Get Ready to Celebrate Your Local Waterways on BC Rivers Day
Pat Morrow photo
River-lovers across British Columbia are gearing up to celebrate their local creeks, streams and rivers for the 44th annual BC Rivers Day on September 22, 2024.
Held annually on the last Sunday of September, BC Rivers Day is spearheaded by the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORCBC). It serves as both a celebration of BC’s waterways and a vital call to action, offering a moment for reflection on the importance of the rivers that connect us all. This year, over 30 events are already registered across the province including river cleanups, guided paddles, salmon education initiatives, riverside tree plantings, and more. Events and celebrations are planned by recreational clubs, conservation organizations, community groups, and local governments in many regions of the province, including the Lower Mainland, the Shuswap, Port Hardy, Nelson, Port Alberni, Kamloops, Vanderhoof, and the Elk Valley. ORCBC invites everyone to celebrate BC Rivers Day and have a positive impact on the incredible rivers that define our province.
"BC Rivers Day is more than just a celebration—it's a movement that began here in BC and has grown into a global event," says Soraya Olszewski, Communication and Engagement Officer of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. "Our rivers are threatened by pollution, habitat loss, industrial development, invasive species, and climate change. BC Rivers Day provides a meaningful opportunity to learn about and give back to the rivers that connect us.”
BC Rivers Day was founded by world-renowned river advocate Mark Angelo and the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC in 1980. Since then, it has expanded worldwide with more than 100 countries participating in World Rivers Day across six continents this year, making it one of the planet’s largest environmental celebrations. “We have a spectacular river heritage in BC and to see this great provincial event evolve into a global celebration of rivers has been exciting to see”, said Mark Angelo, founder and chair of both BC and World Rivers Day.
BC Rivers Day is made possible with the generous support of the BC Parks License Plate Program, Fortis BC, TD Friends of the Environment, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Sitka Foundation and Real Estate Foundation of BC.
For inspiration on how to participate, explore ORCBC's list 25 Ways to Celebrate BC Rivers Day. Interested groups and individuals can find BC Rivers Day events at www.orcbc.ca/events. To find out more about BC Rivers Day or to get involved hosting an event, please visit www.orcbc.ca/bc-rivers-day or contact info@orcbc.ca
List of Events
***Please note not all events fall directly on September 22nd and certain events are for club members only. Please double check information on the event listing and with event host***
Burnaby, BC - Guichon Creek Day with BCIT
Burnaby, BC - Celebrate World Rivers Day with Burnaby Village Museum
Campbell River, BC - Haig-Brown Festival with the Museum at Campbell River
Courtenay, BC - Family Watershed Day with Millard Piercy Watershed Stewards
Delta, BC - Blake Creek: Fish Habitat Stewardship Workshop with Cougar Creek Streamkeepers and BC Wildlife Federation
Elkford, BC - Elk River Shoreline Cleanup with Elk River Alliance
Fernie, BC - Elk River Shoreline Cleanup with Elk River Alliance
Hope, BC - World Rivers Day Guided Paddle with Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning
Invermere, BC - Group Paddle for BC Rivers Day with Wildsight Invermere
Kamloops, BC - BC Rivers Day with Kamloops Naturalist Club
Kamloops, BC - Club Lunch and Trail clearing with Kamloops Trailblazers ATV/SXS Club
Langley, BC - Langley's World Rivers Day event with Langley Environmental Partners Society
Lee Creek, BC - Welcome back to Tsutswecw Provincial Park with Adams River Salmon Society and Nature Kids BC
Lytton, BC - Thompson River Revival with Vancouver Whitewater Club
Nanaimo, BC - BC Rivers Day with the City of Nanaimo
Nelson, BC - Cottonwood Creek Cleanup with Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society
New Westminster, BC - RiverFest with Fraser River Discovery Center
North Vancouver, BC - BC Rivers Day Cleanup with Seymour Salmonid Society
Okanagan Falls, BC - Salmon Feast with Syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance
Pemberton, BC - Pemberton BC River's Day Celebration with Stewardship Pemberton Society
Pitt Meadows, BC - Ridge Meadows Rivers Day with Alouette Ridge Meadows Rivers Day
Port Alberni, BC - Alberni Valley Rivers Day with Beaver Creek Community Club
Port Coquitlam, BC - BC Rivers Day Rain Gardens with Coquitlam River Watershed Society
Port Hardy, BC - Port Hardy BC Rivers Day with Port Hardy Recreation
Qualicum Beach, BC - Blue Ecology Hope for the Future Storytelling Journey
Roberts Creek, BC - World Rivers Day 2024 with Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers
Squamish, BC - Squamish Rivers Day with Squamish River Watershed Society
Squamish, BC - Intermediate Whitewater Kayaking Course with University of British Columbia Varsity Outdoors Club
Sparwood, BC - Elk River Shoreline Cleanup with Elk River Alliance
Vanderhoof, BC - Vanderhoof Rivers Day Celebration with District of Vanderhoof
Whistler, BC - Cheakamus Lake Trail Cleanup with Friends of Garibaldi Park
And more! Events are being added daily to the ORCBC calendar