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[chris gadsden]

I was at Vanier Park this morning in the pouring rain to welcome the Salmon People paddlers. It was an amazing and impressive turnout. I did see Chris there too, but before I could introduce myself, he had flitted off through the crowd to take more pictures (some of which I hope he'll post here). You wouldn't believe how much better looking he is in person than in his pix! 

Sorry I missed you and so glad you took part, thanks so much for braving the conditions that they said was record amount of rain for this date, in Stanley Park.

[chris gadsden]

Well the week spent with Alexandra Morton, the crew and the paddlers of course came to an end today and it must have been the wettest day ever. I donot think I have ever been as wet, I was so foolish not to put any rain gear on. I should have worn waders. We were so fortunate as we had pretty good weather when the Paddle for Wild Salmon started in Hope on the evening of the 19th right up to today.

My day started at 4 am as I had come home last night to down load the camera as it was full and I wanted to post some on u tube as well. As well sleeping on a hard floor in the Musqueam hall the night before was a bit uncomfortable but being so tired that was a minor complaint. I fell asleep even with all the native drumming going on.

I left for Vancouver shortly after 5 and after nearly two hours drive in the rain I arrived at Jericho Beach at 7. On arrival I found the Global TV satellite truck there already, getting ready for some live reports. We got busy and put up the signs for the photo ops. They did a few live reports I believe during the morning news.

The rain was pouring down and all the reporters and camera guys were getting wet as we were. I think it ended up with 5 different TV crews there before the canoes and crews launched and headed for Vanier Park for the final leg of the journey. Mayor Robertson was aboard one of the canoes as well.

With the crews off we quickly gathered up the signs and raced to Vanier to set them all up again. I think we must have set up and took down the signs a dozen times or more during the 7 days. The Leaf Mobile has most of them in the back still. Some signs are not looking too good and are covered with sand from the beaches, real warriors they were. It was good to see Buck's wife and her kids sign they made of the fish on the front page of the Province this morning, well done! The picture inside also had the 2 fish head silhouettes last year's  Boxing Day's Steelhead Derby winner Pete McPherson  made for the Fraser Valley Salmon Society  a few years ago.

It was good to see so many people there under such conditions, to meet the paddlers and Alexandra Morton. camera crews and still photographers were there in large numbers too. After a brief rest it was about an hour's march to the Cohen Inquiry. We walked across the Burrard Street Bridge to West Georgia with a police escort. The police were really good controlling traffic and we got lots of honks in support. I think we were about 750 strong.

I was able to go with Alex and other organizers of the paddle up to where the Cohen Inquiry was being held and the FVSS sign I was holding got about 3 seconds of air time. Besides handling the signs for the trip I filmed many hours of footage but the camera got a little cranky today because of the rain. Even the TV stations ones were acting up.One of the camera crews said there are worth about $65,00. We walked into the Cohen Inquiry for a bit before coming out to the Media room for more interviews. It was full of cameras and reporters.

After about an hour we headed to the Art Gallery for more speeches. When I was going down the elevator justice Cohen was in the same elevator and got some more footage.

After we wrapped up it was back to Vanier to load up the Leaf Mobile with the signs for the last time, the rain still pouring down but that did not bother me as I could get no wetter.

Then off to W2 Storyeum on West Georgia for a brief time for a celebration. I did not stay long as I knew a 2 hour drive once again lay ahead, the rush hour was on. I got home in time to see the TV coverage of the day.

It was a week that I will not forget in a long time and it passed by so fast. I met many great people including First Nations people from throughout the province, all trying to save our wild salmon for the future. I also got to know Alexandra a lot better, she is a great person that we all need to admire for what she is doing for the salmon as well as us.

I will now relive the memories when I view the footage I filmed, many hours worth and I am sure it will give me a very good view of the trip and those that took part, from start to finish.

I salute all of them and those that were able to join in today.

[chris gadsden]

Shot some video of Mayor Gregor Robertson being interviewed on Global yesterday morning before he headed out on the Padddle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ygwn-C63AE

[chris gadsden]

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Solving+mystery+salmon/3724470/story.html?ref=nf

[chris gadsden]

Please find enclosed a press update including an interview with Alexandra Morton on BBC's Newsnight this evening: 
 
"Fish Farms: Biologist and environmental activist Alexandra Morton explains why she believes salmon farms on a migration route have a negative effect on wild salmon. Her research is disputed by the fish farm industry" (BBC Newsnight, 26th October): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11619320
 
"Alexandra Morton interviewed by Global TV at Jericho Beach on The Paddle for Wild Salmon" (You Tube, 26th October): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR9M2mn_0Ks
"Solving the mystery of B.C.'s salmon" (National Post, 26th October): http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Solving+mystery+salmon/3724470/story.html
 
"Public relations moves mark start of sockeye salmon inquiry" (The Vancouver Sun, 26th October): http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Public+relations+moves+mark+start+sockeye+salmon+inquiry/3724474/story.html
 
"Canoe flotilla makes Pitt stop" (Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Times, 26th October): http://www.mrtimes.com/Canoe+flotilla+makes+Pitt+stop/3727599/story.html

"Salmon paddlers pull in" (Abbotsford Times, 26th October): http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/Salmon+paddlers+pull/3727673/story.html
"Crucial salmon probe eyeing more time" (The Province, 26th October): http://www.theprovince.com/Crucial+salmon+probe+eyeing+more+time/3725979/story.html
 
"Salmon Puzzle: Mapping Canada's salmon life cycle" (BBC News, 26th October): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11619320
 
"Tagging solves part of sockeye mystery" (The Globe & Mail, 26th October): http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/tagging-solves-part-of-sockeye-mystery/article1772014/
"Mayor Gregor Robertson at Paddle for Wild Salmon, Oct.25, 2010" (You Tube, 25th October): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ygwn-C63AE
"Sockeye inquiry opens amid fish farm protest" (BC Local News, 25th October): http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/105733093.html
 
"Wild Salmon People hear the call" (Urban Momtographer, 25th October): http://runningscared.ca/UrbanMomtographer/wild-salmon-people-hear-the-call/
 
"Sockeye salmon inquiry" (Global TV, 25th October): http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/index.html?releasePID=tSmeF79j8fmCE5rvK3K9pVGUMskmdEu7
 
"Protesters urge disclosure of fish farm disease records" (The Globe & Mail, 25th October): http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/protesters-urge-disclosure-of-fish-farm-disease-records/article1772601/
 
"Hearings explore decline of B.C.'s sockeye salmon" (CTV, 25th October): http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20101025/salmon-hearings-101025/
 
"Salmon Farm Diseases Implicated in Fraser Sockeye Decline - A Film Primer for Understanding the Judicial Inquiry" (Pacific Free Press, 25th October): http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/7228-salmon-farm-diseases-implicated-in-fraser-sockeye-decline.html
 
"Locals join forces in Vancouver for salmon rally" (The Westerly News, 25th October): http://www2.canada.com/westerly/story.html?id=eea82656-65dd-4829-b146-ec89f907ce39
 
"Federal Inquiry into BC’s Sockeye Draws Criticism" (Plug Out Tune In/Ubyssey, 25th October): http://plugouttunein.com/2010/10/25/federal-inquiry-into-bc%e2%80%99s-sockeye-draws-criticism/
 
"Morton finishes four-day paddle down Fraser as sockeye inquiry begins" (The Tyee, 25th October): http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Environment/2010/10/25/MortonAndCohen/
"Fish farm industry denies keeping 'secret' data on sea lice epidemic" (The Tyee, 25th October): http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Environment/2010/10/25/SecretSeaLiceData/
 
"Justice for Wild Salmon: (Salmon Are Sacred, 25th October): http://www.huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/release/Salmon-and-Sacred/25-10-10/Justice-for-Wild-Salmon/2095.html 
 
"Protests to hit sockeye inquiry" (Campbell River Mirror, 21st October): http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/campbellrivermirror/news/105468068.html
 
 
Includes from today's Abbotsford Times:
 
"We're talking about our future for our children. We are with the ancestors and they are with us. These are exciting, powerful moments," said Lorna Prette, an elder from Seabird Island in Chilliwack and one of the drummers who welcomed the paddlers.
 
 

Watch Alexandra Morton being interviewed on BBC Newsnight tonight via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11619320

 

Click online via the Vancouver Sun to watch a video of the march and rally yesterday: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Public+relations+moves+mark+start+sockeye+salmon+inquiry/3724474/story.html

 

Watch the Mayor Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, being interviewed on Global TV before he jumped into a dug out skippered by Darren Blaney of Homalco First Nation and pulled together with the Wild Salmon People: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ygwn-C63AE

 
 
Best fishes,
 
Don

[chris gadsden]

Slide show of the Paddle by Alex
http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/

We are touching a lot of people

[chris gadsden]

Paddlers-

We did it!
Your paddle, your voice, your footsteps across the Burrard street bridge, your smiling face in the rain, and your work behind the scenes to make sure we spoke as one powerful voice demanding disease data be released was worth it.

 Yesterday it was announced that Justice Cohen ordered ten years of disease data from 120 farms.
 Originally it was only five years from only 21 farms. Our voices were heard- see articles below.

http://www2.canada.com/courierislander/story.html?id=b1f554cb-f571-4d02-8441-4ec00999a8e6
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/salmon-farms-ordered-to-produce-more-data/article1831586/

We still have a lot of hard work to do together ahead of us, but this is a great start.

 Let's spread the word to other salmon people who support this and keep applying pressure. This is a moment of victory, and hopefully with this new data, the farms are on their way out. Keep your calendar open for next week as well if you can make it to the Cohen Commission, see link below for details. First Nations Chiefs and Elders and Leaders are speaking Dec 13-15. http://salmonaresacred.org/event/cohen-commission-first-nations-chiefs-and-leaders-speak

And of course, we will keep your posted on further steps to keep our voices front and centre.
If you are just itching to do something today, feel free to visit, phone, email or write to your local MP or MLA and the Prime Minister and tell them just what you think of fish farms.

This link has some great examples  http://salmonaresacred.org/forum-post/who-direct-letters



    Our voices will not be silenced!


--
Calling the Wild Salmon People
salmonaresacred.org