The Federation of Mountain Clubs
of British Columbia
March 2020 NEWSLETTER
| FMCBC COVID-19 response and AGM cancellation Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 FMCBC AGM has been postponed, possibly to late September. We’ll monitor the situation and reschedule when we have better knowledge. As a provincial organization, our staff and volunteers are located throughout the province. Most of our day-to-day operations are already carried out remotely; our staff members work from home, email is our main form of communication and many of our committee meetings are held via teleconference. To ensure the safety of everyone in our organization and our communities, we've shifted to remote communications in our meetings and are encouraging our staff, volunteers and members to adjust all of their practices, whether in the office or exploring the backcountry. Also, many outdoor clubs are cancelling trips and suspending all trail building activities until further notice. We thank our—and all—outdoor clubs for doing their part and encouraging others to flatten the curve. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with our Executive Director, Barry Janyk, at executive.director@mountainclubs.org | We're hiring! Do you love the outdoors? Are you a great communicator with outstanding organizational skills? Want to help promote, protect and maintain access for quality non-motorized recreation in BC? Come work for us from the comfort of your own home! We're looking for a permanent, part-time Communications & Administration Manager. Deadline for applications is April 3rd at 3:30 pm. Learn more here. | Rubble Creek Trailhead dig-out The Rubble Creek Trailhead dig-out on March 7th was a huge success! Around 50 people showed up for the shoveling party, which was organized by the UBC Varsity Outdoor Club. The VOC hopes the undertaking will "lead to a permanent solution to the accessibility issues at the trailhead." There are now somewhere between 20-26 parallel parking spots past the retreat turnoff, with a turnaround area to make it easier for cars to exit after a trip. The group also lowered the height of the packed snow between the wheel ruts to allow low clearance vehicles to park as well. With more parking available, there will likely be more people using this part of Garibaldi Provincial Park, which is the way it should be. Read more about the event here and view more photos on our Facebook page. | Reminder: Cloudburst submissions wanted! Hey adventurers! We're on the hunt for submissions for our Spring/Summer 2020 issue of Cloudburst, our semi-annual publication that showcases all the fun, sweat, and challenges our clubs and our organization experience throughout BC and beyond. We know you've been a busy bunch this winter and have had lots of adventures in the backcountry and issues to reflect upon. So, please send us your stories, articles, photos (including warm-weather cover photos), poems, musings, teachings, gear reviews, trip reports and whatever else you'd like to share with the world. We welcome submissions from both experienced and new writers, and if you need a little help getting started, our Communications and Admin Manager, Stacey Santos, is more than happy to help out. Please send your submissions to stacey.santos@mountainclubs.org by April 30th. | COVID-19 closures and important information BC Parks: All camping has been suspended until at least April 30, 2020. Some parks have been fully or partially closed and in many parks, services are suspended and facilities are closed until further notice. Full details. Parks Canada: All Parks Canada facilities are temporarily closed and all visitor services and all motor vehicle access by visitors are suspended until further notice. This means that all parking lots, vehicle services, washrooms, day use facilities, showers, visitor centres, and camping facilities, including oTENTiks, yurts and backcountry camping are closed until further notice. Many trails and day use areas across the Parks Canada network are also closed for public health or public safety reasons, to protect ecological or cultural resources, to protect the health and safety of employees, or due to limited availability of search and rescue response. Full details. Rec Sites & Trails BC: All recreation facilities and campgrounds are temporarily closed until further notice. Overnight camping and group gatherings at recreation sites is prohibited. Full details. BC Search & Rescue Assocation: As the COVID-19 pandemic puts extra pressure on emergency resources across the province, the B.C. Search and Rescue Association and Emergency Management B.C. are appealing to the public to take extra caution if heading into the outdoors, not just to maintain physical distance but also to be prepared so you don’t get lost or injured. Full details. | Alberta seeks partners for 164 provincial parks in bid to cut spending - CBC News, Feb 28, 2020 BC Parks funding takes hit despite pleas of outdoor advocates - News 1130, Feb 29, 2020 UBC students want to dig out access to the Rubble Creek trailhead - Pique, March 3, 2020 New trail network proposed for Squamish area - Squamish Chief, March 5, 2020 Golden Ears campsites will be all reservation only - Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadow News, March 4, 2020 Many issues face tourism industry: MLA Clovechok - Kimberley Bulletin, March 11, 2020 Whistler Blackcomb to open designated uphill skiing routes on both mountains - Whistler Pique, March 18, 2020
| Other News & Announcements | Trailsafe, a new trail marker company based out of Victoria BC, is offering a 15% discount for all orders placed by April 15th, 2020. The trail markers are high-quality aluminum, offer superior reflectivity and give back to the trails. TrailSafe offers non-profit discounts and a portion of all proceeds will be donated back to trail organizations across Canada. Check them out here. In case you've worn out Netflix, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival has provided free Festival films online! Check out the program here. Due to the health and safety concerns surrounding COVID-19 and following advice of the British Columbia Provincial Health Services Authority, the BC Parks Foundation has made the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 Great Parks Great People Summit indefinitely. More details. | Thanks to Bruce Smart for this month's feature photo of Stein Lake, Pyramidal Peak and Vanguard Peak in Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park. | Click here to view our Fall/Winter 2019 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: | The FMCBC would like to thank 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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