Archive for November, 1999

British Columbia’s commercial salmon fishery has garnered a great deal of media attention in recent years, dominated by the annual “fish wars” that have erupted over the way that the catch will be shared by Canadian and American fishers. International law suits, ferry seizures and political posturing by federal and provincial politicians make for good newspaper copy. Less dramatic, but more compelling, is the social and environmental history of a once-flourishing industry that is now in trouble. For over a century, commercial salmon [...]

Photographs by Marc Fowler of Metropolis Studio There is nothing like being there–among the rows of white headstones–to realize why it is so important to remember Canada’s wartime sacrifices. You can read about it and hear about it, but it is hard to appreciate what was gained and lost unless you see if for yourself. David Parsons of Deer Lake, Nfld., agrees. The 38-year-old was one of 10 provincial Legion representatives who participated in the 1999 Dominion Command Youth Leaders Pilgrimage of Remembrance. From July 8-22, Parsons and the other youth leaders travelled through Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands to visit [...]

In an isolated spot high in the French Pyrénées, a group of 30-odd pilgrims from Chatham, Ont., gathered in July to honour one of their own lost in WW II. To pull back the shroud of time that has enveloped Pilot Officer Leslie Arthur Peers, J85070, Royal Canadian Air Force, we begin by examining excerpts from the 1944 operations log of 624 Squadron, Royal Air Force, in which he flew Halifax bombers from Blida, Algeria: “5/6 June, Duty Proust (France); Up 2225, Down 0529; Not successful–no visibility, 10/10th cloud over target.” “7/8 June, Duty Nickels (France); Up 2200, Down 0505; Nickels dropped on [...]

One of the great ironies of Glacier National Park is that the reason it exists at all is also the greatest threat to its survival. “The number 1 challenge to the ecological integrity of the park is the national transportation corridor,” says John G. Woods, a park biologist for Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks and author of several books about the area. Until the 1860s, this stunning region of what is now southeastern British Columbia was almost unmarked by human footsteps, native or European. And no wonder. Craggy mountains foil agriculture and most modes of transportation. Winters are cold. And up [...]