According to this: http://www.pc.gc.ca/qrt/WCT-EN.pdf, the first orientation session is at 10:00 and lasts for an hour after which I assume hikers are ferried across Gordon River?

Can anyone tell me what time could I expect to actually start walking the trail?

I'd plan for noonish depending on when the ferry runs. This was one of the reasons we went down the day before and attended the 2:00 orientation so we could take the first ferry over in the morning. Don't underestimate the first day or two on the trail. It took us 12 hours to make it to Campers (12 km) yet only 3 hours to make it out from Michigan Creek (also 12 km)

Yowza sounds like a hard slog! Thanks for the info

If we were to do it again (and we will when the kids are older), it would be to hike into Thrashers for the first night and do the Owen's Point route to Campers (ensuring the tides are right to do it)

Our orientation was at 9:30 am, and the ferry across the Gordon River was 11:00 am. It's only a ten minute crossing or so, and the trail begins right there.

Yup, I did it this way and was hiking by around 11:30. Got to camper bay around 5pm.

WOW!! 5-hours to Campers, make us look bad

Didn't feel like I was rushing but I was solo. I didn't have to wait at the ladders and stuff. I was told to avoid Thrashers cove.

We are planning to go to the 2:00pm session the day before we start and just camp at the trailhead so we can jump on the very first ferry in the AM, which I believe is at 8:45/9:00ish? We want to be able to make it to Campers Creek rather than spend the first night at Thrasher Cove. We've been told not to attempt to make it that far on the first day if you don't get started first thing in the morning. Even with getting started as early as possible, I'm not sure whether we will do the full 12km that first day or just suck it up and stay at Thrashers. We don't want to end up hiking in the dusk and getting injured.

It sucks they don't have any earlier ferries! We had originally wanted to get going at like 7:00 AM... lame.