TrailsBC Solicits Fee For Link To Great Bike Trails Story

Earlier today, I received a reply to an email I sent that informed TrailsBC (The Trails Society of British Columbia, a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting hiking & cycling interests in the region) about my feature story on Great Bike Trails about South Vancouver Island. In my email, I asked them to consider placing a link on their site to my story. I was surprised by the Trails BC reply; here is what they wrote:

"Hello Larry -- Trails BC no longer does the exchange of website links. We are a volunteer organization that does offer some benefits (including posting your business on our website) to other volunteer groups and to associated businesses. Our yearly fee is $100 and we would be pleased to accept your membership.

Thank you for your interest...........Sue"

Sure, RideTHISbike.com sells folding bicycles but Great Bike Trails is a labor of my love for cycling. RideTHISbike.com promotes cycling as a lifestyle alternative to the world's unsustainable thirst for motor vehicles. Apparently to some, selling a great bike to fund my pro-bicycle quest detracts from the benefit of promoting cycling destinations.

Anyhow, in reply, I wrote the following back to TrailsBC:

Sue,

Thanks for your reply but I'm wondering if you looked at the article I wrote. This is no run of the mill link exchange.

The purpose of Great Bike Trails is to to identify and promote the best bike trails on earth.

I heartily believe that many vacationing cyclists are unaware of the beauty and charms of Vancouver Island. The Great Bike Trails profile on South Vancouver Island benefits TrailsBC by raising awareness of treasures like the Cowichan Valley Trail in general and the Kinsol Trestle specifically. I'd bet that few people outside of British Columbia even know that the world's longest and highest railroad trestle is on Vancouver Island...

No one paid me to feature Vancouver Island; I wrote my story as an independent, 3rd party evaluation. As such, I'll continue to offer my link to your website regardless what TrailsBC decides. All the same, at a time when millions are needed to renovate the Kinsol and other key links on the Trans Canada Trail, it seems odd that TrailsBC would solicit a fee for a link that so obviously benefits your organization.

Here is the link to my story:
http://ridethisbike.com/bicycle_trails/south_vancouver_island-british_columbia-canada.htm

I do hope you will reconsider.

Respectfully,
Larry Lagarde
RideTHISbike.com

If you've read this post and visited my story about cycling on South Vancouver Island, I'd like your opinion. Did I go to far or should I have gone further? If a for-profit site offers information that benefits a non-profit, should the for-profit site be charged a fee?

Hope y'all have a great day.

LL