Canada turns 150 in 2017. Along with free entry to national parks and numerous other events throughout the year, the government is intending to have a fully connected Trans Canada Trail during 2017, too.
The Trans Canada Trail, now known as The Great Trail, is the longest network of recreational trails in the world. It stretches from Newfoundland in the East to British Columbia in the West and north to Yukon and Northwest Territories - tracing a ‘roughly’ continuous path through all but Nunavut, where there is a separate section that ends in Iqaluit.
Currently there is over 20,000km of trail and it is considered to be “87% connected”. Much of it is repurposed defunct rail lines, as has been done to great success in the US and other countries. This is a multi-use trail and allows hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, skiers and snowmobilers to enjoy sections of it. Some of the trail is ‘water connected’ however, suiting canoeing or other watercraft. The Trail should feature pavilions regularly spaced along its length that provide shelter and drinking water; however, the provision of these seems to vary from province to province and section to section.
Another thing to note is that it is not a fully paved trail on land, even on the parts that are already connected - some of it is very difficult to traverse on a bike, according to first-hand accounts online.
If you’re interested in the trail, you can start at the official site here - The Great Trail. There are no end of other resources and experiences online - in particular, you can find plenty of the latter at the Crazy Guy On A Bike journals.