Welcome. Our goal is to keep you informed on issues affecting Strathcona Park, and to let you know what actions we are taking to preserve the park in its natural state. You may wish to pay special attention to our Blog where your letters and comments are posted. Thanks for visiting.
Upcoming
- Presentation of Rick Searle’s film ‘100 years of Strathcona Park’ at the Island Mountain Ramblers AGM on March 21.
- FOSP strategy meeting on Monday, April 12
- FOSP AGM, June 11-13, Driftwood Group Campground
Updates
For the week ending:
- Mar 13/10:
- FOSP strategy meeting on Monday, March 8, 2010
- Mar 6/10:
- Website: The Gallery page has a new album: “Strathcona Park: 100 Years of History” by Marlene Smith- Schalkwijk.
- ‘Gains From the 1988 Strathcona Blockade’ by Karl Stevenson is the third in a series of articles on the struggle to preserve the park from our own government.
- Feb 13/10:
- FOSP strategy meeting on Monday, Feb 8, 2010.
- Feb 6/10:
- Presentation of Rick Searle’s film ‘100 years of Strathcona Park’ to the Campbell River Newcomers on Feb 2.
- Jan 23/10:
- The new Strathcona Centennial Expedition website describes the re-enactment of Price Ellison’s Strathcona Discovery Expedition, including the July 29th, 1910 ascent of Crown Mountain. This ultimately led to the formation of Strathcona Park, the first in BC’s now world famous park system.
- FOSP strategy meeting on Monday, Jan 18, 2010
- Jan 16/10:
- The Heathens Mountaineering Club in Campbell River over the past 2 decades have volunteered their time and their funds to create and maintain the Crest Creek climbing crags on the western edge of Strathcona Park near Gold River. They have had an on and off relationship with BC Parks and other stakeholders to keep the crags in good condition. They have recently written about their experiences in a discussion paper: The Rise And Fall Of The Crest Creek Steering Committee. It is an enlightening example of how our provincial government is letting our parks fall into disrepair, yet thwarts the efforts of volunteers to get the job done.
- Dec 19/09:
- ‘The Strathcona Blockade of 1988′ by Karl Stevenson is the second in a series of articles on the struggle to preserve the park from our own government. ‘Strathcona Park: A Sad History’ was the first.
- This article appeared recently in the Vancouver Sun regarding funding cuts to BC parks.
- Dec 12/09:
- Minister Penner rejects meeting with Friends. (see it here)
- Dec 5/09:
- The fall 2009 newsletter has been mailed to all members, and is available on the Reference page and here.
- Nov 28/09:
- FOSP strategy meeting on Nov 23.
- Nov 21/09:
- Karl Stevenson and Bob St.John of FOSP attend an informal strategy meeting with the Heathens Mountaineering Club in Campbell River on Nov 20.
- Website: The Gallery page has two ‘before logging/after logging’ photos of the Bedwell Valley by Syd Watts (c/o Lindsay Elms) in the ‘Of Interest’ album.
- Nov 14 /09:
- Oct 24 /09:
- Website: Videos page – See the suspension bridge being repaired from the comfort of your home.
- Field trip to repair the Gayle McGee suspension bridge in the Bedwell Valley, Oct 16, 17, 18. The bridge was successfully re-anchored and re-tensioned. See Karl Stevenson’s report on the trip.
- Presentation to Comox Valley Naturalists Society on Oct 18
- Oct 17 /09:
- Presentation to Comox District Mountaineering Club on Oct 17
- FOSP media release by Kel Kelly: Friends of Strathcona Park Build Bridges
- FOSP strategy meeting on Oct 11.
- Oct 10 /09:
- Field trip to the Bedwell, Oct 2 to Oct 5
- Oct 03 /09:
- FOSP strategy meeting on Sep 28.
- Sep 26 /09:
- Website: Gallery page – ‘Beautiful’ photo contributions from Dave Hutchison. Thanks!
- Website: Videos page – Bob, Karl, and Lori stumble upon camp fire and ATV damage on a hike up Mt Becher on Sep 19, 2009.
- Sep 19 /09:
- Website: moved Newsletters to Reference page.
- Website: Gallery page – ‘Ugly’ photo contributions from Karl Stevenson. Thanks!
- Website: Gallery page – ‘Beautiful’ photo contributions from Tim Penney. Thanks!
- Website: Blog – letters moved from comments to posts.
- Website: Gallery page – photos contributions to ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Of Interest’ albums by William Wright and Christine Jenner. Thanks!
- FOSP strategy meeting on Sep 13.
- Website:Gallery page – ‘Ugly’ and ‘Beautiful’ photo contributions from Dave Ingram and Martin Smith. Thanks!
- Sep 12 /09:
- Website: Gallery page – ‘1988 Blockade’ and ‘Of Interest’ albums expanded. ‘Ugly Strathcona’ and ‘Beautiful Strathcona’ albums initiated. Invitation added for viewer photos. All photos were resized for slower dial-up modems.
- Sep 7: FOSP directors potluck dinner
- Karl Stevenson tracks the attitude of parks staff towards the Master Plan over the last 5 years using excerpts from Freedom of Information (FOI) documents.
- Website: Three pages: Videos, FOI, and the Blog were added. The web log was moved from the home page to the Blog, and this new home page added. Letters and comments from our viewers are attached to blog entries. Two new albums (1988 Blockade and Of Interest) were added to the Gallery.
- Sep 5 /09:
- FOSP strategy meeting on the 4th.
- Website: The following pages were added: Gallery, Letters, Master Plan, Membership, Park Funding, and Reference. LeRoy McFarlane added The Friends Ask: Now What? to the blog.
- Aug 29 /09:
- FOSP strategy meeting on the 24th.
- FOSP strategy meeting on the 28th.
- Website: Karl Stevenson and Bob St.John met with Dave Ingram to discuss a new web presence for FOSP. Dave set up the basic layout including the web log (blog) and the ‘About’ and ‘Newletters’ page. Thanks Dave for your help! FOSP members took it from there. Karl Stevenson started blog entries with Strathcona Update.
- Aug 22 /09:
- Minister of the Environment Penner on Aug 19 released his decision to allow horses in the Bedwell and other areas of the park. read more
- FOSP public meeting on the 19th at the Filberg Centre in Courtenay was attended by 45 people. The current situation regarding Clayoquot Wilderness Resort’s application for horses into the park in the Bedwell Valley was discussed.
- FOSP strategy meeting on the 20th.
