About Expert Interviews

Grand Chief, Dr. Rose Charlie

Chehalis First Nation

As a member of the Chehalis band and the Sto:lo Nation, located along the Fraser Valley's Harrison River, Rose Charlie has worked tirelessly for over 50 years to improve the lives of women and to put right the many injustices her people suffered under both Federal and Provincial jurisdictions.

As founder (and only president) of the Indian Homemakers Association of B.C., formed originally as a cooking and sewing club, she was continually made aware of the hardships native women faced. Under her influence, the association grew into a political force helping First Nations communities improve living conditions, training and services.

Rose organized two 200 mile moccasin walks, raising funds to bring together, for the first time in history, all B.C. Chiefs. The B.C. Union of Indian Chiefs was formed in 1969, following these meetings, and Rose named Grand Chief of B.C.

She is a founder of the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations), the B.C. Association of Non Status Indians and also helped found, two of the most important Native groups in Canada: the National Association of Indian Rights for Indian Women and the Native Women’s Canada. Through her efforts, Indian status has been restored to over 16,000 women and 46,000 first-generation children of mixed ancestry.

Charlie received an honorary doctor of laws from UBC in 1989 and the Governor General’s Award of Canada in 1994. In 2003 she was awarded the Order of British Columbia and, in 2004, the Doreen Wright Award from Fraser Basin Council. She has also been honoured with the National Year of the Child Award from the B.C. Government, a Certificate of Merit from the Government of Canada, and is listed among the 100 most influential women in Canada.

Despite Rose's broad commitments, she and her husband Peter have also found time to raise six children and support their extended families.

 

David Hancock

Hancock Wildlife Foundation

Biologist, conservationist, writer, publisher and lecturer, David Hancock, spent most of his life studying the west coast and arctic wildlife. He has published scientific and popular papers on whales, seals, seabirds, grouse and his specialty, the northern raptors, as well as producing films on these topics and the Haida and other northern natives. Recently he and the Hancock Wildlife Foundation received a lot of press coverage on the Live Wildlife CAMS that feature eagles, salmon and river ecology.

He also recently completed several books: The Bald Eagles of Alaska, BC and Washington , Rocky Mountain Wildlife and The Tlingit: their Art & Culture. Under development he has books on EcoTourism of the Northwest and one on

The Living Glacier. Currently he is undertaking studies of the bald eagles along the NW coast. Prior to starting Hancock House Publisher he was a pilot and wildlife film producer – again specializing on the native cultures and wildlife of the coast and north. His current study on The Urban Bald Eagle of Vancouver BC has turned up over 300 nesting pairs in the greater Vancouver -- lower Fraser Valley area. David Hancock is an enthusiastic and dynamic lecturer and has a fine collection of slides to illustrate a number of current themes.

 

Denny Stobbart

Chef / Organic Gardener, Chehalis First Nation

I was born April 20 th, 1955 in Mission, B.C. I am a member of the Chehalis Indian Band. I lived in Lake Errock B.C., till I married in 1973 at the age of 17. My husband Al and I have been married for 36 years and have two children, a son, Chris and a daughter, Brandi. We moved to Pitt River Hatchery in 1983 and home-schooled our children for the remainder of their education. We lived in the Pitt Valley for 18 years, during that time I cooked for the work crews that came to the hatchery for seasonal work and explored cooking with books and captive volunteers to sample my creations. We have two granddaughters, Melissa and Sara, twelve years old and eleven years old respectively, they are Brandi’s children. In 2000, we moved from the hatchery in Pitt and now live in Deroche. I always had a desire to go to cooking school and finally realized my goal and earned my trades cooks certificate in 2004. I currently work at Sts’ailes Lhawathet Lalem as head-cook (on call). I also volunteer at the school as coordinator for the fruit and vegetable program that provides produce to the school on a bi-weekly basis to introduce new and nutritious food to the children, food that some have never tried before. I am also vice-president of the PAC and volunteer in the mornings at the school for the breakfast club where we provide toast with peanut butter, butter or cheese whiz and milk to students who are hungry or need a little more to eat before school starts. I am a member of the Deroche and District Community Association since 1973 and I cater for the local Lions Club for some of their events. Al and I have been gardening on our property here in Deroche; we grow organic fruits and vegetables and usually have enough to share with family and friends as well as filling our pantry and freezer with various jars and packages of produce for future use. We also enjoy family time; camping, fly-fishing, hunting, bird watching and playing games.

 

Fin Donnelly

Rivershed Society of BC

Councillor, Coquitlam City Council

From 1990 - 2000, Fin made fourteen environmental marathon swims, covering more than 3,200 km in BC’s rivers, lakes and ocean. He has swum the 1,400 km length of the Fraser River twice, Quesnel Lake, Pitt Lake, Williams Lake, Raush River, Georgia Strait (four times) and Juan de Fuca Strait, drawing attention to the health of these significant water bodies, and the need for increased stewardship. Since 1995, Fin has talked to over 55,000 people in hundreds of BC schools and communities. In 1996, Fin founded and is now the Executive Director of the Rivershed Society of British Columbia, a charitable organization with a vision of salmon flourishing in our rivers, and people flourishing in our communities. Fin’s passion for the environment stemmed from his University of Victoria philosophy studies and volunteer work. He has been an advocate of sustainable living for more than twenty years.

Achievements

2008 Re-elected to Coquitlam City Council (3 rd term)

2006 Moved that Metro Vancouver adopt the Zero Waste Challenge

2005 Re-elected to Coquitlam City Council (2 nd term)

2002 Elected to Coquitlam City Council (1 st term)

2002 Awarded Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal

2001 Inducted into B.C. Summer Swimming Association’s ‘Pool of Fame’

1999 Named, “Environmental Educator of Year,” by the Environmental Educators Provincial Specialists’ Association.

1999 Spirit of Community “Community Action Award”

1998 Inducted onto Banting School’s ‘Wall of Fame’

1997 Named Iyim Yewyews by the Squamish Nation.

1995 Honoured by the Georgia Strait Alliance with a lifetime membership.

1994 Named Coquitlam Chamber of Commerce’s “Sports person of the Year.”

1994 Set the unofficial world record for swimming Juan De Fuca Strait (10 hrs,10 min.)

1992 Set the unofficial world record for swimming Georgia Strait (8 hours, 5 minutes).

1988 Placed in the finals at the Canadian Olympic swim trials.

1987 Won four gold medals swimming for Canada in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Raised over $50,000 for environmental concerns

 

Contact Fin at fin@rivershed.com web site: www.rivershed.com

 

Colin Grant

Founder and CEO, Visible Strategies

www.visiblestrategies.com

Colin is a 20-year sustainability industry veteran having guided business and government leaders around the world and often speaks on triple bottom line management approaches and world topics and trends. He's an award-winning businessman and holds a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Economics and Biotechnology, including a Honours in Technology and Business Studies. Colin is a lover of nature, and spends much of his spare time enjoying the beauty of British Columbia's mountains, rivers, lakes and forests.

 

Matt Foy

Salmon Restoration Biologist

Matt Foy joined the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 1980 and has since worked on various enhancement and habitat restoration programs throughout BC. Since it's formation in 1995, he has been based exclusively at the DFO in the Lower Fraser area. Matt is senior biologist of the Resource Restoration Group of the Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement Branch and is involved with local individuals and organizations active in stream restoration and enhancement, and watershed management.

 

Dr. Linnea Battel

Director,  Xá:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre

Dr. Linnea Battel has been a vocal aboriginal culture and heritage advocate and has been an effective leader in numerous community, regional, and provincial organizations. Dr. Battel led the successful and forceful campaign in 1991 to save the ancient 9000-year-old First Nations village site that features a sacred transformer stone and “BC’s Oldest House” near Mission

As the Director of Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre since 1993, Dr. Battel has taken a barren farmer’s field and has developed into a thriving Aboriginal cultural tourism centre that attracts 15000 visitors annually. She has been responsible for all developments and initiative including construction of a traditional cedar longhouse and an archaeology shelter and the development of hands-on cultural, archaeology, and fishing programs and for the flourishing school program.

Recently, she has raised over $1 million to fund the capital expansion project that included the construction of 2 pithouses and 2 additions to the existing longhouse. Dr. Battel has just completed the artisan centre construction and has initiated an artist-in-residence program this year.

Her current volunteer work includes Co-Chair of Aboriginal Tourism BC, Mission Tourism Committee, Mission Economic Development Select Committee, Co-Chair Sto:lo Tourism Commission, Member of University of the Fraser Valley Board of Governors, Mission Cultural Resources Commission, Mission Community Skills Centre Board and numerous others.

Dr. Battel’s work has attracted numerous awards including an honorary doctorate of laws degree from the University of the Fraser Valley, Fraser Valley Champion of Diversity Award 2008, British Columbia Heritage Award in Year 2000, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 “Inspirational Leadership” award from Aboriginal Tourism BC in 2003, Mission “Special Accomplishment Award” in 1991 and 1993, Canada’s 125 th anniversary medal, in 1993 and numerous other honours.

 

Josette Jim

Tour guide / interpreter

Sqatin First Nation

 

Tom Cadieux

Co-Chair, Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival