Odyssey to the Sacred Headwaters

In a rugged knot of mountains in northern British Columbia lies a spectacular valley known to the First Nations as the Sacred Headwaters. There, three of Canada's most important salmon rivers—the Stikine, the Skeena, and the Nass—are born in close proximity.

Now, against the wishes of First Nations, the British Columbia government has opened the Sacred Headwaters to industrial development. Imperial Metals is building an open-pit copper and gold mine called the Red Chris mine. This is all taking place while the Mount Polley mine disaster in August 2014, a mine also owned by Imperial Metals, is at the forefront of public debate.

Professor Wade Davis describes the beauty of the Sacred Headwaters, the threats to it, and the response of native groups and concerned citizens as part of UBC Reads Sustainability.

Davis’ message: no amount of gold, copper or methane gas can compensate for the sacrifice of a place that could be the Sacred Headwaters of all Canadians, and indeed, of all peoples of the world. Part book club, part lecture, Davis’ presentation goes beyond the visually stunning text, The Sacred Headwaters (2011), a collection of images by an array of photographers portraying the splendor of the region.

LEARN MORE: HERE

Still Strong

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BC should keep Shell’s gas drills out of the Sacred Headwaters for good: Skeena Swimmer

One year after the BC government put a moratorium on Shell’s coalbed methane drilling project in northern BC’s Sacred Headwaters, support for permanently protecting the area remains strong.

That’s what southern British Columbians are hearing this week from Ali Howard, the 33-year-old who in August became the first person to swim the length of the 610-kilometre Skeena River. Howard is in Vancouver and Victoria presenting a multimedia show of her trip.

“Our communities applauded the government’s move to put a drilling moratorium in place last year,” said Howard. “Now, with our province in the global spotlight, the BC government has the perfect opportunity to implement permanent safeguards for this remarkable area.”

The Sacred Headwaters is the shared birthplace of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine Rivers – three of British Columbia’s most important wild salmon rivers. Shell wants to drill over 1,000 coalbed methane gas wells in the Headwaters’ sensitive subalpine ecosystem, which residents fear will harm wildlife and salmon spawning habitat.

“Northwest residents have clearly demonstrated that they will not allow a project such as Shell’s to proceed under any circumstances,” said Shannon McPhail, executive director of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition. “Permanent safeguards for the Headwaters would be welcomed by a broad cross section of our communities.”

This is a message Howard heard many times over the course of her historic swim.

Read More: Here
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Shell Go Home

On Aug 21, 2007 the Tahltan elders of Iskut and Telegraph creek blockaded Shell from resuming their destructive Coalbed Methane operations in the Sacred Headwaters.

This is the latest in an ongoing battle over resource development at the birthplace of three of Canada's great salmon rivers, a place aboriginal groups consider sacred.