Bike Sense
Bike Sense: the podcast of The BC Cycling Coalition.
Join Host Peter Ladner as he interviews guests to talk about all things related to cycling advocacy, education, and road safety in BC. Listen to stories that can influence changes that make active transportation and mobility safer, more equitable, and more accessible, so we can meet our climate, health, social justice, tourism and economic development goals.
Please visit our website at bccycling.ca to find out more about what the BC Cycling Coalition is doing and how you can join and support us.
Bike Sense
BC's Future as a Global Cycle Tourism Destination
Imagine riding along dedicated trails through ancient forests and pristine valleys, stopping at local cafes and wineries along the way. This vision of cycle tourism isn't just a cyclist's dream – it's a billion-dollar economic opportunity, as Let's Go Biking author Colleen MacDonald reveals in our captivating conversation.
Colleen brings unparalleled expertise to the discussion, having completed 150 cycling trips across 44 countries and authored three definitive guidebooks on cycling in British Columbia. Her philosophy is refreshingly practical: build cycling infrastructure for locals first, then connect communities, and finally invite the world to experience what BC has to offer.
Whether you're a cycling enthusiast planning your next adventure, a community planner interested in sustainable tourism, or simply someone who appreciates BC's natural beauty, this episode offers a compelling vision of how cycle tourism could transform our province while preserving what makes it special.
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To read more about Colleen's adventures, order her books, or connect with her about Cycle Tourism, visit www.letsgobiking.net
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The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia.
Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca.
Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca.
Welcome to Bike Sense, the BC Cycling Coalition's podcast, where we talk about all things related to active transportation advocacy in BC. I'm your host, peter Ladner, chair of the Board of the BC Cycling Coalition. I hope you enjoy the show of the BC Cycling Coalition. I hope you enjoy the show. Colleen MacDonald is one of the most active grandmothers I know. She's written three books on cycle touring. She's got a new one in the works, she's taken 150 cycling trips in 44 countries and I'm very happy to say she's recently joined the BC Cycling Coalition as a board member. And I'm very happy to say she's recently joined the BC Cycling Coalition as a board member so she can work on cycle tourism and that is something we're going to talk about what it is, why we like it, what it takes to make it happen and what are the next steps in BC to realize its full potential. Welcome, colleen. Hi, thank you Great to be here.
Speaker 2:First question tell me the last bike trip you took. Well, we were in Spain and Portugal. We actually did two trips back to back and discovered the Costa Brava, and then we did Porto to Lisbon. So that was very fun to explore over there. Do you ride an e-bike or a regular bike. Both my husband and I are in our 70s now, and e-bikes came along at just the right time for us.
Speaker 1:So you're an e-bike rider? Yes, so these rides that you're enamored of and writing about and describing these, are suitable for people who are not super serious, you know, trained up Fondo type riders, but just regular people who can ride e-bikes or whatever kind of bike.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and all the rides I like to do are smell the roses kinds of rides. So something fun and easy.
Speaker 1:So, other than giving you an opportunity to smell the roses, why do we want cycle tourism? What's the big deal? Why are you so interested in it?
Speaker 2:Well, I love cycle touring around the world. I'd like to do more in BC and actually we have a lot here, but it is fun to go to other countries because their networks are so organized and it's easy to travel around. It's fun to go to restaurants and things like that.
Speaker 1:What are the lessons when you go to other countries and you go to some of these places? What are you thinking about? Oh, we should be doing this in BC, we should. We should do X, we should do Y. What are some of the things that you think about that we could do relatively easily?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's just amazing what we could do here in BC and we're already doing quite a bit. But you know I get tired of taking plane rides places and I just like to go right out the front door or in my neighborhood or take a ferry and explore our own world. Here we have so much to offer for locals and tourists.
Speaker 1:Where do you live, Colleen I?
Speaker 2:live in the Lower Mainland near Port Moody.
Speaker 1:And do you have a favorite route out your back door that you like? Well?
Speaker 2:we love the Poco Trail. It's an amazing route and I can go right from my house around the Poco Trail and connect all kinds of places. There's so many great things, places to explore in the lower mainland.
Speaker 1:Tell us about some of your favorite rides around BC, because I know you've written books about just about rides in BC. Tell us about some of them and make me want to go on it.
Speaker 2:Oh, there are so many favorite rides. I just love the Okanagan, especially what they're up to. They're connecting all their routes. The island is an amazing place to ride, Even just locally here in the Lower Mainland it's fabulous. And of course, Whistler is just one of my favorite places. So we have a lot to offer.
Speaker 1:Now it seems that one of the secrets of successful cycle touring routes is a circular route that people can do. Can you describe circular routes we already have in BC and some that we could have, should have circular?
Speaker 2:routes we already have in BC and some that we could have should have. Well, one of the most popular circular routes is on the South Island. Goes from Victoria up to Cowichan and then over to the Gulf Islands, so that's a very popular route. We have other larger circular routes that are popular, mostly with road bikers because the infrastructure is not there for the kind of riding that I like. But yeah, loops are good but linear is fun too. Like the Okanagan Rail Trail is one of my favorites. It goes from Kelowna to Vernon but the Okanagan is getting very, very connected all the way along.
Speaker 1:What does it take to connect these routes, because I know, and I'm thinking about routes that are not just for people who are willing to brave the highways. But you mentioned the Cowichan to Gulf Islands route and I know that there's a section on Salt Spring Island that's not protected and maybe the last section of that route that isn't. Have you talked to those people in Salt Spring Island or figured out what it would take to make it all protected or somehow more attractive to regular, safety conscious cyclists?
Speaker 2:Definitely. I'm really in contact with Salt Spring Island and they're very excited to know that the CRD is planning a route across Salt Spring. It's going to be a two-phase route. It's going to be a two-phase route. It's going to be one part done in one year and the next part done in the next year and that will really close the gap on the Three Ferries route, which is a really popular route on the island. Most people who live on the island do that route at least once or twice a year. Now the big complaint is the dangerous riding across Salt Spring Island. But with the CRD planning to put in safe, separated cycling across there, it's going to be one of the key routes in BC that would be a circular route.
Speaker 1:Say that near big centres of population that you can point to, that. Say, if we could just get to work on this, we could really have a showcase example.
Speaker 2:Well, the Sunshine Coast is working on the Connect the Coast. They have done their preliminary studies. They know it's doable. They're working on getting funding for their completed plan and their vision is to connect the Sunshine Coast from the Langdale Ferry to the Egmont Ferry, which will be a huge, huge boost to cycle tourism for the links that we have on the South Island. A lot of people like to do that route now, but they're mostly road cyclists who are really confident riding with big trucks and cars not something that I could ever do. When the Connect the Coast safe, separated cycling route is created, it will attract a lot more visitors visitors like me who like slow biking but it will also connect the local communities. So again, we start with the locals and then we move on to connecting the communities. It's going to be a fabulous, fabulous project. Now they just need a little bit of funding. Like a lot of funding.
Speaker 1:They actually need a lot of funding. There are no shoulders on that route and you'd have to cut into cliffs and stuff. But what about the rail line from Squamish North to Prince George that has recently been abandoned? There's the routes already there. Oh, my goodness what does it take to turn that into a cycle?
Speaker 2:How many years have I driven up and seen that empty train track? It hasn't been used for a couple of years. And I just think, if we had the rail trail as a rail trail, as an active transportation corridor, well, I think more than that. I think it would provide egress, like they have done in the Miller Creek Trail in Whistler. That is emergency egress, and this Sea to Sky Trail could be emergency egress and also active transportation. I think, oh my goodness, it would be a dream come true if that happened.
Speaker 1:That's an interesting angle to think of these as escape routes. In the case of a forest fire, for example, which would be a very big problem at Whistler and I know some people who've already envisioned themselves escaping on their e-bikes. They've got extra batteries and a go bag ready and imagine a lot of people streaming down that railroad track and another way to pitch it to justify funding as well.
Speaker 2:Well, I think it's a natural fit, and you know, but some people want to get the rail service up and running, and if that's a possibility, that would be nice too.
Speaker 1:But if that is not a possibility, then I would be. Oh, I couldn't wait to ride that trail. Well, that'll be an ongoing debate, because that debate is going on in the Vancouver Island as well. And do we give up on the trains, or do we try to accommodate trains and cycles, or just make it cycling?
Speaker 2:Well back to the island. The E&N Rail Trail is just a natural spine for connecting communities up and down the island and will also be an amazing cycle tourism draw, I know, and also someplace in eastern US which you see as somewhat comparable to BC where tell us in New Zealand what they've done and what the impact has been on their economy?
Speaker 2:Well, new Zealand. We went on a bike ride about a year and a half to New Zealand and we were absolutely delighted with what we found. The cycling network there is absolutely off the charts and a real role model for us in BC. Now, in 2002, they started with one rail trail in Otago by 2009,. They were looking for some diversification away from the mining industry, and so the government seeded a $50 million fund to grow cycle tourism, cycling and hiking tourism in New Zealand.
Speaker 2:Well now, fast forward to now, they have over 2,800 kilometers of rides and their economy their cycle tourism economy is worth $1 billion annually. So for them that's a 1 to 20 return on investment. But beyond all the numbers, as a rider, the trails are fun, they're accessible for all skill levels. They've solved gaps creatively with shuttles, ferries, suspension bridge, even a jet boat through part of the Roxborough Gorge. We just couldn't believe what they have done and are doing in New Zealand, and we're so excited about it. We're actually going to go back next year and see some of the new connections that they have built. So we're pretty excited about the role model that New Zealand offers for BC.
Speaker 1:Well, the fact that you want to go back there is a pretty strong indicator that these are tourism attractors. But you've also made the point that they work best for tourists when they work for the locals. Can you just describe why that makes sense?
Speaker 2:Well, I feel that you build first for the locals. You can go right out your door and connect to local trails, either leisurely trails or like transportation, active transportation links. I feel you should go right from your door and then, when we have people who can go right from our own door, then we can invite others to come and visit our communities. And then you start connecting communities and pretty soon you have a cycle tourism network.
Speaker 1:You start connecting communities and pretty soon you have a cycle tourism network. Now I expect that New Zealand has a pretty active and sophisticated marketing system. If they've got that kind of money flowing into the country, what do they do to coordinate promotion of all these routes?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's absolutely fabulous their marketing and their infrastructure. You can go and find any trail that you want to explore. You can find service providers from that website. They make it fun. All the trails have great names that make it really enticing. The West Coast Wilderness Trail and their marketing is just world class. But we're doing similar kinds of marketing in BC. We just have to get a little bit more coordinated and really promote what we actually have.
Speaker 1:I think Colleen, what role do fondos and organized events, bike festivals, if there are any play in all of this? Because I would think, for example, there's a fondo in Kimberley around the time of our conference and I imagine there will be hundreds of people coming there, many of them from out of town, because somebody's organized something for them. Is that important? Is that useful?
Speaker 2:Well, I think the events are hugely important. The events and the bike parks bring a lot of cycle tourists to BC. I don't personally go in the Grand Fondo, but a lot of people do and they're coming to BC. They're saying, okay, I'm going to do the Fondo, but what else is here for cycling? And you know, we had Crankworx in Whistler recently that brings people from all over the world. There's the BC Bike Race, even the slow food rides that we see in communities. These all showcase our neighborhoods and they showcase BC around the world. So this is an important part of our cycle tourism.
Speaker 1:I love those slow food rides. I did one by Pemberton one time and one around Chilliwack and you get to stop and eat and just watch cows getting milked and find out about cheeses and beer and potato vodka and all this kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Slow food rides are fabulous. That's my favorite kind of riding kind of writing.
Speaker 1:Well, in some ways you're a one-person marketing machine because you have written three books about. Your three books are all about BC. Did I get that right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Vancouver first, Okanagan next and then, just in the last two years, I wrote Vancouver Island. So I'll tell you something about my books. I wrote the book I wanted to buy.
Speaker 1:Ah, so domestic market first, and then the outsiders will come and read it.
Speaker 2:I wanted to know where I could go writing. So I found out where I could go writing and then I figured if I needed a book to find, or a map and a route and a book, then other people might too. And so I do my book writing and my blog as my volunteer work. It's not for profit. Any money that is made from book sales I put back into cycling advocacy with donations to BC Cycling Coalition Hub, cycling and Trails BC and other local groups. So I really believe that you know, it's just a way of sharing the great things that we have here in the cycle world.
Speaker 1:So if we wanted to promote cycle tourism, why don't we just tell people to go buy your books and go to your website? They're called let's Go Biking. And are we done? Is that it? What more do we need to do?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no. There's so much more we could do. Since I've written the Vancouver book, there's been so much infrastructure that's put in place that I am actually working on a rewrite of that. It takes a couple of years to write a book, but I'm working on a rewrite to show the connections that we have. I'll just give an example. Out in Langley, I had a standalone ride here, a standalone ride there, and now Langley has built so many connecting routes and trails that I'm going to be able to link them all together. So I'm excited about the progress that we've made that I see personally in the last 10 years all over BC.
Speaker 1:Well, I like that your books go out of date, Colleen, because it means we're making progress. Someone told me that Chilliwack is now laced with all sorts of impressive bike trails. Have you been there?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, the Vedder Trail loop in Chilliwack is one of my favorite rides. They have many other connecting the Canyon to Coast Trail, which is one of the BC routes that we're all working on here in BC, has a great first section right there out of Chilliwack. So yeah, I love the Chilliwack area and Hope and Harrison and Agassiz and Abbotsford Just get me excited on the great things that we're doing here in the Fraser Valley.
Speaker 1:And why can you tell us about how First Nations are involved in these projects?
Speaker 2:Well, I am really excited about the First Nations aspect of trails. I'll give an example in Tofino, from Tofino to Euclid, the First Nations there was given funding to create the Upscheek-Tashee Trail which connects Tofino to Euclid and honestly I think it is one of the best trails in the world. The construction, the planning is just outstanding. It's fun. It's like riding a whoop-dee-doo ride. If you haven't gone to Tofino, you better go, because it is an amazing experience.
Speaker 1:I've wanted to do that. We did a podcast with Josie Osborne, who's the former mayor of Tofino, about that route and I haven't been on it but I'd sure like to have you done any. Tell us what you know about the Great Blue Heron Way.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm so excited about the Great Blue Heron Way. This is Elder Ruth Adams from the Tawasin First Nations and she's working together with Trails BC and First Nations, and she's working together with Trails BC and a route has been planned and now they're looking for funding to connect sections of the route. It's mostly on greenways throughout BC and she's worked extensively with the team from Trails BC. Leon LeBrun is one of the key people who have created the route for the Great Blue Heron Way and now we're just looking for some support from the government, some encouragement, some funding to get this underway. This will be a fabulous draw for people locally and from around the world and the stories that they're telling along the way. That's the key thing. Her vision was to connect First Nations back together the ones that have been severed by highways and trains and things like this and to provide a link for First Nations people, but other people too, to tell the stories of the Stolo, the Salish Sea and the islands. I'm so excited about the Great Blue Heron Way.
Speaker 1:How close is it to completion?
Speaker 2:Oh, no, no, Not close to completion. They're at the mapping stage and the identifying stage. Now we need some signage, we need some encouragement, some connections on something Like the biggest drawback there is the Delta Port how they have severed the crossing from the Tuasen over to the. It used to be called Brunswick Point, it's called Canoe Pass, now named Ladner. You know there's things like that, that you know a pedestrian bridge or a tunnel there could quickly solve that problem and allow the connection of the trails.
Speaker 1:Colleen, does your book just deal with trails for road bikers? Where do mountain bikers fit into this? Because I know there are a lot of somewhat more rugged or demanding trails that will take you ever more places, and I know the mountain bike situation seen in BC is so alive. Do you tell people about or do you see those as tourism potential?
Speaker 2:Well, for me personally, most of the mountain bike trails that are in bike parks and things like that are too difficult, so that wouldn't be my first choice of riding. But it does have a very large draw and a large cycle tourism draw. Mostly the kind of routes I find are easy, like Whistler Valley Trail, around Stanley Park kind of thing, the Okanagan Rail Trail. I mostly look for the kinds of rides that I can do and there's a large market of I call them slow riders, slow bikers.
Speaker 1:Is there a municipality or region that you think really gets it in BC and is showing the way for others to follow?
Speaker 2:Oh man, there are so many. The Galloping Goose and the Lockside has been an amazing accomplishment. And that one for people who don't know it goes from From Schwartz Bay Ferry to Victoria and then out to Souk, the Galloping Goose. Galloping Goose was one of our first cycle tourism kinds of routes and what I'm talking about there is the highest searched route on my blog.
Speaker 1:Wow, so you are the data source on this. I was just going to say do we have data on how many people, how many tourists let's talk about tourists how many tourists come and what they add to the local economy?
Speaker 2:Well, I don't actually have the data on that.
Speaker 1:Well, your searches. Wouldn't that be like some kind of data point?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, I'm just searching for rides that I would like to ride. Now I'll tell you a little bit about my process on that. I can't know where all the rides are in the Okanagan or on the island, because I'm not there very often. So what I did when I was writing the books was connect with the local groups. Ribbons of Green in Vernon has an amazing resource and I connected with Ingrid Newman from Ribbons of Green and together we put Vernon on the map in terms of routes, and they've done a lot since the book was written and Ribbons of Green has all the routes that they need. Over on the island, in Comox, I met with the group of riders over there. We did a lot of Zoom calls. They would tell me their little secret routes and where they like to ride and together with all these groups all over BC, I found where the locals like to ride. So it started for me from the local base and then we invite our neighbors and then maybe from there we invite the world, who knows?
Speaker 1:So, from a provincial point of view, other other than you, who seem to be pulling a lot of these people together, who else, if anybody is, is trying to coordinate all this? And maybe you can say something about what you're planning to do at the our conference in kimberly in september 10th to 12th, which will be happening after? Some people will be listening to this, so I'm not just using this as a promo for the conference, but what needs to be done to get beyond your personal efforts to link people together and show these roots to the world.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I will tell you, most of the grassroots level, or the wheels on the ground level, want cycle tourism here in our province because, like I say, we just want to go out the door, we want to be close, we want to just be able to explore our communities, we want to go and visit other communities and connect with them and then after that, as I said, we would invite the world. But what we need, the people in the communities know what needs to be done, they know what they need to enhance the gaps they need to improve and they're ready to go. They have their answers, but they need some help with the funding. And this is where I believe the government needs to step in, like the New Zealand government did, and create a board that actually works to work with the local groups to create a cycling network in BC.
Speaker 1:Who do you see being on that board? Was it the Ministry of Tourism? The Ministry of Transportation and Transit? I don't know, somebody from the UBCM.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, all of those people need to be there. We met on Salt Spring Island with Lana Popham At the time she was the Minister of Tourism and Sport and she was so encouraging and so enthusiastic and said that you know they were going to be doing some cycling routes, or at least signing some cycling routes in time for FIFA. But we haven't seen solid evidence of that yet. So we're about a year out. So maybe some miracle will happen and those routes will be at least signed and created. But you know, we just really need to work together, pull together and make this happen, and I really feel the time is right. I feel that we have the market for it, we have the desire for it, we have the need for it for active transportation, and I think we can do it.
Speaker 1:Can you just say what impact you think the upsurge in e-bike use and ownership has on all of this?
Speaker 2:Absolutely humongous. It's been a game changer, for for myself. I've been riding an e-bike for about 10 years, and not so much from a physical need but for more of an exploring need. I can go farther, I can go places that I wouldn't be able to go on just a regular bike, but it really opens up doors. So, for example, there are routes that I might have put in my vancouver book initially, but they were too hilly. Well, now they're going in the next book for sure, because now they're great e-bike routes and I have seen so many people over the years who have rediscovered the fun of cycle tourism or cycling even in their neighborhood. With the advancement of e-bikes they're just really opening up possibilities.
Speaker 1:Tell me if you know about any chambers of commerce or tourism businesses that are active on this, because I see cycle tourism as getting beyond your usual cyclist constituency into an economic development zone that I would think would be of some great interest to chambers of commerce destination promoting organizations. Do you see them stepping up?
Speaker 2:It's been my experience that most chambers of commerce and tourism really are in favor of cycle tourism, really are in favor of cycle tourism. My sense is they don't have the money either and they're busy supporting so many other aspects of the tourism industry. But I feel that cycle tourists just add so much to the travel in a community. For one thing, they're out of their cars it's a slower pace. You're stopping by more stores and restaurants and coffee shops, wineries, this kind of thing. They're out of their cars, it's a slower pace. You're stopping by more stores and restaurants and coffee shops, wineries, this kind of thing. When you're out and you're on the ground. And even businesses in Vancouver have found, when a cycle path goes in front of their businesses, like the ones along Union Street, that their business has increased. So my sense of it is without actual numbers to back that up is that, yeah, absolutely, communities want a cycle tourist. A cycle tourist is a low-impact, high-economic-benefit type of tourist.
Speaker 1:Are there any provinces in Canada that are setting an example, Because I know so often if somebody in a policy or financial decision-making position can see it working somewhere, maybe even visit there and see the impact? We've talked about New Zealand, but something closer to home that we could sort of find is comparable.
Speaker 2:Well, quebec started about 15 years ago doing exactly what New Zealand has done over the last few years, and their routes now are connected routes over 5,000 kilometers all throughout the province and it's spilling into the bordering area along Ontario. Ontario now has what's called the Waterfront Trail which goes on many sections of the Great Lakes, and they're also using the same kind of funding government funding, government support, government marketing. That the Route Vert is doing so it makes for easy visiting. That the route Baird is doing so it makes for easy visiting, easy access, easy travel. And this is why I'm saying I really feel the BC government has a huge opportunity here to enhance cycle tourism and, let's say, active transportation tourism. So it's just one more component to make to show BC off. Bc is so amazing. Let's just show it off in different ways.
Speaker 1:You've identified in some cases, businesses that grow up to or have grown up to service this not just hotels or cafes, but actually people who take guided tours or rent bikes and can you talk a little bit about that whole aspect? Because that would both create jobs and investment, but it would also make it easier for tourists. They don't have to bring a bike or perhaps research the routes, they just go to some tour guide or store somewhere and off they go, it's all figured out for them.
Speaker 2:We'll have a great example of that.
Speaker 2:Paul Taplin from Ireland saw BC as just a great place to show off and he married a woman from Victoria so they moved together here and he had the vision to take people on tours.
Speaker 2:So he started off just picking people up at their hotel in Vancouver, taking them over to Lynn Canyon for a hike, telling them about the trees and the wildlife and everything over there.
Speaker 2:Then he'd take them in his shuttle van out to Pit Meadows and take them for a cycle tour around Pit Meadows, have lunch out at one of the local restaurants and make a real day of it, showing people an aspect of Vancouver that was different than Gastown or Granville Island or Stanley Park around the park kind of loop. And so he started about 10 years ago and now he's grown that business. He takes people from all over the world on cycle trips to Vancouver Island, the Okanagan and the Kootenays, but more than that trips to Vancouver Island, the Okanagan and the Kootenays, but more than that he's fun and he actually has become quite a good friend of ours and we went with him on a cycle tour back to his native Ireland and his mom and dad helped drive the shuttle van and we had a group of about 15 of our friends along and we just had the most fun. Anyways, that's an example of someone who saw the opportunity here in BC and has grown into a fantastic business and he offers guided and self-guided tours and it's really fun.
Speaker 1:You have mentioned that signage is important and I'm thinking about quick wins. I mean, it would be great to spend the $600,000 per kilometer which I understand it would take to take the E&N rail into a fully functional cycle route. But are there some quick wins with just better signage where the routes are there but people just don't know about them?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and I feel that maps and signage are our first thing. We do Map signage and also putting a technology on an app, just letting people know where they can go. There was a little yellow sticker with a little black arrow and that was enough for us to know we were on the right track. We weren't deviating from where we should be. So signage can be simple or signage could be more complex. Now, when we look at the canyon to coast route, that starts out well. It continues throughout the Lower Mainland. You can see sections throughout the Lower Mainland, but the start section out in Chilliwack has great signage, a real nice logo, and it's really clear when you're riding the route that you're on the route. So I think signage is one of the first things we could do to make more routes accessible. I just want to say something about that too.
Speaker 2:In New Zealand, they have a great route called the Alp to Ocean, so they start at Mount Cook and they go right down to the ocean. It's quite a few days. You can ride this route or you can do it in pieces if you like, but they have signage all the way. Now, this is not a designated, ready-to-go mop cycling trail. This is a route, and so what we're talking about here in creating cycling tourism in BC is not so much the actual infrastructure like the Okanagan Rail Trail, but signing a route, but making sure along the route that there are nice shoulders and things like that. So we could get started with signed routes, I would think next year.
Speaker 1:Colleen, you've done a great service to this province and to this cause. Well, you've done a great service to this province and to this cause and I just have to commend you for that and encourage you to keep going, and I really would love to see you. Your new book is about cycling around the world, is that right? Yeah so then I would want to go to Albania or something.
Speaker 2:We've been to Albania I bet you have. Yeah, so there are so many places to ride around the world, but you know we've got it here too and, uh, I just love making maps. I'm pretty excited to get going on the cycle tourism bigger maps to encourage people to connect our communities and, uh, and find their way around bc would you be open to people contacting you directly who want to follow up on this?
Speaker 1:get more involved, do something in their area.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, I get so many emails from people all over the world. In fact, I had someone from down in the southern states, carolina I think, this morning, say I'm coming to the island, would you help me decide where to go? I said, oh, absolutely, that sounds like fun. So, yeah, I am really keen. I hear from people all over and I'm always glad to know that they have found a fun place to ride, walk or roll?
Speaker 1:Is there a role for a more institutionalized response to those emails, like a government website or a I don't know Velo BC website or something where people could go and find out all this stuff?
Speaker 2:Well, I think we're going to do that on the BC Cycling Coalition website, aren't we?
Speaker 1:Okay, let's do it. Anything else you want to add or tell us about?
Speaker 2:Well, I'll just summarize by saying I truly believe cycle tourism in BC is doable, it's practical and it pays off. And I hope the government is listening because I think they could have a nice profit segment if they paid attention to the cycle tourism which they are doing with active transportation. But we could always do a little bit more and then, once that's in place, we're going to have to share our story and then more people will come to our neighborhoods and more people will come from international places. And when people explore around and visit communities, businesses grow, communities thrive and BC will become an even better global cycling destination.
Speaker 1:Thanks, colleen. You've been listening to Bike Sense, an original podcast from the BC Cycling Coalition. If you like the podcast, we'd be grateful if you could leave us a rating. On whatever platform you use, you can also subscribe, so you don't miss future episodes. If you have comments or suggestions for future episodes, email me at peterladner at bccyclingca. Cyclingca. You can help us amplify BC cycling coalition's voice by simply becoming a free member at bccyclingca. Thank you.