A speech to the NDP Regional Conference, May 12, 2012

I appreciate this opportunity to provide these thoughts about the future of our province in respect to environmental and economic sustainability, It is refreshing that you have thrown caution to the wind by inviting me to speak as we are now living in a McCarthy-like era where environmentalists like myself have been branded radicals and enemies of the Canada by the Harper regime.

Read the entire speech by downloading the pdf here:

May 12th speech on environment and the economy

Wild salmon are clearly the Shuswap’s most iconic species, as not only did these fish help sustain the Secwepemc peoples for countless generations but also salmon connect our region to the coast as well as to a sizeable portion of the rest of the province. Although habitat destruction has contributed to significant declines in some of parts of our watershed, both the Adams and Shuswap Rivers along with other streams continue to often have bountiful returns of both sockeye and Coho salmon.

But even these runs are not consistently healthy, as many issues plague the salmon from overfishing to climate change. Since the 1980s concerns have been growing over impacts of the ever-expanding fish farm industry. Shuswap’s wild salmon along with salmon that spawn in many other Fraser River tributaries must travel by these fish farms on their way north to Alaska and elsewhere and when they return to spawn.

Problems are rampant in fish farms, as these fish are raised in large numbers in a small space, which creates conditions that foster disease outbreaks. As with other farm animals that are raised in cramped spaces, it is necessary to use antibiotics just to keep the fish alive. Many of the companies that operate B.C. fish feedlots are from Norway, where most of the wild salmon were killed off years ago due to the spread of disease from farmed stocks. Thus, it is no wonder that fish farming is not allowed in adjacent jurisdictions, including Alaska, where salmon stocks are very healthy and continue to consistently flourish.

Despite persistent government and industry claims that open net salmon farms pose no threats to wild salmon, opposition to these unhealthy fish feedlots has been growing, just as concerns have been increasing over the health of wild salmon due to recent significant declines in the Fraser stocks. One of the most outspoken and knowledgeable leaders in the campaign to oppose the salmon farms is Dr. Alexandra Morton, who is often considered a true Canadian hero.

She began her research in B.C. studying killer whales, but in the late 1980s her focus switched to the impact of fish farms on wild salmon and soon her papers, published in leading journals such as Science, were warning how sea lice were spreading from the farmed Atlantic salmon to wild pink salmon. In 2001, she predicted the stock collapse that occurred the following year.  After she went to the B.C. Supreme Court in 2009, the decision required the federal government to uphold their constitutional obligation for regulating the ocean fishery, which forced them to take over management of the fish farm industry from the province.

Last year Morton provided key testimony to the Cohen Commission, the federal inquiry into the decline of the Fraser River sockeye, and her efforts resulted in the province releasing detailed fish farm disease records. Her research has found that salmon anemia, a disease associated with farmed salmon, is present on the West Coast, despite denials by the government. Most recently, Morton has had tests done on farmed salmon purchased at lower mainland supermarkets that show evidence of a virus associated with heart and skeletal muscle inflammation, another disease that afflicts fish farms in Norway. This disease could be partly responsible for the die-off that often occurs in the Fraser River or in the Shuswap before the salmon have a chance to spawn.

During the second week of May, Shuswap residents will have the opportunity to hear Dr. Morton speak about the impacts that the fish feedlot industry is having on the wild salmon. Throughout this tour, there will also be a focus on local issues that are impacting the health of salmon. On May 9^th in Lumby, the local issue is the need for a fish ladder at the Wilsey Dam, so salmon could spawn farther up the Shuswap River.

In Salmon Arm on May 10^th, one of the local issues is the effort underway for many years to restore the streambanks of the Salmon River where habitat destruction has had a devastating impact of the health of this run. Streambank erosion due to speedboats on the Shuswap River between Mara Lake and Kingfisher is one of the key concerns in Enderby where Morton speaks on May 11^th. And on May 12^th, during the hike through Roderick Haig-Brown Park, one hot topic will be the effort soon to be underway to purchase the Cottonwood Campground that is adjacent to the Adams River freshwater estuary, which is home to sockeye fry after they emerge from the river gravel in the spring.

Shuswap residents can take pride in knowing that the protection of their watershed is continuing to improve thanks to the work of the Shuswap Lakes Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP). At the April 12th all-committee meeting, government and public representatives were provided with updates on all the projects underway.

There are four streams of activities within SLIPP: recreation; water quality; foreshore development; and education, compliance and enforcement. Significant progress is occurring for all these programs, through the work of government agencies and volunteer organizations.

While efforts have been underway for sometime in the other three streams, work on the recreation program, which focuses on water based activities, has just begun. A draft situational analysis report about Shuswap water based recreation has been prepared and once it is complete it will be made publicly available in the fall. Many of the water-based recreational sites have also now been identified and mapped.

Recreation expert consultants based at Thompson Rivers University have been tasked to review best management practices; complete the mapping; identify the issues, the diverse community values and use patterns; and present their findings to the SLIPP committees. The final step will be to prepare a recreational management plan with strategies that recognize our region’s carrying capacity and identify a vision for the ideal future condition.

A few statistics about recreation were provided that shows just how significant this activity is to the Shuswap life style and economy.  With three types of users, permanent, short-stay and seasonal, there are an average of 32,000 marine park visits per season, 35-40,000 angler days, thousands of bird watchers and many millions of dollars that go into our local economy. But, with so many vastly different types of user groups from families to backcountry adventurers to hard-core partiers, conflicts do occur. Concerns that need attention include, noise, waste, safety, health and habitat and cultural resource destruction problems, as well as access conflicts and a host of compliance and enforcement issues.

Water quality monitoring has been both comprehensive and cooperative so that efforts are no longer duplicated and timing ensures optimal results. Not only are samples now being taken throughout the lakes, but also in those creeks and rivers where there are the highest potential impacts from agricultural practices. Early results are already showing high concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus during spring run-off times. The public can now find useful information about the water quality monitoring program at the slippbc.ca website and will soon be able to access the results for specific locations using the map-based database.

The shoreline development stream is providing some of the best results, especially for its restoration activities. Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, the most serious shoreline modifications such as illegal concrete boat ramps, large rock groynes, and abandoned docks are being removed and the natural condition of the shoreline is being restored. Fifty-three of the most critical sites have been identified and numerous sites have been rehabilitated at no cost to the property owners, who have been primarily supportive of the program. More education will be underway soon, so that lakeshore property owners have an improved understanding of the importance of the shoreline for fish habitat, as salmon fry utilize the gravel and rocks during the year they spend in the lakes.

In addition, a comprehensive inventory has been completed for the Sicamous Channel that shows how and where dock structures are consistent with existing tenures. Some of the old, unpermitted structures will be removed and others will be rebuilt with an improved design, which will help restore important salmon habitat features in this channel.

The compliance and enforcement program has benefited from additional staffing and new vessels, with joint patrols on long weekends. As well, there was a houseboat used by the team that was stationed in the Cinnemousun Narrows, so that patrols would be located closer to where problems occur. Thanks no doubt in part to this program; the fatality rate was the lowest last year with only one death.

We are fortunate that local governments are now taking a very active role in helping to protect the Shuswap watershed, as not only our economy but also our way of life is dependent on the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem. While monitoring water quality is key, so will be the next step, to take action to reduce the level of pollution entering the system. And at some point, SLIPP needs to be expanded to include the entire watershed with a new name that better fits this mandate.

A 4 minute documentary with a brief history of the Shuswap Environmental Action Society followed by a backgrounder on the upcoming campaign to purchase the property adjacent to the mouth of the Adams River and add it to Roderick Haig-Brown Park, with the goal to increase protection for the world famous Adams River sockeye salmon, improve the conservation values of the park and help boost the local economy. Includes historical and recent still photos and two video clips of the property. To learn more, visit www.seas.ca.

It is always a joy to discover articles or books about Shuswap history. Thus, when the copy of “In those Days – The Reedman Family Story” arrived in the mail, the thin book was read quickly with interest. John Reedman, who was often called the “mayor” of Blind Bay, was one of the first to homestead there.

One of the most fascinating portions of this book, written by Isabelle Reedman who was married to Ken, one of the family patriarch’s many grandsons, is the description of why the Reedman’s decided to emigrate and how they ended up in the Shuswap. Her research included interviews with family elders and was aided by the diaries and journals of John’s son Archie who passed away in 1958.  Stories like these, of how the pioneers arrived in the Shuswap, provide us with insight about the motives of the original settlers and help us understand how our communities formed.

The Reedman family hailed from Stamford, England, where they had lived for generations. It flourished in the Middle Ages as one of England’s prime wool towns, but although it later declined in importance it was still recognized as one of the country’s best-preserved medieval towns. John was born in 1855 into an upper-class family and he ran the family furniture business. As well, he was an auctioneer, an occasional tea-taster and a government representative who helped levy taxes in five parishes.

It was when the government passed a new bill imposing an unpopular poll tax that life in England began to unravel for John. When investigations under the new law uncovered massive gambling debts for a good friend and respected businessman, who then committed suicide, John began to have serious doubts about remaining in England. After his second wife died, John hired Florence as a housekeeper to help with his three young sons from his first marriage. He grew fond of her and they soon fell in love and married. This union set “tongues wagging” in the class-conscious England of the early 1900s and some former friends were hurtful to Florence.

That was the last straw for John and the emigration posters, such as one that said, “Go to British Columbia” depicting an apple tree with silver dollars on its branches, began to look very attractive to him. He sent Harry, his oldest son, first, to reconnoiter and report back. His letters were filled with enthusiasm and he found both Alberta and Saskatchewan particularly appealing.  Meanwhile, back in England, John and Florence started a family and began making plans to leave.

Finally on April 6, 1905, John and his family boarded the steamer “Virginian” and sailed to Canada.  It took ten days to cross the Atlantic and another six days before they arrived by train in Calgary, where they met Harry and a few days later celebrated John’s 50th birthday.  Their plan was to journey to
Lloydminster, Sask., where Harry had found good farming land, but fate intervened when a fellow lodger at their hotel introduced them to another recent immigrant from a town close to their hometown of Stamford, Frank Barnard.

Frank had a son, Arthur, who had also scouted out potential areas to homestead the previous year. He along with a friend had travelled to Salmon Arm and Fortunes Landing (now Enderby) and explored the Shuswap on logging trails using a rented wagon and team of oxen. They were most impressed with Blind Bay and thus the Barnards decided to homestead there after completing work in Calgary. When Frank heard about John’s plans to settle in Saskatchewan, he told him, “You can’t take a young wife there, you’ll kill her!”

As luck would have it, the Reedmans missed their train and the next day they joined the Barnards and journeyed to Notch Hill. Finally, on May 6, 1905, John and Harry left the others to set up the tents and after taking a few wrong trails they emerged at Blind Bay to witness the pristine beauty of the lake with the mountains in the distance still covered in snow. Deciding then that this is where they wanted to make their new life, they proceeded “to have a bath,” obviously not minding the cold water.

POSTSCRIPT

Perhaps some of the reasons for my fascination with the history of the Shuswap’s first settlers are the parallels between their experiences and my own. Most of these early settlers left their countries, most often England, because they did not fit in to what they viewed as a restricting life style and/or they sought adventure and new opportunities in Canada. In some cases, their families were so large and they had older brothers who would inherit the family fortunes, so they were sent to Canada as “remittance men” who received a token monthly sum to allow them to survive in the new country.

In my own case, I too had grown to admonish my former country, the U.S. for its involvement in the unjust Vietnam war and for its planet destroying consumer lifestyle. Just like the Reedmans of 1905, I was a “back to the lander” seeking opportunity, adventure and a more simple way of life in the backwoods of Canada. And like the Reedmans, I arrived to a rugged piece of land that needed to be cleared and developed. The parallels continued, as the Reedmans enjoyed their pioneer years with a community of like-minded settlers, who shared both the work and the fun times as they cooperated to build their community, so did we as in those early years we too had work parties, communal dinners and even built a community centre. And just as life changed for the settler’s succeeding generations, so has life changed for us as we enjoy all the modern conveniences and many of our children have moved to the cities and abandoned the country life-style.

It was a jazzy Coffee House in Celista on February 17, 2012 with some of the Shuswap’s favourite musicians and songwriters, and some talented young singers. This video includes clips of some of the best performances by David Balser; Miranda McLaws backed up by Jen Dyck, Bill Lockie, Jordon Dick and Jacob Verburg; the Jazz Band (Jen, Bill and Jacob) with Joanne Groves, Stephanie Webster, and Pam Gaws; Mike Shaver; Jason Woolsey; and Bob Sumner. Enjoy! A Shuswap Passion Production

The 2012 federal budget is a travesty, as it will boost the profits for the one percent and the big resource industries, while it is a disaster for the rest of us. It is an attack on the environment despite the fact that in the long term a healthy economy depends on a healthy environment.

It will make life more difficult for the poor and does little to create jobs. It proposes to streamline the Gateway pipeline review likely because the Harper government wants it approved before what may soon-to-be a B.C. NDP government rejects this ill-conceived scheme as the risks far outweigh any benefits. The Harper government created the deficit by cutting taxes so they can now cut those programs that protect the environment and matter most to Canadians like the CBC and Katimavik.  Instead of making post-secondary education more affordable as is the case in many other countries, our tax dollars provide massive subsidies to the already wealthy oil industry. There is no need to raise the retirement age, which will result in fewer jobs available for the underemployed younger generation, especially when money could be saved by simply cutting benefits for those seniors that do not need the money. And what is most problematic is that the mainstream media is mostly giving the budget a glowing review without providing well-deserved criticism. Unless the public is aware of these problems, political apathy will continue.

One of the enjoyable parts of spending time at a backcountry lodge is chatting with the other skiers from around the country and the world. Last week, a businessman from Vancouver asked me about Salmon Arm, because some of his friends are thinking of retiring here soon. I asked him what are the reasons his friends have for planning to move here. There was of course the obvious; our huge clean, warm lake and the other two are the great music scene and the bike trails. Contrary to what some locals believe, shopping opportunities are clearly not part of their decision-making!

Just what makes our Shuswap region so unique and special? Certainly the size, shape, location and water quality of Shuswap Lake is one attribute that cannot be found in many other parts of North America or even the world.  The diversity of the lake itself, with so much of its shoreline in a natural, uninhabited state is a rarity. And a sizeable part of the lake in Seymour Arm is permanently protected as a Provincial Park that also includes Hunakwa Lake, which is quite likely the largest, unroaded, protected wilderness lake in the interior of North America at a low elevation.

Another aspect of the Shuswap that makes the region quite unique is its diversity. There are not many other areas in the province that contain so many different ecosystems. From the dry, ponderosa pine and bunchgrass landscapes close to Falkland and Chase, to the interior rainforests of the upper Adams and Seymour, to the rich Shuswap River and Salmon River valley farmlands, the Shuswap has it all. And in some locations this diversity can be a mere hundreds of metres apart, from a dry pine treed hillside to a creek canyon where there are cedar and hemlock trees.

Another quality that sets the Shuswap apart is its First Nation heritage, as so many place names originate from the Secwepemc peoples. As well, the local First Nation bands, despite having endured over 150 years of injustice, are thriving. Their cultural heritage and language are being revived and their economies are improving, unlike many other areas of North America where First Nation communities have either disappeared or are struggling.

As the soon to be retiring Vancouver boomers know, the Shuswap has a plethora of uniquely diverse recreational opportunities. While the focus up until the last decade has been on the motorized sector from houseboats, to speedboats, jet skis, snowmobiles and motorbikes; the more environmentally friendly options are gaining traction. Thanks to the rapidly growing legion of trail enthusiasts led by the Shuswap Trail Alliance, the network of bike, and hiking trails is improving yearly.

One of the Shuswap’s most enduring unique qualities is our culture as despite our relatively small population, we are home to one of the premier musical events in Canada, the Roots and Blues Festival. Throughout the rest of the year, there are a growing number of coffee houses in surrounding communities where highly talented local musicians play to full audiences. And there are the Salmon Arm Art Gallery (SAGA) Jazz nights, the summer music nights at the Wharf and the very popular, annual student music festivals. In addition to all the fabulous music, we have wonderful live theatre and so many creative artists that are able to show their work in a splendid heritage building thanks to so much community support.

It is the amazing level of community spirit that also makes the Shuswap so special, from our very active community halls, to the large numbers of volunteers for the festivals, to the Shuswap Foundation that helps support a wide variety of local, non-profit organizations. Perhaps one of the Shuswap’s most unique cultural features is the Salmar Community Association, which is one of only a few in Canada, is likely the oldest and is the only one with two facilities and five movie screens.  And since the Association was established over 70 years ago, it has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for community projects and scholarships.

Given all the Shuswap has to offer from its magnificent vistas to its thriving culture, it is no wonder that so many boomers want to retire here!

POSTSCRIPT

The Shuswap has so many more attributes than could fit into the newspaper column above. Certainly one feature that sets it apart from the Okanagan is its relatively small population, which means few crowds, no traffic jams and a better chance of enjoying more peace and solitude in nature. What sets us apart from the Kootenays is that there is more sunshine, warmer lakes to swim in, better opportunities for gardening and we are closer to larger centres, although there are more parks and more opportunities for skiing in the Kootenays.

Another attribute, not normally considered, is the amount of backcountry we have. If you study a map of the Shuswap, you can see how there are so few highways and communities, while most of the landbase is Crown land. Certainly there are logging roads throughout much of the landbase and associated cutblocks and plantations, but there are virtually no people. There are still many areas left that have yet to see a human footprint, such as many creek canyons and in many of the mountains.

As for recreation, the Larch Hills certainly deserve mention, as this is one of the largest, best maintained Nordic ski areas in the province. Plus, it is one of the few areas where a person can ski without having to purchase a day pass, as only a donation is requested. Recently, a network of snowshoe trails have been added that provide more opportunities for those who do not ski. And this area is becoming increasing popular for mountain biking and hiking in the summer.

As for culture, the Shuswap is fortunate to have a very active film society that is one of the oldest and most successful in Canada. There are weekly shows except in the summer, that include both foreign and Canadian art films. Plus there are two film festivals a year that draw large crowds.

While most of the wildlife found in the Shuswap can be found elsewhere, we are fortunate to have one of the world’s few breeding sites for the Western Grebe in Salmon Arm Bay. A portion of this bay has been protected and there is a very active group, the Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society  that provides interpretive services and looks after the popular lakeside trails. this area has become a mecca for birdwatchers, a pastime growing in popularity especially for the boomer generation.

And while there is no shortage of wineries in the Okanagan, there are a growing number now in the Shuswap. What makes these wineries unique is that the grapes are being grown farther north than anywhere else in North America. The Granite Creek winery did hold the distinction of being the northern, but now the Celista Estate winery in the North Shuswap holds this distinction. Visit www.shuswapwineries.ca to learn more about grape growing and wine in the Shuswap.

Exciting, fast action video clips from our March 11-18 trip to the Sol Mountain Ski Lodge, along with a few live music clips and some scenic stills and photos of skiers and a young snowboarder. Many thanks to Aaron Cooperman for some of the footage and his help with the editing. Also thanks to Riel MacBoudreau for some of the stills and to Mike and Dave Moore and Simon Reeves for their Go-Pro cam footage. Plus a huge thank you to Sylvain Vallee for providing his song, Roller Coaster for the soundtrack. You can learn more about his music at www.valleemusic.com.