For Immediate Release
June 24, 2021

Students from Seycove Secondary have designed the North Shore Way to encourage members of the community to enjoy the outdoors and strengthen their connection with nature.

Modelled off the Camino de Santiago, or “The Way of St. James," the North Shore Way is a series of hikes on the North Shore of Vancouver.

Upon paying a small program registration fee, participants will receive a unique and level-specific stampable passport to track their progress. A brochure is available to explain the program and includes hiking safety tips, hiking etiquette, transit information and a map of the North Shore. A website has details and points of interest for each trail. 

The program uses more than 20 existing trails and is organized into two tiers, based on difficulty and accessibility.

Fern Frond trails are accessible for All Ages and Abilities (AAA). This level is designed for families with children up to the primary grades or those who are beginning to hike. The trails include many urban parks and some include roads. 

Maple Leaf trails are more difficult, but all are accessible by public transportation. The trails have uneven surfaces, steep portions and stairs. Families with older school-aged children or people with an active lifestyle will enjoy these trails. Hiking boots are recommended, especially if there has been recent rain in the area. 

Teacher Lorrie Welch, along with Teachers Bryan Hughes and Gord Muther, have worked alongside a team of students for the past year to create the North Shore Way. As Lorrie explained, “It is the students who have taken a lead role in bringing this project to life. They have done a tremendous amount of work to make this happen."

Tavie Johnson wrote the brochure that provides an overview of the program; Lily Neville designed the passports and stamps; Anders Bergman and Angelo Giustino created the North Shore Way website; and Nate Jefferson used his woodworking abilities to design and create some of the stamping stations.

“I became involved with the North Shore Way after my teacher, Dr. Lorrie Welch, asked if I would help create the project as a COVID-safe summer activity for our community," said student Tavie Johnson. “This experience has taught me how to create accessible, incentivizing, entry-level opportunities for community members to explore nature's abundant benefits to our health and well-being. I am excited to foster a culture of strong environmental connections on the North Shore, which I believe will inspire all individuals to play a role in protecting the planet from threats such as climate change and biodiversity loss."

The Seycove team would like to acknowledge the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Squamish Nation, as the program takes place on their traditional and unceded territories. The team would also like to thank the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver, North Vancouver Community Arts Council, and the Metro Vancouver Parks Board for their support toward this project.

The North Shore Way runs until September 6, 2021, and students hope to make this program available in future years. Passports (at a cost of $5 for adults, and $2 for youth and seniors) are available at the Seymour Art Gallery, CityScape Community ArtSpace and West Vancouver Art Museum. For more information about the North Shore Way, visit the North Shore Way website.

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Contact

Lisa Dalla Vecchia
Communications Manager
North Vancouver School District        
604 903 1254

NVSD44 Seycove North Shore Way Media Release