The Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club has unveiled three large interpretive signs at the Balfour Ferry Terminal to mark the next step of the Return of the Kokanee project.
The two-year project has seen the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club collaborate with the Lower Kootenay Band and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC to replenish depleted stocks of Kokanee Salmon in Kootenay Lake.
Three large interpretive signs were unveiled on Tuesday at the Balfour Ferry Terminal.
The signs, which feature colourful artwork by Lower Kootenay Band member Carol Louie, describe the story of Kokanee Salmon in Kootenay Lake and their importance to the Lower Kootenay Band.
The Return the Kokanee project has relied heavily on the knowledge of the Lower Kootenay Band, which Band Councillor Robin Louie says is a great example of reconciliation.
“It’s paramount to show the story of this project, of how fast working together can actually make things happen, and showing that as human beings we can make things happen, we can work forward towards the future together.”
“As an Indigenous person, a land user reconciling with the land is the most important thing that we can do. If we can reconcile that, that is the greatest foundation. This is the spirit of reconciliation; this is what it should mean.”
In the coming months, the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club will release Kokanee Salmon eggs into the north and south arms of Kootenay Lake, with a date yet to be announced.
The project is funded through a $399,000 grant from the Ministry of Tourism’s Destination Development Fund.
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