The Otesha Project has announced the routes for the 2008 Otesha Cycling and Performing Tours (Check out: www.otesha.ca/bike+tours/index.en.html). Applications are now being accepted for seven regional tours throughout Canada that will take more than 120 inspiring young change-makers on the journey of a lifetime. You could be one of them!

Tour members will share an incredible experience as they live as a mobile and sustainable community for two months. They will cycle from performance to performance, braving the elements, connecting with communities along the route, and exploring all the ups and downs of directly addressing environmental and social injustices through their own every day actions.

Tours will start in May, July, and September, departing from Ottawa, Vancouver, and Halifax. These are the tour routes:

Algonquin Tour May 1 to June 25

Spin from Ottawa through Algonquin Provincial Park, follow the sunny shores of Georgian Bay along the Bruce Peninsula, over to the sandy beaches of Manitoulin Island and onward to Sudbury. Car-free.

Great Lakes Tour May 1 to June 25

The Great Lakes are calling! Cycle the rocky shores of three of North America’s largest fresh water lakes – Huron, Erie and Ontario. Venture from Ottawa through rugged terrain and bustling towns. Destination: Niagara Falls! Car-free.

Northern Appalachian Tour May 1 to June 25

Cycle from Ottawa through the Eastern Townships, across the border and through the ancient Mountains of Vermont and Maine. Destination: New Brunswick and the red sand shores of the Bay of Fundy. NB: A passport is required, as the team will be traveling through the USA.

Sunshine Coast Tour July 2 to August 26

Tackle Vancouver Island from tip to tip. Starting in Vancouver, cycle up the Inside Passage, across to the Island, north to Port Hardy and then south again to funky Victoria. Car-free.

Kootenay Mountain Tour July 2 to August 26

From Vancouver to Calgary, start at the ocean edge, spin through coastal forests, on to the sunny Okanagan, and up and down the silver peaks of southern British Columbia.

Rising Tide Tour Sept. 2 to Oct. 27

Feel your spirits rise with the highest tides in the world. Starting in Halifax, cycle along the Atlantic Ocean around southern Nova Scotia and the red sand shores of the Bay of Fundy.

Across the Rock Tour Sept. 2 to Oct. 27

Starting in Halifax, north to Cape Breton, ferry over to Newfoundland and across the Rock to North America’s most easterly point. Lots of hills (and possibly snow)!

Apply now! More information available at www.otesha.ca.

Spread the word! Spread the hope!

Peace and bicycle grease, The Otesha Project