Dozens of people from Vancouver Island are taking to the water to celebrate the Salish Sea and raise awareness of the importance of protecting the ocean from environmental disaster.
Eighty participants took off in their paddle boats, canoes and kayaks Friday morning for the annual Turning The Tide event.
They’ll spend five days on the water, travelling 70 kilometres from Pender to Mayne and Salt Spring Island.
Organizers say what started off as a protest of pipelines and industrial development in the water has shifted into a celebration of the Salish Sea.
“Going out and having an experience on the ocean, not a lot of people really get to appreciate,” organizer Emily Rogers said. “Five days on the water, you really get a sense of the diversity and sanctity of the ocean and how important it is to our day-to-day life as people who live on what's known as Vancouver Island.”
The event is in hot demand. Organizers say registration filled up more than two weeks ago.
One of the participants says it’s an event she looks forward to every year. Linda Doctoroff noted it’s a way to draw awareness to something that’s very dear to her heart.
“We have increased development on the waters, pipeline development, oil tanker traffic,” Doctoroff told CTV News. “I want to do everything that I can to make sure that my granddaughter will grow up in an environment on the coastal waters in as healthy of an environment as possible.”
Turning the Tide will also include musical performances, educational workshops and outdoor activities for paddlers and islanders.
