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Nine Day Voyage Marks Launch Of Nova Scotia's First Coastal Water Trail

by Ronnie Scullion

July 1st, 2000 Lunenburg, N.S. -  Paddles ready? Stroke, stroke, ...! With a splash of champagne and the well-wishings of the gathering morning crowd, a colourful fleet of kayaks, canoes, a sailboat and a motoring vessel left Lunenburg's Front Harbour today on a nine day voyage to mark the inauguration of Nova Scotia's first water trail.

About fifty recreational boaters, supporters and spectators
assembled at dockside for the launch of the Nova Scotia Coastal Water Trail, in its initial incarnation - a coastal trail from Lunenburg to Halifax.

Water trails are intended to guide trail users through safe and scenic waterways. Managed trail use and development will minimalize the impact on the coastal environmental by recreational boaters, by anticipating trail use, identifying high traffic areas, then directing and educating users in safe and sustainable use of these waterways.

Spearheading the project and officiating at today's ceremony was
conservationist and avid kayaker, Sue Browne. A water trail, according to Browne, "can help manage the increasing demands on our coast". With the support of the Ecology Action Centre, Sue has coordinated the project since its inception in January 1999.

The trail project team has worked to collect and sort data on potential
launch sites, identify danger zones and ecologically sensitive areas, and locate waterfront services and attractions between Lunenburg and Halifax.

The launch marks the culmination of seventeen months of research, and
the ongoing rallying of community support and involvement in the project. Collected data has been compiled, sorted, and used to map out both public and private access sites for recreational boaters. Project members continue to actively promote ecological and sound use of our coastlines and raise awareness of our rich coastal resources, while informing the public on how to best maintain and conserve these areas. Ongoing
research is intended to further identify wilderness campsites on islands and in other remote spots accessible only by  boat, and in conjunction with naturalist groups, to study and promote conservation of coastal animal and plant species

Present at the morning launch were project members: Sheena Masson,
author of Paddle Lunenburg-Queens, Sally Hilton, and Caroline Cameron.

Masson has written and designed the Water Trail Guide Book, a sample of which will be included on the Water Trail website. Hilton, a recent graduate of of the Centre for Geographic Sciences, has been developing maps for the trail. Cameron has been instrumental in putting together the project's data base and conducting field research.

Also present at the ceremony were: Ted Scrutton, from the Nova Scotia
Department of Recreation, whose department has given both financial and resource support to the project; Peter Labor, from North American Water Trails (NAWT), who applauded the efforts of the project team, highlighting their important work in the areas of stewardship and organization of community volunteer efforts; Laurie Roberts, who gave an overview of coastal projects presently being undertaken by the Bluenose CATS, complimenting the work of the NSWT team; provincial MLA Michael Baker, who grew up in Lunenburg and is presently acting minister of the environment; and artist / painter Alberta Martin, who had a dockside display of her coastline vistas captured on canvas, with proceeds from sales being donated to the water trail project.

Following the presentations and refreshments the kayaks and canoes were packed, the sails made ready and last minute equipment checks made by the outgoing boaters. Led by Sue Browne they paddled out of the harbour to the cheers of the assembled crowd on this Canada Day inaugural trail voyage.

The nine day excursion will chart a course from Lunenburg to Halifax
with stops en route at Oak Island Inn in Western Shore, onto Blanford via Big Tancook Island, then passing through Indian Harbour. Boaters can opt for wilderness camping on islands along the way or choose to stay at the various B&B's or commercial campgrounds. From Dover,
the small fleet will continue onto Prospect, and then out to Sambro. From there a stop at Wreck's Cove is planned and following that an unofficial party awaits cruisers upon their arrival on McNab's Island. A closing reception is scheduled for July 9th, 3 to 4 p.m., at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. The public is invited to attend.



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