B.C. Rivers Day is an event celebrated across the province each year on the last Sunday in September.
But this year, for the first time, the Cowichan Valley took part in the event with a two day celebration on both Saturday and Sunday.
On Sept. 29, organizers hosted a film night at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, Hecate Park, in Cowichan Bay. The film was called Wisdom of the River, by local film maker Harold Joe.
On Sept. 30, celebrations took place at Stoltz Pool with activities that included nature walks, fly tying demos, children’s activities, and fishing lessons.
Kai Reitzel, from the Cowichan Land Trust and the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre was in charge of children’s activities. She had kids making fish prints using real fish that the kids decorated with paint and pressed onto paper.
“There’s all these other communities in the province that are celebrating B.C. Rivers Day and we don’t have anything, so we thought we would put something together. So this is our first time we’ve ever done it,” said Reitzel. “We just thought it needed to be celebrated, especially with the low river levels that everyone’s worried about right now.”
Rod Garbutt from the Cowichan Valley Docents was conducting walking tours of the area, pointing out different vegetation, invasive species, and generally sharing knowledge of the ecology of the forest and the river.
“I don’t think there’s any message in what I’m doing, I’m just trying to talk about the forest, basically, because that’s my background: is forestry,” said Garbutt.
“We talk a little bit about invasive plants because there’s a couple of really good examples of some of the more serious invasives down right beside the river. From there we just get onto the forest trail and we talk about trees and shrubs and some of the aspects of forestry,” he added.
The Cowichan Valley Docents is a group of volunteers that take kids and adults on nature walks to Eves Provincial Park in Lake Cowichan, the Garry Oak Reserve in Somenos, as well as to some local beaches.
The Docents invites schools in Lake Cowichan to take advantage of these walks by calling Genevieve Singleton at 250-746-8052.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC was also at the event offering lessons on proper fishing etiquette—such as not leaving line and hooks in the river or in the surrounding forest.
“We’ve got different programs we’re promoting right now,” said Dan Struthers. “We’ve got our new rod loan program. We loan out gear to families or kids, or whoever really wants anything. If you’re going out fishing for the first time, or you’re taking along a buddy and you don’t have enough fishing gear then come by the hatchery and get fishing gear for free.”
Users can get gear for up to two weeks by going to the hatchery located at 1080 Wharncliff Road, in Duncan, or by calling 250-737-1444.
“The other message is the Fishing Buddies Program,” added Gorgina Fosker. “So if people are interested, they sign up their name and their email address and they get entered to win prizes.”
Signing up for the program means that individuals introduce at least one friend, relative, neighbour or colleague to fishing each year. They share their knowledge and equipment to help instill a passion for this hobby in others.
Prizes include a fishing charter with Brian Chan as well as two other fishing charters.
“And then you also get signed up for the Fresh Water Fishery Society email newsletter,” said Fosker.
Information on this and all other initiatives by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. can be found by surfing gofishbc.com.
The Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society was of course also on hand with a variety of educational material as well as a fly tying demonstration with Parker Jefferson.
CLRSS president, Gerald Thom, said he was pleased with the event overall, and though the need for rain is foremost on his mind these days, he was glad the sun was shining on Saturday.
“As far as getting people out it’s nice to have the sunshine. It makes it a little more pleasant for all of us.”
He says Rivers Day in the Cowichan Valley will become an annual event and he looks forward to more people checking it out as it becomes more well known in years to come.
“We’ve decided at the Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable to make it annual because there is not enough awareness about our river, and of course it’s one of the most prominent rivers on the coast,” said Thom.
