HIKING NEWS ITEM

Ottawa to Partly Fund West Coast Trail Repair

TUESDAY, 23 JANUARY 2007

The federal government of Ottawa will be paying a part of the expenses for the clean-up of the West Coast Trail, which has been damaged by a series of storms recently. Environment Minister John Baird has announced last Friday that Ottawa will be shouldering part of the expenses.

The West Coast Trail starts from Bamfield to Port Renfrew, measuring 77 kilometers. The trail is a part of the Pacific Rim National Park and is considered as one of the top hiking trails in North America. About 5,000 hikers around the world have trekked it last year.

Baird also said that a cost assessment must be done and that professional foresters will be consulted regarding the trail repair. Park Crews have already assessed a 12-km stretch of the trail and found almost 600 trees that have fallen.

Read more about this news story at www.cbc.ca.