Paddle for Wild Salmon!

The Get Out Migration marched on with a flotilla, walk and rally in Vancouver on 25th October.

           Wild Salmon Paddle for Justice from Alexandra Morton on Vimeo.

There was a historic journey underway called the Paddle for Wild Salmon.  It was a powerful pulling together of the Wild Salmon People.  A group of 60 people canoed for 5 days down the Fraser River, arriving in Vancouver on October 25th. We walked from Vanier Park to opening of the Cohen Inquiry into the Decline of the Fraser River Sockeye, shutting down one lane of traffic on burrard street bridge along the way to tell Justice Cohen that he must order full disease disclosure from the salmon farmers so we can learn if our wild salmon are dying of farm diseases. Justice Cohen later increased his request of 21 farms disease data to 120 yeares of disease data  To follow the journey go to http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/

Click here for our itinerary.


Thanks for coming out on the 25th of October to Vanier Park to walk with us.  Search "Calling the Wild Salmon people"



Alexandra Morton with Komox paddlers in Courtenay.

The migration will be officially launched at a “Hope for Wild Salmon” event on 19th October in Hope with other events en route: Chilliwack (20th), Matsqui (21st), Katzie (22nd), New Westminster and Musqueam (23rd), Jericho Beach (24th) and our final day paddling to Vanier Park (25th) and meeting many on foot for our walk through downtown Vancouver. First Nations will take a leading role and paddlers include:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip (Union of BC Indian Chiefs)
Grand Chief Saul Terry (Intertribal Treaty Organization)
Grand Chief Clarence Pennier (Sto:Lo Tribal Council)
Chief Bob Chamberlin (Kwicksutaineuk-Ah-Kwaw-Ah-Mish First Nation)
Chief Marilyn Baptiste (Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government)
Chief Bev Sellars (Xat’sull First Nation)
Chief Judy Wilson (Neskonlith Indian Band)
Chief Wayne Christian (Splats’in First Nation)
Chief Andy Phillips (Scowlitz First Nation)
Chief Alice Mackay (Matsqui First Nation)
Chief Rhoda Peters (Chawathil First Nation)
Chief Rhonda Larrabee (Qayqayt First Nation)
Chief Lydia Hwitsum (Cowichan Tribes)
Chief Ernest Campbell (Musqueam Indian Band)
Chief Joe Alphonse (Tl’etinqox-t’in Government Office)
Chief Bernie Elkins (?Esdilagh First Nation)
Chief Percy Guichon (Tsi Del Del First Nation)
Chief Francis Laceese (Toosey Indian Band)
Chief Ivor Myers (Yunesit’in Government)
Chief Willie Charlie (Chehalis First Nation)
Hereditary Chief Robert Joeseph (Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation)

Fin Donnelly MP
Vicki Huntington MLA
Spencer Chandra Herbert MLA
John Cummins MP
Joyce Murray MP
Michelle Mungall MLA
Peter Julian MP
Lana Popham MLA
Michael Sather MLA
Denise Savoie MP
Bob Simpson MLA
Ellen Woodsworth Vancouver City Clr
Gregor Robertson (Mayor of Vancouver)
 

Elena Edwards, one of the organizers of the Paddle for Wild Salmon, said:

"The Paddle for Wild Salmon is about recognizing the need to join together as one strong voice to deliver the message to government, and to all people, that we will not stand idly by while wild salmon go the way of the buffalo. First Nations, fishermen and communities up and down the Fraser River and along the BC coast are all in the same boat, whatever our differences, pulling together for wild salmon. Taking a stand for wild salmon cannot be put off any longer. Wild salmon must come first".

Fraser river paddlers on their journey to spread the word and collect signatures for the Get Out Migration in April 2010.

Darren Blaney of the Homalco First Nation will also lead a canoe team across the Salish Sea to join the paddlers in Vancouver on 25th October with other canoes hopefully making the journey from Victoria, Cowichan Valley and Washington. Kayakers from the Pipedreams Project will leave Kitimat on 1st September and plan to join the Paddle for Wild Salmon in October.

A ‘Stand Up for Wild Salmon’ march will take place from Vanier Park in Vancouver on 25th October with a flotilla gathering in Vancouver Harbor. The procession will walk across Burrard Bridge to the DFO office and then on to the Law Courts to visit the opening day of the Cohen Commission’s evidential hearings. A rally will take place at the Art Gallery from 12:30.



For more information
If you are interested in joining the paddle please contact Elena Edwards and Don Staniford on 250 230 1172 and via email oceananele@hotmail.com and dstaniford@puresalmon.org.