Photo by: Thomas Coldwell

In 2004, a small group of Canadian Leave No Trace Master Instructors recognized the need for Leave No Trace to have a presence in Canada. It was then that from the first conversations, the momentum for the creation of a Canadian branch was significant.

Canadian master instructors were contacted and became the heart of the Leave No Trace movement in Canada. The group of volunteers known as the Leave No Trace Canada Steering Committee, representing a variety of organizations and individuals from coast to coast, devoted countless hours to ensuring the development of the organization in Canada.

In 2005, a national support campaign was launched and resulted in a tremendous community response to the development of a Canadian branch of the organization. Over 50 letters of support were received from organizations such as Parks Canada, Scouts Canada, Aventure Écotourisme Québec, Go for Green, Nova Scotia Department of Environment – Protected Areas, Saskatchewan Parks, Mountain Equipment Co-op, and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, all of which encouraged the steering committee to continue its work on this important mission.

In March 2006, the Steering Committee began its final transition to the Leave No Trace Canada Board of Directors.

Leave No Trace Canada officially signed on as a branch of the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics in October 2006 and received charitable status in November 2007.