Paddle for the Peace July 11, 2009

The Peace Valley Environment Association (PVEA) and West Moberly First Nations are co-hosting the fourth annual Paddle for the Peace on Saturday, July 11, 2009.

This year we will travel from Bear Flat, downstream to the community of "Old Fort." Our route will take us past the mouth of the Moberly River, where the original fort was located, as well as right through the location where BC Hydro proposes to construct the Site C Dam. The Paddle committee did a test-run of the route in late May: it took approximately four hours, we saw an abundance of wildlife, and had a great time. Now it is your turn. Please come out and join us on July 11 and bring as many friends as you can strap into life jackets.

This year, the West Moberly First Nations will host a pancake breakfast at Ken and Arlene Boon's field at Bear Flat (site of the 2007 and 2008 takeout). Breakfast and registration start at 9 a.m., with the launch scheduled for noon. As in past years, we will have a school bus travelling between the launch and takeout sites in the morning and afternoon to assist participants in getting re-united with their vehicles. If you are joining us from Hudson's Hope, Moberly Lake or Chetwynd, we would recommend dropping off your vehicle downstream prior to the launch, which will save you having to backtrack at the end of the day. If you want to do this, you should plan on being at Bear Flat by 9 a.m. to allow enough time to register and drop off your canoe, drive to Old Fort to drop off your vehicle (about 40 minutes), and hop the bus back in time for the opening ceremony.

If you can't join us on the river, we encourage you to come out for the pancake breakfast and to see the paddlers off. The Paddle committee is planning fun events for the morning, so come out and earn yourself a candy necklace in the three-legged race, get your face painted, or just enjoy having a morning coffee along the Peace River. Musical river-lovers are encouraged to bring instruments for an informal morning jam session. The band "The Quincy's", who performed at the Jam at the Dam this past weekend, are planning to play some music at 10:30 a.m. Once again, the West Moberly First Nations will have tepees at the site and there will be interpretive materials to look at. The PVEA is sponsoring a Best Decorated Watercraft" contest, as well as a "Best YouTube Video" contest.

Please come out and join us on July 11. Pass this email on to friends and family and encourage them to come out and see what we in the PVEA and the West Moberly First Nations already know -- British Columbia's Peace River valley truly is "one of the best places on earth."

For more information on the 2009 Paddle for the Peace contact Danielle Yeoman at 250-785-8510 or check out our website at www.paddleforthepeace.ca.

Official Website: http://www.paddleforthepeace.ca.