Burnaby's Mark Angelo, a world-renowned conservationist, is the newest inductee into the Fraser River Discovery Centre's hall of fame.
Angelo, the founder of World Rivers Day, told the NOW he feels honoured and thinks highly of the centre's work.
"They do so much to create a greater awareness of the importance of the Fraser," he said.
The centre chose Angelo because of his decades of work advocating for the waterway. Nearly four decades ago, he kayaked the 1,375-kilometre river from Mount Robson to the Lower Mainland. He was floored by the beauty, from lowlands and eddies full of fish, to whitewater canyons and the basin.
"I was just taken aback by the beauty and the incredible cultural values, the incredible natural values," he said. "It's an Eden in our midst."
That trip was his inspiration for starting B.C. Rivers Day, a celebration of the province's rivers, which is now recognized around the world.
According to Angelo, the Fraser has more than 30 species of fish and the largest run of spawning salmon in B.C. It's home to the endangered white sturgeon has also shaped settlement patterns in B.C., as people tend to build close to the river.
"I've always believed that rivers are the arteries of our planet," Angelo said. "(The Fraser) is every bit as diverse as the province it runs through. You see the way it has influence on our economy, on our environment, on our way of life. ... Without question it's one of the worlds great waterways."
That said, the Fraser also faces an array of pressures, Angelo pointed out, from urbanization to pollution and industrial development.
Angelo will be honoured at a special ceremony on Nov. 6 at the centre, located on the Quay.
Catherine Ouellet-Martin, the centre's executive director, said the hall of fame is for those who make significant contributions to the Fraser in three areas: industry, social-cultural endeavours and the environment.
The centre nominated Angelo because he's been an articulate defender of the Fraser River and all its values for decades, Ouellet-Martin said.
"He's so passionate it's infectious," she added. "Mark is very good at recognizing many values of the Fraser River. It is a very significant ecosystem, ... but it's also an economic river, and the two values need to co-exist. It's a very populated river."
Local politicians Kathy Corrigan and Fin Donnelly will be speaking at the Nov. 6 ceremony, which also functions as a fundraiser for the centre. Tickets are available by emailing [email protected].
