The days are getting shorter, the rains have returned and leaves are piling up on lawns and in gutters.
And there is one more sign of fall just around the corner in the Tri-Cities: the return of spawning salmon to local streams.
It's a ritual of nature that has gone on for thousands of years and this week, Tri-City residents will mark the annual event with the Salmon Come Home Festival on Sunday. In partnership with the city of Coquitlam, the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society will hold a celebration with music, presentations, games and displays at the Hoy Creek hatchery, near Princess Crescent and the City Centre Aquatic Complex.
"Everyone who has an interest in what goes on with the wildlife and the environment will be interested in this event," said society president Rodney Lee.
The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. rain or shine but, contrary to popular opinion, rain is good because it brings the salmon in to spawn.
Last year, the salmon were late, Lee said, but some chum have already been spotted in the creek this year.
"It's pretty close to being on time," Lee said of the annual migration. "The recent rains have helped the situation."
Lee said it's unique to have a salmon spawning creek so close to urban areas and he encourages everyone to come out and take a look at the salmon and learn more about their habits and the local environment.
New for this year will be recycling-themed crafts for kids, and there will be children's music and a costume parade by Angela Brown, spawning salmon viewing, presentations by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, community group displays and activities including Bear Aware, Burke Mountain Naturalists, and the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, a prize fishing pond by Vancity, and displays by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, BC Hydro Power Smart and the city of Coquitlam Adopt a Tree program.
The Hoy/Scott Watershed Society has run the small hatchery since 1999 and conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the city technical expertise from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The group has about a dozen core volunteers but new one are always welcome and there is a job for everyone.
With chum and coho starting to swim into local creeks and streams, Lee also advised people to stay away from the edges of creeks and riverbanks, and to prevent their animals from getting into the water so habitat isn't destroyed and salmon eggs aren't stepped on.
For more information, visit www.hsws.ca.
