the local authority or charitable organisations such as Sustrans , the Railway Ramblers or Railway Paths . A 31-mile (50 km) section (between Braunton and Meeth ) of the Tarka Trail in Devon is one of the longest of these. Many of these former railway lines form part of the British National Cycle Network , connecting with long-distance paths and towpaths along Britain's extensive network of canals . For example,

7448-718: The old rail track and the Schinderhannes-Radweg with 36 kilometres (22 mi) on the old track of the Hunsrück Railway . Up to date, the 23 km long Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal is still the rail trail with the highest standard in Germany and is a prime example of conversion of an abandoned railway track into a multiuser cycling path. With almost 150 lines in use, the United Kingdom has

7546-650: The option for the development of many rail trails in the future. The rail-trail on the former Westport to Achill Island line, known as the Great Western Greenway , was completed in 2011. Much progress has been made on the development of a rail-trail on the former Limerick to Tralee / Fenit line, in the form of the Great Southern Trail . As of 2013, a 36-kilometre (22 mi) section from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale has been completed. Planning permission has been granted to redevelop

7644-652: The rail industry led to the closure of a number of uneconomical branch lines and redundant mainlines. Some were maintained as short line railways , but many others were abandoned. The first abandoned rail corridor in the United States converted into a recreational trail was the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin , which opened in 1967. The following year the Illinois Prairie Path opened. The conversion of rails to trails hastened with

7742-597: The rail trail passes through sparsely populated areas of the Canadian Shield , with historic trestle bridges crossing several rivers. The old Sarnia Bridge in St. Marys, Ontario , was re-purposed as part of the Grand Trunk Trail . The former Grand Trunk Railway viaduct was purchased from Canadian National Railway in 1995. The Grand Trunk Trail was opened in 1998 with over 3 km (1.9 mi) of paved, accessible trail. In 2012, The re-purposing of

7840-427: The railbed of the historic Newfoundland Railway as transferred from its most recent owner, Canadian National Railway , to the provincial government after rail service was abandoned on the island of Newfoundland in 1988. The rail corridor stretches from Channel-Port aux Basques in the west to St. John's in the east with branches to Stephenville , Lewisporte , Bonavista , Placentia and Carbonear . Following

7938-816: The second-largest network of rail trails in Europe after Germany. The development of rail trails in the United Kingdom grew after a major programme of railway line closures in the 1960s known as the Beeching cuts . The scheme, named after Dr. Richard Beeching , the then chairman of British Railways , decommissioned approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railway lines all over Great Britain. Many rural and suburban lines were closed along with selected main line trunk routes. Since then, approximately 1,200–2,200 miles (1,900–3,500 km) of disused railway lines in Britain have been converted to public leisure purposes, and today

8036-554: The second-longest, extending for 321 miles (517 km), the longest being the Ohio to Erie Trail in Ohio at 326 miles (525 km). The BeltLine , in Atlanta , Georgia, is currently under construction. In 2030, its anticipated year of completion, it will be one of the longest continuous trails. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along

8134-416: The southern areas of Canada connecting most of Canada's major cities and most populous areas. There is also a long northern arm which runs through Alberta to Edmonton and then up through northern British Columbia to Yukon. The trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross country skiers and snowmobilers. In North America, the decades-long consolidation of

8232-632: The southernmost part of the Inuit's territorial range. When Europeans arrived from 1497 and later, starting with John Cabot , they established contact with the Beothuk. Estimates of the number of Beothuk on the island at this time vary, typically around 700. Later both the English and French settled the island. They were followed by the Mi'kmaq , an Algonquian -speaking indigenous people from eastern Canada and present-day Nova Scotia. As European and Mi'kmaq settlement became year-round and expanded to new areas of

8330-571: The supply of potential trails increased and awareness of the possibilities rose, state governments, municipalities, conservation authorities, and private organizations bought the rail corridors to create, expand or link green spaces . The longest developed rail trail is currently the 240 miles (390 km) Katy Trail in Missouri . When complete, the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska will become

8428-553: The terrain, with a 100 feet (30 m) width being ample enough where little surface grading is required. The initial 705 miles (1,135 km) stretch of the Illinois Central Railroad is the most liberal in the world with a width of 200 feet (61 m) along the whole length of the line. Rail trails are often graded and covered in gravel or crushed stone, although some are paved with asphalt and others are left as dirt. Where rail bridges are incorporated into

8526-457: The top of a trench. The next morning, only 68 men answered the roll-call. Even now, when the rest of Canada celebrates the founding of the country on July 1, many Newfoundlanders take part in solemn ceremonies of remembrance. The Second World War also had a lasting effect on Newfoundland. In particular, the United States assigned forces to the military bases at Argentia, Gander, Stephenville, Goose Bay, and St. John's. Newfoundland and Labrador

8624-728: The total project budget of NZ$ 50 million. On 24 May 2010, the Singapore and Malaysia governments agreed to move the Singapore terminus of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) from the Tanjong Pagar railway station in southern Singapore to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in northern Singapore. This resulted in the railway lines in Singapore becoming surplus as the Woodlands terminus is just over

8722-480: The trail, the only alterations (if any) tend to be adding solid walking areas on top of ties or trestles, though bridges in poorer condition do receive new guardrails , paint, and reinforcement. If paved, they are especially suitable for people who use wheelchairs. Where applicable, the same trails used in the summer for walking, jogging, and inline skating can be used in the winter for Nordic skiing , snowshoeing , and sometimes snowmobiling . Rails with trails are

8820-467: The very earliest modern European population on the island. By 1620, the fishermen of England's West Country dominated the east coast of Newfoundland. French fishermen dominated the island's south coast and Northern Peninsula. The decline of the fisheries, the wasting of the shoreline forests, and an overstocking of liquor by local merchants influenced the Whitehall government in 1675 to decline to set up

8918-857: The winter for skiers in eastern Canada. Other major communities include the following towns: Educational institutions include the provincial university, Memorial University of Newfoundland whose main campus is situated in St. John's, along with the Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook, in addition to the College of the North Atlantic based in Stephenville and other communities. Bonavista , Placentia and Ferryland are all historic locations for various early European settlement or discovery activities. Tilting Harbour on Fogo Island

9016-491: Was an Irish Catholic fisherman who permanently settled in Newfoundland. He established the fishing town of Branch . He and his cousin Father Patrick Power of Callan , County Kilkenny, spread Catholicism in Newfoundland. This settlement attracted a major migration of Irish Catholic immigrants to Newfoundland in the early eighteenth century. By the late 18th century, permanent settlement increased, peaking in

9114-568: Was by the Norse who built a temporary base at L'Anse aux Meadows , a Norse settlement near the northernmost tip of Newfoundland (Cape Norman), which has been dated to be approximately 1000 years old. The site is considered the only undisputed evidence of Pre-Columbian contact between the Old and New Worlds if the Norse– Inuit contact on Greenland is not counted. The next European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese and French fishermen. The island

9212-524: Was completed in September 2016. The fifth segment, completed in late January 2017, comprises the .75 miles (1.21 km) between Herbert Road/Sharon Station Road and County Route 539 , passing through the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Trail access points with parking lots are located at Millstream Road, Jonathan Holmes Road, and the intersection of Herbert Road and Sharon Station Road, all of which are in Upper Freehold . A grant awarded through

9310-477: Was concentrated among residents of the capital St. John's and its surrounding hinterland on the Avalon Peninsula. Newfoundland joined Canada at one minute before midnight on March 31, 1949. Union with Canada has done little to reduce Newfoundlanders' self-image as a distinctive group. In 2003, 72% of residents responding identified first as Newfoundlanders, secondarily as Canadians. Separatist sentiment

9408-507: Was lost at sea during his return voyage, and plans of settlement were postponed. In July 1596 the Scottish vessel the "William" left Aberdeen for "new fund land" (Newfoundland) and returned in 1600. On 5 July 1610, John Guy set sail from Bristol , England, with 39 other colonists for Cuper's Cove . This, and other early attempts at permanent settlement failed to make a profit for the English investors, but some settlers remained, forming

9506-557: Was possibly visited by the Venetian navigator John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), working under contract to Henry VII of England on his expedition from Bristol in 1497. In 1501 Portuguese brothers Gaspar Corte-Real and Miguel Corte-Real charted part of the coast of Newfoundland in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage . On 5 August 1583, Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland as England's first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I , thus officially establishing

9604-453: Was spread widely around a rugged coastline in small outport settlements. Many were distant from larger centres of population and isolated for long periods by winter ice or bad weather. These conditions had an effect on the cultures of the immigrants. They generated new ways of thinking and acting. Newfoundland and Labrador developed a wide variety of distinctive customs, beliefs, stories, songs and dialects. A unique vocabulary arose focused on

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