On Saturday June 28, 2008 we will be celebrating the official inauguration of the Îles de la Madeleine Water Trail, an unmarked navigable waterway designed specifically for small craft, especially kayaks. It is a network of launch sites, lodging services and tourist businesses.
Starting at 10 a.m., there will be lots of free activities for the whole family at the Marina Les Plaisanciers du Havre at the Historical Site on La Grave. Program includes : sea kayak trials, water safety workshop led by a representative from the Transport Canada Office of Boating Safety; a demonstration of kayak recovery techniques by a certified trainer from the Québec Canoe-Kayak Federation; a get-together of all kayakers in the harbour and an easy-going sea-kayak excursion to the Demoiselles! The official unveiling of the Water Trail Maps will be held on site around 1 p.m.
Prepared by the Centre intégré de développement touristique des Îles de la Madeleine (CIDTIM), in close collaboration with the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine ZIP Committee, the Water Trail Maps show 31 duly authorized launch sites. Used along with nautical charts, these maps provide all the pertinent information required to plan a safe excursion around the archipelago. The Maps, presented in both official languages, illustrate the suggested circuits and offer advice about local navigation conditions, distances between launching sites, special local conditions and services available to users.
This project is a part of the CIDTIM's 2008 action plan and fits neatly into the objectives of the overall tourism development policy of the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Based on the concept of responsible tourism, this mapped (but unmarked) trail is designed to:
This project was made possible through the partnership of Canada Economic Development, the Caisses populaires Desjardins des Îles, the Centre local de développement des Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the participation of members of the Regional Tourism Association. Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine is proud to announce the official opening of the Water Trail and invites all kayakers to discover - or rediscover ! - the archipelago's coastline which is, without a doubt, the greatest new adventure to be experienced in any of Québec's coastal regions.
For more information or to obtain the maps, just visit the tourist information office at 128, chemin Principal in Cap-aux-Meules or call 418-986-2245.
