British Columbia Magazine

It is known as “the heart of the Fraser.” A 90-kilometre gravel reach between Hope and Mission, this stretch of the Fraser River is one of the richest aquatic systems on Earth. 

At least 30 different species of fish spawn in or migrate through this part of the lower Fraser. It supports millions of pink salmon in peak years, as well as resident populations of endangered sturgeon.

In a feature story called “Islands of the Fraser,” published the Fall 2000 issue of British Columbia Magazine, I wrote about this vital river and some of the threats to it. Productive as it is, the waterway is under extreme stress from urban growth, agriculture, resource extraction, and industrial development.

For 14 years, the Fraser has ranked high in the list of B.C.’s Most Endangered Rivers, released annually by the Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC). Now, in a new report prepared for the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council, ORC rivers chair Mark Angelo and fellow British Columbia Institute of Technology instructor Marvin Rosenau say it’s time for action.

Their report calls for proactive conservation measures such as the acquisition of key private properties, the conversion of Crown land to protected areas, improved law enforcement, and the repair of past ecological damage.

“Regardless of the negative issues outlined in this report, British Columbians should take the optimistic view that what remains of this rich ecosystem can be protected and somewhat restored,” the authors conclude. 

To learn more, visit www.heartofthefraser.bcit.ca

My condolences to orcas, Kermodes, and all other iconic B.C. critters benched in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games mascot competition. They were no match for the hockey-loving, tattooed sasquatch Quatchi, the enviro-sensitive animal spirit Sumi, and the snowboarding sea bear Miga, revealed to an appreciative crowd of schoolchildren in Surrey yesterday.   

The three mythical cartoon creatures, close cousins of Hello Kitty in appearance, are cute, colourful, and . . . they recycle. Visit www.vancouver2010.com/mascots to see how responsibly they sort their papers and plastics.

Though environmental responsibility may seem an unusual attribute in a mascot, promoters have been working hard to communicate the “green theme” of the 2010 Olympics. And as two-dimensional as Quatchi, Sumi, and Miga may be, their mandate is surprisingly complex.

“[T]hey needed to represent the people, geography, and spirit of British Columbia and Canada, and they had to personify the values and essence of the 2010 Winter Games,” said John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC), in his public statement. On the VANOC website, profiles of the mascots detail their connections to First Nations mythology, wilderness, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and the environment.

Perhaps VANOC has loaded a little too much onto their small cartoony shoulders? At least one media critic has suggested that the mascots require too much explanation. And disappointed members of the public have remarked that the anime-inspired characters are better suited to Japan than Canada.

But B.C. is a multifaceted place with complicated issues and a multiethnic population. With that in mind, perhaps Quatchi, Sumi, and Miga are the perfect choices.

We’d love to hear from you⎯what do you think of the Vancouver 2010 mascots? Post your comments here.

There is new hope for British Columbia’s diminishing population of mountain caribou.

The provincial government has announced a plan to expand protected areas for the endangered species by 3,800 square kilometres. Together with existing parks and reserves, that brings to 22,000 square kilometres the amount of their prime winter range that will be safeguarded from logging and road building.

Mountain caribou depend on old-growth forest. The protected areas stretch from the West Kootenay region of southeastern B.C. to the Mackenzie region in the northeastern part of the province.

The plan, announced by B.C. agriculture and lands minister Pat Bell, springs from a partnership of conservation groups, the forest industry, outdoor recreation groups, and First Nations. The province will fuel the deal with $3-million over three years.B.C.’s mountain caribou are the only remaining population in the world that live in rugged, mountainous terrain.

The goal is to restore B.C. numbers–now standing at 1,900–to their pre-1995 population of about 2,500. Strategies include forest preservation, management of caribou predators such as cougars and wolves, and control of human recreational activities, such as snowmobiling, in critical caribou habitat.

“The decline in mountain caribou did not happen overnight, and neither will recovery,” Bell said in a statement, adding that restoration of the herds would take several generations—but that all partners are committed to making it happen.

For the second year in a row, Vancouver has been named Canada’s leading gay travel destination in a major survey of gay and lesbian travellers.

Those surveyed ranked the West Coast city of 2.2 million fourth overall as a choice of international travel destinations, after London, Puerto Vallarta and Paris, and just ahead of Montreal and Toronto.The 12th annual survey, conducted by Community Marketing, Inc., included more than 7,500 gay and lesbian respondents, mostly from the U.S.

“Vancouver is a destination that gets it,” said Thomas Roth, president of Community Marketing, Inc. in a statement. “The city has been doing it right when it comes to being truly gay-friendly.”

Raise your hand if you remember Beverly Hills 90210. (You don’t have to admit you watched it.) The 1990s television series made a star of North Vancouver-born actor Jason Priestley (Brandon Walsh on the show).

Priestley was back in British Columbia this month to announce his investment in Black Hills Estate Winery, near Oliver in the south Okanagan Valley. The winery’s $40 Nota Bene red is the celebrity’s favourite Canadian vintage, apparently. His involvement with the boutique winery is sure to raise its profile, and draw wider attention to the increasing quality and popularity of B.C. wines.

We’ll be watching for a Black Hills “wine-0210″ label in the near future.

Vancouver’s beloved Stanley Park is in the news again this week.

One of the park’s largest and oldest trees finally succumbed to old age and toppled last Sunday. The western redcedar is believed to have been almost 1,000 years old. It stood some 40 metres tall and measured at least 13 metres around at its base before it fell.

The tree gained fame when in was pictured in National Geographic magazine in 1978.

Stanley Park maintenance supervisor Eric Meagher said that heavy rains combined with strong winds contributed to the tree’s demise, summing up the loss as simply “the cycle of life.”

Powerful winter storms in December 2006 took a great toll on Stanley Park’s forest, with some 10,000 trees ultimately coming down. The following spring, the British Columbia Magazine team created a special issue profiling the park, outlining proposed plans to restore the damaged forest, and celebrating this city park’s rare beauty, wildlife, history, attractions, and recreational opportunities.

Readers interested in purchasing a copy of our Stanley Park special issue will find information online at www.bcmag.ca/stanleypark

Dinosaurs—of the animatronic variety—may soon be roaming Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The Vancouver Parks Board is considering placing between 25 and 30 life-sized robotic dinosaurs in a new, family-oriented outdoor attraction.

The board recently put out a request for proposals, asking companies to propose models capable of withstanding the city’s notoriously wet climate. Perhaps dressing the Vancouver dinos in Gore-Tex is the way to go.

Other cities that have created their own “Jurassic Parks” have kept their prehistoric critters dry in various ways. The Toronto Zoo opted to house their robots indoors. The animatronic dinosaurs at the Oregon Zoo will be clad in foam and rubber and possibly treated with a protectant before they’re displayed in May 2008, says one Portland zoo employee.

The proposed Vancouver display, which would carry a separate admission charge, has set off alarm bells among those who are concerned that the new exhibit could turn Vancouver’s beloved green space into a garish theme park.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. We all know the value of the three Rs when it comes to protecting our environment.

This week, five B.C. municipalities were acknowledged for their outstanding efforts to reduce power consumption, as BC Hydro announced the winners of its four-month Turn It Off challenge this past summer. Of 66 local governments that participated in the competition, the District of Houston, City of Williams Lake, City of Pitt Meadows, City of Victoria, and Corporation of Delta did the most to cut back on their power usage and raise awareness of energy use in their communities.

Here are the overall standings. Congratulations to all for their efforts.

Group 1 (under 4,000 residents)

Winner: District of Houston Runners up: Village of Burns Lake, District of Hudson’s Hope

Group 2 (4,000 to 14,000 residents)Winner: City of Williams Lake Runners up: City of Dawson Creek, Town of Qualicum Beach

Group 3 (15, 000 to 50,000 residents)Winner: City of Pitt Meadows Runners Up: City of North Vancouver, City of Vernon

Group 4 (more than 51,000 residents) Winners: City of Victoria, Corporation of Delta Runners up: Comox Strathcona Regional District, City of New Westminster

For more information, visit the BC Hydro website (www.bchydro.com/turnitoff/).