The Federation of Mountain Clubs
of British Columbia
November 2017 NEWSLETTER
| The public can now access the Cypress BAC before 9 am
 Great news about the longstanding Cypress Backcountry Access Corridor issue: On November 9, 2017, the day before Cypress Mountain opened for the season, the FMCBC received written confirmation from BC Parks stating that the public can now cross the Backcountry Access Corridor before 9 am.
Users are still required to have a backcountry access tag/waiver to pass through the BAC (available free of charge at the Black Mountain Lodge “Brown Bag Room"), but Cypress Resort, as instructed by BC Parks, will no longer prevent public access through the BAC beginning at 7 am. A big thanks to Mel Turner for his assistance and guidance, to the dedicated volunteers who spent countless hours working on this, and to everyone for pushing this issue through in such a respectful manner. (photo: Paul Kubik) For more info, you can check out: Cypress Mountain ‘dawn patrol’ dispute resolved – North Shore News The public can now cross the Backcountry Access Corridor in Cypress Provincial Park before 9 am – Medium – Steve Jones | Ruth Masters memorial  Ruth Masters, the iconic Vancouver Island activist, passed away on November 7th, 2017 at the age of 97. A celebration of her life will take place from 1 pm - 4:30 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay. Donations may be made to the ‘Ruth Masters Hero Spoon Award’ online at foundation.nic.bc.ca or by mail to North Island College Foundation, 2300 Ryan Road, Courtenay, BC, V9N 8N6, or to a charity of your choice. (photo: Ed Brooks)
| Grouse Mountain Regional Park survey results Earlier this fall, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks engaged the public to better understand their thoughts on resource management, park improvements, operations, and programming within Grouse Mountain Regional Park. Want to know what they learned? Check out section 5.3 of this document for a summary of their public engagement sessions, which included a stakeholder workshop, a public engagement event and an online survey. | Spearhead Huts System  The Spearhead Huts Society had a successful and productive summer 2017. Final approval came from BC Parks and a construction camp was established on site in mid July. The foundations for the first hut in the system, the Kees and Claire Hut at Russet Lake, were fully built. A significant portion of the greywater dispersion system was also installed. Over 80 volunteers and 30 professionals took part. Numerous companies donated materials and services. Work will continue in summer 2018 to build the hut proper, with snow removal in May, framing/roofing in June and onward. The goal is to be weather-tight by September, complete the interior through the fall, and open to the public early in 2019. The Society is still raising funds to complete features and systems in the hut and donations are most welcome (tax receipts available over $20). Volunteers and in-kind donations of construction materials are also needed.
Design work for the second hut at Mount Macbeth will begin in 2018. The Society is pleased to announce the recent gift of $1.5 million from Brian and Andrea Hill towards the hut at Mount Macbeth. For more information, to volunteer, or to make a donation, visit www.spearheadhuts.org | Proposed expansion of Coastal Douglas fir protection The BC government is proposing to expand its protection of Coastal Douglas fir ecosystems. The new areas, located on Crown land on the southeast coast of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands, would be covered under the same legal objectives as the existing protected areas (no forestry tenures or commercial harvesting allowed). The public is invited to review and comment on the proposed amendment by Jan 15, 2018. Here's some more info on the proposal (including a useful map), including details on how to submit your comments. | If wildfires ruined your summer camping plans, you may be in line for a refund - Kamloops This Week, Oct 31, 2017 Supreme Court ruling clears way for Jumbo ski resort on sacred Indigenous land in B.C. - Calgary Herald, Nov 2, 2017 Answers to some questions about a proposed national park - Osoyoos Today, Nov 6, 2017 Condolences pour in for Ruth Masters - Comox Valley Record, Nov 7, 2017 Cypress Mountain ‘dawn patrol’ dispute resolved - North Shore News, Nov 16, 2017 Women’s mentorship program marks 1st birthday - Squamish Chief, Nov 20, 2017 | Announcements and Useful Links | In late October, the Caledonia Ramblers were treated to a special breakfast by BC Parks to celebrate their 2016 BC Parks Volunteer Club of the year award. You can check out the photos on their Facebook page. BC AdventureSmart, joined by members of the Prince George SAR team, will be presenting their “Survive Outside” program on Thursday, Dec. 7th at UNBC. Tickets are free and you can learn more and register online. Spotted the perfect Christmas tree while out exploring Crown land? Here's what you need to know before you start chopping. A proposed bylaw amendment and Order in Council would mean the City of Abbotsford would no longer participate in, or financially contribute to, parks within Metro Vancouver. Instead, it could allocate resources to parks within its own municipality and region. Tip: Through the Rick Hansen Foundation, your organization can receive up to $20,000 to improve accessibility, including trails and pathways. Check out this recent ACC newsletter for an incredbly useful list of online resources featuring current ice climbing and ski touring conditions. (Also incredibly useful is the bit about how to wash your down jacket.) | Thanks to Mountain Mentors for this month's feature photo (credit: Kendra Hicks). The photo is of one of their mentors, Rosie Langford, camping out while doing the Spearhead Traverse in the spring of 2016. Mountain Mentors just celebrated their 1st birthday! Congratulations! You can read all about their big milestone in this Squamish Chief article.
| Click here to view our Spring/Summer 2017 issue of Cloudburst. Use our online form to report motorized recreation observed within BC Park boundaries.
Visit Canada Helps to make a donation to the FMCBC . All donations go towards our Member Club Grant Program
The FMCBC is always looking for volunteers. Click here to find out how you can get involved. | | The FMCBC is a proud member of: | As always, the FMCBC would like to thank Mountain Equipment Co-op for supporting the FMCBC through their generous contribution of office space from which to base our administration. | | Copyright © 2017 Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC, All rights reserved.
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