Starting in June, Bowen Island will be connected to Howe Sound in a new way: the island will offer one of five access points for the Sea to Sky Marine Trail. The Marine Trail will connect to the 180 km of terrestrial Sea to Sky trail stretching from Squamish to D’Arcy, and the Trans-Canada Trail, which stretches from coast to coast. Gordon McKeever addressed council with information about the planned network of launching points and camp sites for sea-kayakers looking to explore the Sound.
McKeever says that this network achieves a major goal by Recreation Sites and Trails BC, which is to create a tourist destination in Howe Sound, and is also a fantastic way to celebrate the reviving ecosystem in Howe Sound.
“This is a very special time to do this,” McKeever told council. “Historically Howe Sound, especially in the mid and northern waters, has been very under utilized and underdeveloped for recreation. There were serious pollution problems that decimated the marine life and marine environment. Three of the most egregious sources of pollution: the Britania Mine, the Woodfibre pulp mill and the Nexxen chemical plant in Squamish, have all been remediated and the results have been profound.”
In a later interview with The Undercurrent, McKeever said that his role in this project grew out of his work with the Sea to Sky Trail. He became a project manager following the end of his term as a municpal councillor in Whistler, in 2008.
“Because of the geography of the land between the North Shore and Squamish, in addition to the highway and the railway, the only way we could think of to connect the Sea to Sky trail with the Trans Canada Trail was by making a route through the water,” says McKeever. “Other parts of the Trans Canada Trail make use of blue ways, but this will be the first salt-water blue way in that network.”
An avid sea-kayaker himself, McKeever said this project inspired him and his wife (whom he kayaks with) to spend more time exploring the waters of Howe Sound.
“Previously, we’d always take our trips to areas where the sea-kayaking infrastructure is more developed – like the Gulf Islands,” says McKeever. “But getting on the water has provided us with a whole new level of appreciaton for Howe Sound. The drive by, on highway 99 is one of the most beautiful drives in the world, but once you get down on the water it is truly immense. And it is not hard to find places that feel lightly touched by the hand of man.”
Since their explorations of the Sound began in 2011, McKeever, with the assistance of Recreation Sites and Trails BC and the BC Marine Trails network, have landed upon seven camping spots in the Sound – mostly in the middle.
McKeever says that over time, he hopes that this number will grow.
No plans for Bowen have been set yet with regards to the trail, but McKeever says there has been some discussion about putting a trail sign up on the Municipal Pier alongside the planned tourism kiosk.
