Mountain Bike Atlantic
Mountain Bike Atlantic was established by local stakeholders in 2019 as a collaborative effort to promote the Atlantic region as a global destination for mountain biking.
Supported by an Advisory Committee of local experts from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. We engage trail communities to collaborate on enhancing mountain biking products and experiences that help promote and sustain visitation, and improve the visitor experience for residents and tourists alike.
At the core of this initiative is Friends of Fundy, a charitable non-profit organization that acts as the administrative support and local champion for Mountain Bike Atlantic.
WHY
With the extensive growth we’ve experienced over the past decades, Atlantic Canada now boasts a wide variety of terrain and trails that will have you and your riding pals wondering how you missed it all this time. Since the early days of ad hoc trail-building, our region has become known for technical, rooty, and rocky trails. The recent development of new bike parks and trail networks, however, has made your choice of rides more extensive than ever.
Beyond the trails, our region is one where you can complete your day with an après-ride sunset right on the beach. Wherever you are in Atlantic Canada, you’re never far from the coast. Add to that our burgeoning craft beer and culinary scene and you’ll be rested and refueled for the next day’s adventure.
WHEN
In the summer of 2019, Mountain Bike Atlantic visited and collaborated with local riders and advocates across Atlantic Canada to curate a collection of captivating video and photography of regional trail networks. In October, we hosted our first annual Summit and Mountain Bike Festival in New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park. This event brought together stakeholders from across Atlantic Canada to collaborate on the project.
The Summit canvassed panel discussions and media training and celebrated the sport that’s helping our region grow. During this multi-day event, the website mtbatlantic.com was launched to inspire mountain bikers to explore the opportunities for riding in Atlantic Canada.
WHAT
To help local communities recognize their strengths and challenges in catering to mountain bike travellers, we are developing Community Trail Assessments to provide stakeholders with recommendations to better provide the kinds of experiences mountain bike travellers are seeking. Workshops will discuss the economic impact and tourism potential of attracting riders to our region as well as the health and wellness benefits to our local residents. This positive momentum is helping to drive further growth in trail communities.
In addition, Mountain Bike Atlantic is engaging passionate local riders as advocates to help generate interest in and awareness of the riding opportunities our region has on offer. This ensures that the content we’re producing genuinely reflects what is happening at the local level. Creation of blog posts, social engagements, and local events have had the added benefit of bringing the region closer together as a collective community. This has increased overall engagement and improved the quality of content we’re sharing with the world.
Our website, mtbatlantic.com provides exactly what’s needed for our collective mountain bike community to showcase our trails. It’s stocked with captivating images and videos that highlight the unique nature of the trails. From blogs of local stories and road trip recommendations to trail network profiles and local area details, mtbatlantic.com will help you maximize your visit and minimize your planning. Additionally, we are approaching local businesses to list their services on the site which will provide users with even more information about where to ride, shop, eat, drink, and sleep. This is the website all riders wish they could find when planning a mountain bike trip!
Join Mountain Bike Atlantic for the ride. Follow @mtbatlantic on Instagram, Facebook, and on PinkBike
Advisory Committee Members
New Brunswick: Micha Fardy, Greg Dion, Jackie Oncescu, Andrew Fry, Mylène Després
Nova Scotia: Tim Foster, Charles Sutton, Adam Shore, Kaarin Tae
Prince Edward Island: Mike Robertson, Ruth Delong, Mark Weeks
Newfoundland & Labrador: Adam Churchill, Andrew King
Project Manager
Sam Bosence
