Most people wouldn't think about camping in Port Coquitlam but last week, seven young environmentalists crept out of tents near Colony Farm Regional Park, got their gear ready, and set out on the final leg of a 1,200 km canoe trip to raise awareness about the Fraser River.
The youths were part of the Sustainable Living Leadership Program, which aims to build connections between communities along the river and develop projects that promote sustainable living.
Last Thursday, the participants toured community gardens at Colony Farm Regional Park and then ate a festive meal with the Kwikwetlem First Nation before bedding down in tents in a clearing beside the Coquitlam River.
The next day, they pushed off from a small dock on the Coquitlam River for a paddle to New Westminster, where they met with officials to talk about ways to improve sustainability on the river.
"It's a life-changing journey for these youth," said Fin Donnelly, MP for New Westminster-Coquitlam and Port Moody, whose group, the Rivershed Society, started the Sustainable Living Leadership Program 10 years ago, and who was along for the journey.
In 1995, Donnelly swam the length of the Fraser River and formed the society to raise awareness about the importance of the B.C. watershed. He said the Sustainable Living Leadership Program has spawned dozens of community projects and a network has formed of the 67 alumni to share information.
One of the youth leaders is Caitlin Hill, a 23-year-old from Coquitlam who is the communications and fund development co-ordinator for the Pacific Parklands Foundation. She got a chance to pitch her plan to raise funds for the Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Centre Project to the group during the trip.
She said the journey was "an amazing experience" and she enjoyed camping, eating hearty meals of locally grown fruits and vegetables, and the occasional sing-a-long and spontaneous dance party. She plans to share her experience with Pinetree secondary school students after the trip.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore joined the group in Port Coquitlam for the paddle to New Westminster and said he hoped to get some suggestions from the young people about ways to live with less impact on the environment.
Donnelly said the group ate local produce to reduce their carbon footprint, mostly gave up meat because it couldn't be refrigerated, and maintained a "leave nothing behind policy" along the trip.
In fact, he left The Tri-City News reporter with an empty box to recycle before hopping into the large voyager canoe with the rest of the group to paddle the remaining miles, inching ahead on the morning tide toward the Mary Hill Bypass.
The journey concluded Sunday at Jericho Beach in Vancouver. For more information, visit www.rivershed.com.
For a video of the Port Coquitlam leg of the trip, visit www.tricitynews.com.
