The Galloping Goose trail is a 55 km active transportation trail that is principally a highly forested bike trail along the south coast of Vancouver Island. I’d like to see it have a double duty as a community curated gallery space for cultural expression and acknowledgement, experimentation and innovation in environmental art practices and placemaking.

 

Right now there is very little information along the route, what there is (brief information signs on some of the animals in the area and/or designations of electoral district), or no-go private property signs.  As the route is one of the finest bike routes on the Island, as it mostly in forested and within sight and access to the ocean and to lakes along the route — it is an eco wonder. Is there a way to bring cultural expression here? What would that mean? Is there a way to make this transportation corridor more than that? To bring in more profoundly a cultural component that would speak of the relationship between the environment, human history in the area and appreciation of the unique and wonderous value of the environment here — from the flora, the fauna, and the quite incredible environment and its long cultural and geological history .

 

The Capital Region District is the governing body responsible for the Galloping Goose but there are also a number of communities along the route that are also cultural and historical stakeholders. From the Sc’ianew (Chenuh) First Nations main community on Beecher Bay in East Sooke and the T’Sou-ke First Nations (around the Sooke Basin)- plus other FN groups along the route... Towns and art organizations, cycling organizations, the CRD itself, etc. Is it possible to bring these groups together to at the least start to build a relationship and a vision for the Goose as a cultural corridor?  What are your thoughts?