ERIC HADLEY
DIRECTOR
Eric was born in Fredericton but spent his first few years in Quebec. He returned to New Brunswick for schooling and received a BSCF wildlife from UNB in 1974. The following three years, while employed by the Saskatchewan Forestry Association, Eric presented programs for school students on the wise use of forests and other natural resources. His work involved developing interpretive trails and discovery centres where students could do exploratory nature projects.
In 1978 Eric was hired by the NB Department of Tourism as coordinator of the interpretive program for Provincial Parks. This involved training and supervising interpretive staff as well as the planning, layout and development of interpretive signs, programs, trails and facilities. Later, Eric became a park planner and developed recreational facilities such as campgrounds, Day-use areas, and trails for hiking, cross country skiing, biking and interpretation.
In the early 1990s while with the Department of Natural Resources, Eric‘s work lead to a major upgrading of the province’s interpretive trails. This trail work, plus experience developing manuals for trail standards, sign systems, and maintenance guidelines for Provincial Parks led to Eric being seconded to a planning/development role in the huge task of creating Sentier New Brunswick trail ( a planned 2400 km multi use trail system throughout New Brunswick). His area of responsibility was converting abandoned railway lines and existing trails and multi use trails along the entire Fundy coast from Saint Martin‘s to The Rocks Provincial Park. A special area of interest was the coast line from Saint Martin‘s to Fundy National Park where there were no existing multi-use trails. He located, marked and supervised the construction of both the Fundy Multi- use Trail and an extension of the Fundy Footpath, a hiking trail.
In the latter part of his career Eric administrated the use of trails on Crown-land by various non-governmental groups such as NB Trails, the NB ATV Federation and NB Snowmobile Federation.
Since retiring in 2006, Eric and his wife, Jane, have volunteered with a variety of organizations, many of which involve trails for hiking, skiing and biking. Participation in these activities, plus national and international trips and a large organic garden keep them busy. They live in Mount Hope in an owner-built cordwood home constructed in the early 1980s. The forest surrounding their home is interlaced with ski, snowshoe and bike trails which they, and their two sons, constructed over the years.