Kayakers are being asked to converge en masse to the official opening of the BC Marine Trail at the Vancouver Island Paddlefest on Saturday, May 14. The kayak flotilla will officially kick off the new system of routes through the British Columbia coast designed for kayaks and small boats, and will coincide with the government announcement to be made at the paddlefest that day.

Paddlers are being asked to show their support for the new trail by launching from various points around the Ladysmith area or from campsites nearby, then to paddle to Dunsmuir Islands across the harbour from Transfer Beach where the government announcement is scheduled to take place.. The paddlers will collect behind the islands, out of view of the beach, and on signal, (approx 12.45p) will paddle as a huge group over to the south end of the beach in a great flotilla, where they will be helped to carry their boats by volunteers to a grassy area above the beach.

Given the marine trail has been supported, organized and engineered by volunteers from the nine major paddling clubs in British Columbia, a huge show of support is likely.

To get more details about this event or to become a part of it and sign into a launch site, please email our Grand Opening Events Coordinator at: flotillavolunteer@bcmarinetrails.org.

The BC Marine Trail gives official status to campsites, launch sites and safe havens for paddlers along the British Columbia coast and will eventually link all coastal waters between Alaska and Washington State, making it the world's largest marine trail. Two portions of the overall routes will be opened at the Vancouver Island Paddlefest: The West Coast Vancouver Island North route from Port Hardy to Tofino and the Gulf Islands Marine Trails Network between Sidney and Nanaimo.

Other routes in the late stages of development include Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands, and the West Coast Vancouver Island South portion between Tofino and Sideny. Together the four trail portions will create an official route to circumnavigate Vancouver Island.

You can read details of each of the first two routes in the Spring and Summer 2011 issues of Coast&Kayak Magazine. The Spring

2011 features details on the West Coast Vancouver Island North portion, and the Summer 2011 issue on the Gulf Islands Marine Trails Network. Coast&Kayak Magazine is available free at over 500 distribution locations between Alaska and Florida, and can be read free online.