The Federation of Mountain Clubs
of British Columbia
September 2020 NEWSLETTER
| FMCBC in the news: Ongoing advocacy work to protect and enhance access to recreation in BC's backcountry Boosting B.C. Parks budget deserves more thought this election, outdoor enthusiasts say
Our Executive Director, Barry Janyk, advocates for increased funding for BC Parks, especially with the increased visitation to trails and backcountry areas this summer due to the pandemic. Janyk says the day pass reservation system, which the province says cost $900,000, was a missed opportunity. The passes pushed unprepared hikers into rough terrain and resulted in more calls to search and rescue crews. Janyk says the money would have been better spent creating and maintaining more trails to better disperse crowds and open up more access. See the article from CBC News (September 27, 2020). Donate to support our continued advocacy work. | Welcome to new member clubs Several new member clubs joined the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC this summer and fall. Learn more about these new clubs: Apex Community Association - Penticton
They promote, facilitate, support, or undertake activities that enhance the quality of life in the Apex Mountain community.
Read more about them. Ascent Mentorships Society - Revelstoke
They foster growth of women in the outdoor industry by building a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Ascent Mentorships Society's mission is to facilitate encouraging, respectful, and lasting mentorship relationships and to foster a comfortable environment to develop and elevate skills in the backcountry.
Read more about them. Powell River Climbers Access and Development Association - Powell River
They preserve access to existing climbing areas and develop access to new climbing areas in the Powell River region.
Read more about them. Indigeneous Women Outdoors - Vancouver & Squamish
Indigenous Women Outdoors provides an inclusive community for Indigenous women living on unceded Sḵwx̱ú7mesh territory to connect with the land and each other by creating safe opportunities that eliminate barriers to getting into nature.
Read more about them. | AGM Update: The FMCBC hosted its 2020 Virtual AGM on Saturday, September 26 Due to public health orders that limit group meeting sizes and require physical distancing practices, the FMCBC hosted its AGM virtually on September 26. Club member representatives! You can find the AGM reports in the [reps] groups.io forum at https://fmcbc.groups.io/g/Reps/files (just log in and read the reports under the AGM Packages folder). You'll find key happenings and successes from the past year in the SW BC Recreation and Conservation Committee report and Executive Director's report. Feel free to browse the information and share with your club members! Are you a FMCBC individual or associate member that could not attend the AGM? Email us to receive the reports from the 2020 FMCBC AGM.
| New and familiar faces join the FMCBC Board of Directors at AGM Nine passionate outdoor recreationists from across BC joined or renewed their commitment to the FMCBC Board of Directors. The FMCBC seeked nominations prior to and during its 2020 Virtual AGM in September to fill the following positions. - President
- Vice-President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Seven Directors
Read about or view the new FMCBC 2020-2021 Board of Directors.
| National Mountain Parks – Public Consultation Round Table This year, Canadians have reconnected with nature. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada recently announced an upcoming 2020 Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada – a public consultation on national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas. Help shape the future of these treasured parks and places for decades to come.
From October 19 to 30, 2020, Canadians, including youth, are encouraged to participate and share their views on these important topics by visiting www.letstalkparkscanada.ca.
Participate in the public consultation. (starting Monday, Oct. 19) | BC Parks day-use pass pilot project comes to a close (for now) Day passes are required to visit six BC provincial parks up to and including the end dates. It's unclear if the BC Government will continue with the day-use pass system next year. The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC and FMCBC collected feedback on BC Parks' day-use pass pilot program. Thanks to those who submitted comments and completed the survey! We will compile and present these comments or ideas to BC Parks. View a past article from The Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC about the passes. | Snow and Avalanche Workshop Save the date! Attend an educational avalanche workshop designed for avalanche professionals on October 14, 15 and 16 from anywhere, digitally. The Snow and Avalanche Workshop features a range of talks on topics, such as: avalanche release, avalanche mapping and modelling, avalanche forecasting and snowpack interpretation, and avalanche cycles.
Register now. | Discover British Columbia’s avian community creates new B.C. Bird Trail Self-guided itineraries are available near Delta, Richmond, Fraser Valley, and central Vancouver Island to view feathered friends in wetlands and forest areas beneath the Pacific Flyway, a north-south gateway for migratory birds. Check out the newly created B.C. Bird Trail and get a self-guided itinerary. | Advocate for and explore BC's rivers To commemorate the recent BC Rivers Day in September, help update or explore the BC River Database, a database used by whitewater paddlers in British Columbia. BC Whitewater maintains the database to help document and advocate for our rivers. They also want to enable paddlers to explore and enjoy our province's amazing whitewater.
View the extensive BC river database.
Sign up to contribute to the database. | BC AdventureSmart releases successes and progress in Summer 2020 report BC AdventureSmart has once again met key milestones and successfully provided outdoor education, even during these unforeseen times, by continuing to support our very active, healthy province. Some recent successes include: - 200 volunteer presenters / ambassadors trained
- 1,944 kms travelled in the sea to sky region (one of the highest call volume regions)
- Creative outreach during a pandemic
Read their Summer 2020 report. | Canadian Mountain Network wants your help to guide research Take this short survey to help set the mountain research agenda for Canada.
Complete the survey.
| Maple Ridge parks, trails see record number of visitors during pandemic - City News 1130 (September 24, 2020) Demand for outdoor gear surging as pandemic winter approaches - CTV News (September 26, 2020) New Search and Rescue plane arrives in Canada - Quinte News (September 28, 2020) Near-drowning in Ucluelet prompts warning to stay on trails during storm season - Times Colonist (September 28, 2020) Mystery solved on who put up blockade near Mount Kobau on Okanagan road - Vernon Morningstar (September 28, 2020) Letter: More funding for parks, please - Rossdale Telegraph (September 28, 2020) Cameras show impact of recreational activities on B.C. wildlife - CTV News (September 29, 2020) Struggling outdoor equipment retailer MEC opposes efforts to pause sale to Kingswood - CBC News (September 29, 2020) B.C. VOTES 2020: Few solutions offered for ‘out of control’ camping - Trail Times (August 11, 2020) Colour the Trails hopes to make B.C.'s mountains more inclusive - North Shore News (September 29, 2020) Forget the Instagram selfies and take a hike on the path less travelled - Globe and Mail (September 29, 2020) Injured climber rescued after falling down rock face near Campbell River - CTV News (September 30, 2020) Pidherny Recreation Site sees parking lot expansion - My Prince George Now (September 30, 2020) Okanagan SAR teams add search dogs to roster - Kelowna News (October 1, 2020) Ecosystem restoration burn planned for Premier Lake area near Cranbrook - eKnow (September 30, 2020) MEC sale to proceed after B.C. judge denies attempt to have it paused - CBC News (October 2, 2020) Merlin Blackwell: For the love of B.C. parks, they need our support - Vancouver Sun (October 5, 2020) Photo challenge nears goal of 1 million entries for B.C. Parks Foundation database - CBC News (October 4, 2020) Canadians Invited to Virtually Participate in Parks Canada Consultation - Parks Canada - news release (October 5, 2020) | The FMCBC is a proud member of: | Thanks to Taiga Works for supporting the FMCBC through their generous contribution of office space. | | Copyright © 2020 Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC, All rights reserved.
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