Canol Trail Youth Hike

The Canol Trail is a 355km trail stretching from Norman Wells to the Yukon Border, along what was formerly the Canol Road, constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers during the Second World War. The trail is considered one of the toughest trails in North America due to its length and remote terrain. There are two major river crossings, marshes, and mountain passes on the trail. Hikers will typically take from two to three weeks to hike the length of the trail.

In 2005 Garth Wallbridge, Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya and then-premier Joe Handley decided to hike a portion of the trail with a group of youth. It was a casual expedition with a group of friends, but they quickly realized that the experience had the potential to provide powerful leadership and historical knowledge to the younger generation. The program continued, and since then Garth has hiked over the entire length of the trail with over 30 youth from the Sahtu region in a program that teaches wilderness skills and leadership, all while learning about and traveling in the ancestral footsteps of the Shotagotine and the Kaska Dene.

History of the Canol Trail

The Canol Trail follows the Canol Pipeline, which was built by the American government during the Second World War. Once completed, the pipeline brought oil from Norman Wells to be refined in Whitehorse, Yukon, but was only operational for a short time before it was dismantled. The trail also follows the ancestral route of the Shotagotine and the Kaska Dene, who would travel between Tulita, NT and Ross River, YK for intermarriage.

For more information on the Canol Trail Youth Hike, to volunteer or to participate, please write to leadership@garthwallbridge.com.

Canol Trail in the News

Youth embark on Sahtu hike. NNSL News Briefs: Monday, July 18, 2011.

Hiking the Canol Trail. by Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison. Northern News Services, Published Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Sahtu youth conquer mountains, rivers and canyons. By Rachelle Francoeur. Northern Journal, Published July, 2013.

Motorized vehicles under scrutiny. NWT News/North, Monday, September 12, 2011.

CANOL Trail awaits federal clean-up. By Peter Varga. Northern News Services, Published Monday, August 30, 2010.