BC Rivers Day

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BC Rivers Day is a province-wide celebration of British Columbia’s waterways, taking place every year on the last Sunday in September. Coordinated by the [http://www.orcbc.ca/ Outdoor Recreation Council] (ORC) and founded by river conservationist, Mark Angelo, Rivers Day is proclaimed by more than 90 communities across BC and attracts up to 100,000 people annually.

Celebrating River Values

BC Rivers Day celebrates the natural, cultural and recreational values of rivers. It increases public awareness of the many benefits rivers provide to people, such as clean water, spawning salmon, economic wealth, and a place to play. Rivers have also played a key role in the history of British Columbia, and early settlement patterns for both aboriginal and European people often took shape along rivers. In short, rivers have played a defining role in the life and culture of British Columbia, so there is much to celebrate.

British Columbia — A Land of Great Rivers

British Columbians take great pride in their rivers and few places on earth can boast of such a rich endowment of healthy, free-flowing waterways. This is reflected in the great diversity of rivers found in BC, ranging from large, remote wilderness waterways to those that run through more developed and accessible landscapes; and from the mighty Fraser, the world's greatest salmon river, to the many small urban streams that run through virtually every community in the province. All of these rivers and streams contribute greatly to the quality of life enjoyed by British Columbians.

Raising River Awareness

BC Rivers Day creates a greater awareness of the threats that confront our Waterways, while offering the public a chance to get more involved with creating solutions and caring for local rivers and streams. Rivers Day is also based on the premise that the health of our rivers is closely tied to the health of our land and our communities. Events include riverside cleanups, habitat restoration, nature walks, paddle trips, school projects, art displays, music festivals, and parades. Citizens are encouraged to join an event in their area, or start one of their own.

A British Columbia Success Story

Rivers Day is a great BC success story, inspiring agencies of the [http://www.un.org/ United Nations] along with hundreds of international non-government organizations to endorse a new global event. World Rivers Day [http://www.worldriversday.bcit.ca/] is celebrated worldwide on the last Sunday of September, the same day as BC Rivers Day. BC Rivers Day has also sparked the creation of Canadian Rivers Day.

Origins of BC Rivers Day

BC Rivers Day was founded by renowned river advocate, Mark Angelo, and began with a single event beside the Thompson River in 1980. That year, forty people traveling in six rafts along with some ground support, cleaned up a large amount of garbage along the river, removing several truck loads of debris in a single day. Over the next few years, the event grew dramatically and soon attracted thousands of people to hundreds of river-related activities province-wide.

BC Rivers Day Partners

While Rivers Day is coordinated at the provincial level by the [http://www.orcbc.ca/ Outdoor Recreation Council of BC] (ORC), individual events are run by dozens of different partnering organizations around the province. These include stewardship groups such as the Alouette River Management Society [http://www.alouetteriver.org/] , academic programs such as the [http://www.bcit.ca/construction/fwr/ BCIT Fish, Wildlife & Recreation Program] , and local governments such as the [http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca/Home.html City of Burnaby] . Rivers Day brings many different stakeholders together, and in this way, it helps to build broad-based community support for rivers.

References

External links

* [http://www.riversday.bcit.ca/ BC Rivers Day Web Site] ""To see events that have happened in the past and/or continue to happen each year, please visit the following websites:"
* [http://www.riversdaymusic.org/ BC River's Day Music Festival]
* [http://www.bc-creeks.org/index.php/bc-rivers-day-goldstram-park-sep-30/ Victoria BC River's Day]
* [http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/topnav/events/3Months/events/rivers_day.html Maple Ridge BC River's Day]
* [http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/SearchResultsListings/ListingsDetails/BritishColumbia.htm?FLID=18&FL2ID=150&CATID=5026&LOCID=18&NBY=False&PID=4551733&PN=1 Kanaka Creek celebrates BC River's Day]
* [http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/community/images/gallery/bcrd/bcrd_e.htm Pictures of BC River's Day Prince George Music Festival]
* [http://www.vanaqua.org/pressroom/BCRiversDay.htm Vancouver Aquarium Celebrates BC River's Day]
* [http://www.bmn.bc.ca/event.aspx?id=123 Rivers and Trails Festival in Celebration of BC's Rivers Day]

[BC Rivers Day Music Festival [http://www.riversdaymusic.org/] Victoria BC Rivers Day [http://www.bc-creeks.org/index.php/bc-rivers-day-goldstram-park-sep-30/] Maple Ridge BC River's Day [http://www.mapleridge.ca/EN/topnav/events/3Months/events/rivers_day.html] Kanaka Creek celebrates BC River's Day [http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/SearchResultsListings/ListingsDetails/BritishColumbia.htm?FLID=18&FL2ID=150&CATID=5026&LOCID=18&NBY=False&PID=4551733&PN=1] Pictures of BC Rivers Day Prince George Music Festival [http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/community/images/gallery/bcrd/bcrd_e.htm] Vancouver Aquarium Celebrates BC River's Day [http://www.vanaqua.org/pressroom/BCRiversDay.htm] Rivers and Trails Festival in Celebration of BC's Rivers Day [http://www.bmn.bc.ca/event.aspx?id=123] [http://www.riversday.bcit.ca/] [http://www.worldriversday.bcit.ca/] ]