Honouring the Pioneers of BC's Protected Areas
Large
LargeBritish Columbia can rightly boast of having a first-class park and protected area system. The province can proudly boast of having Canada’s largest protected area system, second only to the country’s national parks. BC’s 821 parks and protected areas encompass nearly 12 million hectares (or approximately 12.5% of the province) and provide protection for a dazzling array of ecosystems and species.
This outstanding protected area system did not come about by chance, but rather through the selfless commitment and hard work of a few hitherto faceless civil servants and scientists. They were the pioneers who broke the ground upon which a grand legacy for generations to come has been built. Their primary accomplishments were laying a strong legislative foundation and creating the early parks.
BC Parks Act is a remarkable piece of legislation which states that they are dedicated “to the protection of natural environments for the inspiration, use and enjoyment of the public.” Further wording emphasizes that the parks are to serve two goals: protection and recreation. The earliest provincial parks, such as Strathcona (1911) on Vancouver Island, Mount Robson (1913) in the Rockies, or Garibaldi (1927) in the Coast Mountains, pre-dated the passing of the Parks Act (1965) and therefore were prone to have their boundaries changed or to having resource exploitation occur within them. But with the creation of a dedicated Parks Branch in 1957, emphasis began a slow shift towards greater protection. Under the guardianship of those civil servants and scientists, BC’s fledgling world-class protected area system began to take shape.
And yet, their dedication and commitment has never been truly recognized and celebrated.
On Nov. 24, 2004 this neglect was rectified. Nine individuals, many in their 70s and 80s, were honoured before 150 of their peers at a remarkable event held at Government House. The nine honourees were:
Robert Ahrens is credited with being the primary architect and steward of BC’s provincial parks during the late 1950’s through to the 1970s. He is known as the Wise Man behind the policy and legislation which were put into place in the 1965 and 1972 Parks Acts, which have endured largely unchanged for over 40 years.
Dr. V.C. (Bert) Brink has been a leader in BC’s conservation movement from it’s earliest beginnings more than four decades ago and who helped with the establishment of Tweedsmuir, Wells Grey, Cathedral Lakes and Spatsizi Provincial Parks.
Lloyd Brooks led park planning in the 1950s and 1960s, first for BC’s provincial parks and then with Canada’s national parks. He produced the first public policy for national parks and oversaw the establishment of Kluane, Nahanni, Gros Morne and Kejimkujik National Parks.
Yorke Edwards developed BC Parks interpretive program during the 1950s and 60s which, in its heyday, was one of the finest interpretive programs in North America. He went on to establish the interpretive centres for the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Bristol Foster spent a decade establishing and running the ecological reserves program in BC. Since then, he has been a strong advocate for the establishment of protected areas.
Gordon Mcnab joined BC’s Park Branch in 1951 and led the first comprehensive park system assessment for the entire north of the province. As a result of his study, Atlin, Edziza, Kwadacha, Naikoon, Tatlatui and Spatsizi Provincial Parks were created.
Dr. Ian McTaggart-Cowan, a career biologist and university professor, has served on numerous councils and boards including the National Research Council, Fisheries Research Board of Canada and Habitat Conservation Trust Fund. He has also been a tireless advocate for conservation and wildlife habitat protection.
Tony Roberts prepared long term plans for the acquisition and protection of parks and other forms of green space in the Capital Regional District on Southern Vancouver Island, leading to the creation of East Sooke, Witty’s Lagoon and Mt. Work Regional Parks. His vision inspired other regional districts to follow suit.
John Woodworth helped create the Okanagan Similkameen Parks Society, devoted much time and energy to the Nature Trust of BC and to the protection of the MacKenzie trail running from the Alberta border to Bella Coola on BC’s coast.
In her address, Honorable Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, aptly spoke to the remarkable legacy these individuals created. “I am certain that but for them, much of our treasure would have been permanently lost,” she declared. “But what is irreplaceable about their contribution to the present is that the bulk of their work was done in a period of unprecedented natural resource exploitation throughout this province.” Continuing, her Honour emphasized the magnitude of their accomplishments. “Much has now been forgotten about the times in which many of these Parks were secured. British Columbia had suffered deep, exacerbating poverty throughout the 1930s Depression. Citizens were subjected to highly authoritarian governance and business practices and endured many negative social conventions that limited their access to post secondary education and locked most into low-paying resource extraction work. The result was that only a very few people could meaningful fight for new areas of public understanding and competence in regard to our natural wealth,” she noted, before speaking directly to the honourees, “You assumed a power that had traditionally been denied to all but a tiny minority of “Walden Pond” visionaries; you chose to use that advantage not just for the elites but for the good of all citizens now and in the future.”
As part of the celebration, ekosTV.com produced this short video to convey the immense importance of their contribution.
For more information on the history of BC Parks and the event, go to: