About the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival

www.fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca

This popular Festival takes place annually, the third weekend in November in one of the most biologically diverse and important wildlife areas in British Columbia. At this winter festival you will find North America’s third largest gathering of bald eagles. The raptors are drawn to the area by the thousands of spawning salmon that travel up the Fraser River and return purposely to the Harrison River / Chehalis River confluence where the broad gravel floodplain makes abundant habitat for spawning salmon and feasting eagles.

For thousands of years the First Nation Peoples have lived here in harmony with the land and water. Today they work with the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival to welcome visitors and share the knowledge they have gained over the ages.

The festival’s roots go back to 1995, when the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund and the Wild Bird Trust, spear headed by April Mol, set out to create the Harrison / Chehalis Bald Eagle Festival.

In 1998, thanks to increased community involvement and new partnerships, a small but enthusiastic committee sprang to life. The committee worked to broaden the scope of the Festival and changed the name to form its new identity – the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival.

In 2001 over 1200 outdoor enthusiasts came to “Soar with the Eagles”. Each year the festival continues to grow and provide an exciting, educational family experience focused on environmental stewardship, the amazing salmon runs and the majestic raptor, the bald eagle.

From Mission to Chilliwack, many exciting venues offer excellent eagle viewing opportunities and a range of activities and adventures that include jet boat eco-river tours; a Chehalis River walking tour; a diverse abundance of local wildlife; environmental presentations, naturalists and interpreters; historic and ancient aboriginal sites; displays by local artists; and lots of hands on activities and entertainment.