The governments of Canada and British Columbia last week announced an agreement to protect threatened mountain caribou in part of the province. This historic agreement between the federal and provincial governments is the first ever agreement reached under Section 11 of Canada’s Species at Risk Act. The agreement, which covers the Central Group herds located … Continued
Late last month, Teck Coal announced plans to shut down their Line Creek water treatment plant. The plant was designed to remove selenium contamination from water flowing out of mine waste dumps and into the Elk River, but instead it is releasing much more toxic forms of selenium into the Elk River watershed. In other … Continued
Place your bids here. Grant Smith is a Kimberley artist and retired art teacher. When Grant first moved to the Kootenays, he donated “Giant Sitka”, a block print sold as a fundraiser for Wildsight (then EKES). Nearly two decades later, the print hangs on the walls of our office, reminding us of the simple beauty … Continued
After years in court, the Ktunaxa Nation suffered their final loss last week in their legal case to stop the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort—but it won’t be the end of their efforts to protect Qat’muk
Wildsight is deeply saddened by the Supreme Court ruling today that fails to recognize indigenous spiritual rights connected to sacred places in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We stand with the Ktunaxa Nation in the continued fight to defend their sacred territory from the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort. “Wildsight supports the Ktunaxa Nation’s call … Continued
On Oct. 5, Teck pleaded guilty and was fined $1.4M under the Fisheries Act for releasing pollution from their Line Creek water treatment facility in 2014. The three releases of contaminated water killed dozens of bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. “The fish populations in the Elk and Kootenay watersheds are world-renowned. A central principle … Continued
Water has been at the core of our work at Wildsight for 30 years. To celebrate our 30th anniversary and the enactment of the full suite of federal boating regulations on the Columbia Wetlands, the culmination of 16 years of work, we gathered late this September to celebrate with a group paddle through the wetlands. … Continued
With the colder weather and rain, wildfires are coming under control and plans for salvage logging are being put together quickly across the province. The science over the past two decades has been clear: salvage logging is risky for our natural systems and delays or even prevents ecosystem recovery. Fire salvage logging increases soil compaction, … Continued
A few weeks ago, I spent a few hot days in the Flathead Valley, often in the cold, clear waters of the tributaries of the Flathead River. The whole Flathead, which is the largest unsettled valley in Southern Canada, is recognized by scientists around the world for its pristine water quality. Wildsight, along with our … Continued
Continuing our 30th anniversary celebration, Eddie Petryshen sat down with Ellen Zimmerman to talk conservation in the Kootenays.
