Wolves, bears, eagles, deer, cougars and sea otters are just a few of the wildlife species that make up the pristine Great Bear Rainforest.
And since the large B.C. area’s official designation was announced last year, it presents a prime opportunity to educate and inform residents and visitors about just what kind of diverse ecosystems the North Coast entails, said Gareth Scrivner, North Coast zone conservation officer to Prince Rupert city council on March 20.
“Something that’s been in my mind for a little bit of time is the potential for an interpretive centre or an educational facility for Prince Rupert,” said Scrivner.
“The quality of the natural environment here on the North Coast is something that keeps me in this area. I think it’s a globally significant natural resource and that’s been recognized with the Great Bear Rainforest designation recently.”
The conservation officer, who is normally based in Terrace, but whose work has taken him all throughout the northern coastline of B.C., said that there is a real gap in the market for educational awareness for North Coast wildlife and that tourists and residents alike are very interested in finding out more about wildlife in the Great Bear Rainforest.
“I think a lot of people, when they visit, they want to have an experience on the coast here. Some people go for day trips, whale watching, grizzly bear watching; but I think something for Prince Rupert itself would be beneficial,” he said, adding that his idea, purely in the original stages at this point, could involve anything as basic from a display to a full interactive facility (similar to the Port Interpretive Centre in Atlin Terminal – Scrivner even suggested the terminal as a suitable location for such a place).
The officer’s work takes him from northern B.C. all the way to the central coast.
“Part of my role here is to introduce education to communities on the North Coast and I think this would be an efficient and effective use of my time, where it might be visited by a number of people, rather than myself going around to individual schools or the Rod and Gun Club or wherever that may be,” Scrivner said.
The City of Prince Rupert is the first potential partner that Scrivner approached and he identified local First Nations, the University of Northern British Columbia, BC Parks, ecotourism businesses and other organizations to possibly lend a hand. The officer wants to gauge the level of interest and resources available before moving onto solid, more concrete plans for a potential gallery or facility.
Funding and resources for the project would be determined after interested parties met together to see what each could bring to the table, which would in turn determine the scope of the facility.
Rupert councillors were very receptive to the idea. Coun. Joy Thorkelson offered suggestions like getting in contact with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to add a marine element to the display and to approach the trail societies for interest, Coun. Barry Cunningham said that the location could fit in a number of vacant buildings around town and Mayor Lee Brain suggested that the Museum of Northern B.C. would be a natural fit to partner in this project.
Brain added that he would poll council and see who would be interested in pursuing the project further and they would contact Scrivner further down the road.