B.C. tourism groups partner with Google to map province's top hikes

Some of the B.C.'s most scenic hikes will soon be available for armchair explorers to check out on Google Street View. 

Dozens of hiking routes across the province will be captured by hikers equipped with Google Trekkers — an 18-kilogram backpack with about 15 cameras that capture 360-degree views. 

The project is the result of a partnership between Google, Destination B.C., and the Northern B.C. Tourism Association. 

"We're going to places where no car or motorbike can go," said Maya Lange, vice president of marketing with Destination B.C.

"You can literally trek along and see what the person who did the trek actually saw themselves." 

Lange says there are only two of the Trekkers in Canada, and this summer both of them will be in B.C.

Over the next 100 days of summer, they're expected to capture 1,500 kilometres of trails from up to 30 locations across the province.

One of the backpacks will cover northern B.C., including Haida Gwaii, and the other one will cover the rest of the province, including Mount Assiniboine, Garibaldi Park, and the Kettle Valley Trail. 

A variety of hikers will be donning the backpacks, Lange said, including people associated with the tourism associations, local influencers and journalists. The visuals will then be sent to Google for processing and uploading onto their site — a process that could take several months. 

In addition to the street-view maps, Destination B.C. will be creating other interactive features like interviews with local personalities, as well as links to nearby services and accommodations.

With files from Deborah Goble