A new coalition aiming to promote paddling across the province launched this month, thanks to the efforts of a Castlegar paddling enthusiast.

Andrea Ryman is a paddleboard instructor and the co-owner of Endless Adventure, a local rafting and kayak company. She is also the marketing director for Destination Castlegar.

鈥淚 love to paddle everything, from lakes and rivers to the ocean, and when I travel my paddleboard always goes with me,鈥� says Ryman.

鈥淗aving worked in tourism for the last 15 years, I noticed that fishing and biking have led the charge in B.C. for adventure tourism. With the wealth of waterways running though the province, creating Paddle BC seemed like the next step to highlight British Columbia鈥檚 adventure playground.鈥�

Paddle BC is a non-profit cooperative marketing initiative between paddling associations and cross-sector organizations.

Ryman says the organization has two primary goals.

The first is to promote British Columbia as a world-class paddling destination that offers some of the most varied and fun waterways on the planet.

The second is to endorse the safety of the sport with the help of local experts by guiding paddlers towards the people, businesses, and agencies that will ensure a paddling experience is memorable and safe.

Paddle BC has an engaging website filled with trip ideas, recommended waterways, and information geared toward specific paddling activities such as rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding, canoeing and kayak fishing.

The Kootenay Rockies section of the website includes highlights from the Castlegar, Golden and Fernie areas.

The initiative is supported by Destination British Columbia, BC River Outfitters Association, Tourism Kamloops, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Tourism Fernie, Fishing BC, Tourism Squamish, Indigenous Tourism BC, and Tourism Golden.

For more information about Paddle BC, visit contact Ryman at andrea@paddlebc.ca or call 250-608-1579.

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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
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