Some trails are drawn on a map. This one was walked into being — verified ridge by ridge, cove by cove, along one of the most dramatic and remote coastlines in Atlantic Canada.
The Jajiktek Seawall Trail is a world-class, unidirectional backcountry hiking experience taking shape along the rugged seaward edge of the Cape Breton / Unama'ki Highlands, north of Smokey. Commissioned by the Municipality of the County of Inverness, it is designed to stand alongside the great long-distance trails of the world — a multi-day journey through headlands, boulder fields, coastal barrens, and hidden coves, supported by remote backcountry accommodations.
Glenn Group leads the trail design and landscape architecture, in partnership with Cape Breton heavy-civil and marine contractor Zutphen Contractors Inc. Together we bring more than four decades of trail experience — measured against Appalachian Trail, Trans Canada Trail, and Parks Canada standards — to a landscape that demands to be respected rather than engineered over.
The single most important early milestone is behind us: the trail alignment is complete. Verified in the field, the finalized route now unlocks the archaeological and botanical studies, design development, and construction documentation that carry the project toward the ground.
A trail worthy of the coast it crosses
Working Hand in Hand with First Nations
The trail runs across unceded Mi'kmaw land. From the outset, the work has been guided by Mi'kmaw and L'nu partners, Elders, and Traditional Knowledge — grounded in the Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action, not consulted as an afterthought.
Alignment Verified in the Field
Rather than a desktop route, the alignment was walked, tested, and confirmed on the ground — reading the terrain, the exposure, and the vistas. That completed alignment is now the foundation for every downstream study and design.
Measured Against the World's Best
The design draws on Glenn Group's 42 years of trail work and international standards — Appalachian Trail, Trans Canada Trail, Parks Canada — to deliver a genuinely world-class, multi-day backcountry experience.
Community-First Delivery
An Atlantic Canadian team with a community-first hiring approach, sourcing local knowledge and labour — building the trail from and for the region, with the community involved in the design as well as the construction.
Walked, not just drawn
Finalizing the alignment meant putting the team on the terrain — traversing headlands and coastal barrens on foot to confirm a route that is safe, buildable, and unforgettable. Every section was assessed for grade, exposure, drainage, and the sightlines that make a hike memorable.
Completing this verification is what unlocks the next phases: it lets archaeological and botanical studies proceed, and lets construction crews begin work on cleared sections while documentation advances.
Building in a remote, unforgiving landscape
Boulder fields, steep scree, and exposed coastline make this some of the most demanding trail country in the region. Zutphen brings deep experience operating north of Smokey — for NSDOT, Parks Canada, and PWGSC — with the logistics, safety planning, and local relationships that remote backcountry construction requires.
Safety is the cornerstone: site-specific health and safety planning, satellite communication, and clear evacuation routes underpin every day of work in country this wild.
The landscape the trail belongs to
This trail crosses unceded Mi'kmaw land, so it was never ours to simply design. We walked it hand in hand with First Nations partners — and the completed alignment reflects the land, and the people who have always known it.Glenn Group
More than a line on the ground
Beyond the trail itself, the work imagines the full experience: iconic lookout vistas and trailheads, day-hike routes and closed-circuit loops for visitors not making the full journey, and a maintenance and lifecycle plan to protect the investment for generations.
An alignment workshop invites the community into the design process — learning how the route is set, inspected, and catalogued — so the finished trail is genuinely built from and for Unama'ki.