This morning we headed out to Blue Heron Center where the Vedder River clean up was just getting started. People from grandparents to young children were getting out-fitted with rubber gloves and garbage bags to clean up the river once again. They do this every few months and have removed tons! One of the remarkable things about wild salmon is that people all over BC work for them for free, because they love them.
Politicians really should take note.
Diane Janzen running for the Liberal Party (Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon) was there. I asked her if she would stand for wild salmon and remove the salmon farms from BC waters if she got elected. She seemed positive, but said she would have to get back to me.
Next we went to another site on the river and met Gwen O’Mahony running for the NDP. Gwen feels wild salmon are important to the economy, communities and ecology. She supports Fin Donnelly’s private member bill to move salmon farms into closed tanks.
Next we went to Mark Strahl’s office (Conservative Candidate). Mark has stirred controversy as his father, Chuck Strahl was the sitting MP and many feel Mark was handed the candidacy without allowing others opportunity. We were told Mark was “not available.” We asked if he supported salmon farms. We were told Mark would get back to us.
From there we drove up to Cultus Lake. I have read a lot about the Cultus Lake sockeye, which are declining despite efforts to maintain them by reducing fishing. The lake was beautiful framed by cottages and steep mountains.
We met with a group of local people from the Cultus Lake Stewards who are working to “build community to save salmon.” They are working to bring all sides together including developers, government, First Nations and residents. “Our ability to relate to and connect with our actions saves salmon.” I wish them luck. They are not trying to protect their salmon from large international corporations, so they might be successful. Or are they? The Cultus Lake sockeye swim through the salmon feedlots too and likely are dealing with the virus identified by the DFO scientist that is not allowed to speak publicly.
On our way east we dropped in to see June Quipp of the Cheam Band to thank her for feeding the 100 paddlers that traveled down the lower Fraser River with me to the opening of the Cohen Inquiry. As a group we asked Justice Cohen to demand the salmon feedlot disease records, and he did!
As I write we are driving through the beautiful Nicola Valley. There was a snow storm on the Coquihalla, it is sunny here, but it looks like snow ahead.