News
May 11, 2010, Hello. Once again it is up to us.
The Get Out Migration was a powerful and wildly successful effort. People in every town we passed through and on the road volunteered their time and expertise and the result is emergence of the people of the salmon, people who are strong, independent and understand the contribution of salmon in our lives, our future and our economy.
The First Nation voice set the tone and eloquence - uniting, legendary and welcoming. People of all ages walked side-by-side to ensure a future where our children can thrive. We shut down one lane of highway 17 and the police kindly let us walk without traffic lights along Quadra and Government Streets. The Parliament lawns reportedly hold 20,000 people and looking out over the sea of people less than 1/3 of the lawn was visible.And yet BC's two biggest newspapers mention there were only ---- "nearly 1000 people". This is so wrong in so many ways.
("Sea of people marches to fight fish farms" (The Times Colonist, 9th May): http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/people+marches+fight+fish+farms/3006060/story.html) is no mention of our First Nation families and friends and the number of people was five to ten times lower than reality. You can see video blogs of the Get Out Migration at salmonaresacred.org
There
Those of us who were at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria on May 8 saw who we are and that we exist, a powerful, peaceful, huge community of people! As we walked down the highway thousands more honked, waved, gave us a thumbs up, leaned out the windows cheering! Musicians played for us from the mountains to the sea. I believe we are a majority, but with the stroke of a pen thousands of us were deleted, so that the rest of Canada and the world do not know we exist.
The power of one is all we have BUT WE ALL HAVE IT! If we use it, we will get to keep our fish, our communities and our way of life. The great walk for wild salmon was peaceful, powerful, fun and it is clearly not over. Each us must do what we can to impress on government that they work for us and that we simply demand the opportunity to thrive, that we want our generous fish, the salmon. There are no losers here if you remove the European shareholders in the salmon farm companies from this equation. Land-based aquaculture exists, is feasible and is being done by British Columbia, there could be jobs in it if government supported it. There is no reason we need to beg for low paying jobs, raising fish we cannot touch, when we could have millions of salmon returning to us!
Here are some ideas:
Please reply and tell me if your First Nation, town, society, business, etc. supports the removal of fish farms from the ocean. I and others will do what we can to make you visible!
Write to the Times Colonist editor and tell them how many people you saw: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Write your MP to Get salmon farms out of our oceans: http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E your MLA to support BC land-based aquaculture and to buy back the salmon farm ocean leases: http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-7.htm to MP Fin Donnelly to say you support his bill to remove salmon farms from the ocean: http://www.findonnelly.ca/
Write to Stephen Harper and tell him its time for a BC Fisheries Minister FYI John Duncan supports salmon farming, personally I have found John Cummins the best informed about our fish: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. notices:
Other
We have some Get Out Migration and Salmon are Sacred T shirts left if you want one go to the donations button 1/2 way down the home page at salmonaresacred.org. Make a $25 donation and in the "message space" give your size and whether you want the Black or White shirts. Make sure you fill in your address. For the Back Bone of the Coast shirts go to http://www.oceanaura.com/magento/index.php/clothing In answer to all the folks wanting to purchase my books go to alexadramorton.ca
Salmon Are Sacred and we do exist!
Alexandra Morton
May 5, 2010
Walking through the communities of Vancouver Island on the Get Out Migration has been a powerfully emotional experience. We are walking to tell people that if they simply stand up and make themselves visible to government, there is no reason we have to lose our wild salmon.
But as we walk into towns with our flags flying, brilliant salmon signs, singing “we are walking to Victoria to save our fish,” an entirely unexpected thing is happening. People are coming up to me and holding me - crying. They are speaking about schools without children, independent livelihoods lost, communities dying. This is about much more than fish.
This is about the independent way of life that built these communities going extinct. As we walk I see a land of beautiful clear streams, fertile soil green with life, air sweet with flowers and then I enter towns so burdened by global corporate markets that they can no longer thrive on the richness of this land. There is something very wrong here, it is painful to witness and people are sad.
Somehow we have become blind to our public resource - millions of salmon flowing annually to our doorstep, feeding people and our economy province wide. We have somehow been convinced that Atlantic salmon, dyed pink, vaccinated, fed Chilean fish, in pens where we cannot catch them, infesting our fish with lice - are better. We believe there are jobs even as the Norwegian companies are mechanizing as fast as they can to reduce the number of jobs. When people see us they know we have been duped and they don’t know how to turn this around. The Get Out Migration has been protected, blessed, gifted and honored by the First Nations who know best what has been lost. Everyday more people are joining our trek - weathering storms in tents, waving at thousand honking motorists on the road to Victoria. Our ranks swell as we enter the towns, white doves have been released, First Nation canoes parallel us, songs have been written, feasts laid out, flotillas surround us, people are awakening.
Do we still live in a democracy? Our essential rights and freedoms are being lost as foreign shareholders decide our fate, what happens on our land, dividing our communities, in an equation where they get more as we get less. As our salmon go so we go, they are a lifeline to the powerful natural world that gave birth to us. We must lead our governments back to where we can survive. Walk with us. Be there for our salmon, our towns, our children for yourself. If you want to be represented you must represent yourself.
Alexandra Morton
- May 4 12:30 Costco Nanaimo, 4pm Maffeo Sutton Park, 7pm Agi Hall, Gabriola
- May 5 Ladysmith 6pm Legion
- May 6 LadySmith to Duncan City Square 5pm
- May 7 Mary Winspear Theatre 7:30pm
- May 8 Sidney to Victoria - 8am start Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
2pm Centennial Square
4pm Rally for Wild Salmon BC Legislature (Parliament Buildings)
April 28, 2010. Hello All:
The wild salmon movement is at such a crucial moment that I want make sure everyone knows what they can do to make sure we fix this situation. Two hundred and fifty people greeted us in Campbell River the heart of the Norwegian salmon farming industry. Hundreds of people honked and waved as we walked the 25 km south on the old Island highway.
However, this is not going to be enough. As a friend walking with me today said, "If you want to be represented, you will have to represent yourself."
If you want to see BC's coast produce wild salmon again you need to show up wherever possible, so I am listing the dates of where the Get Out Migration will be, more information is at www.salmonaresacred.org
- April 29 Thursday We will be on the highway heading south into Courtenay, We will arrive around 2:30-3:00 at the Exhibition Grounds please walk with us to Simms Park, in the evening we will be at the Komox Native Band Hall 600pm.
- April 30 Friday Walking from Courtenay to Fanny Bay 3pm Cowie Creek to Fanny Bay, 4pm Fanny Bay Hall
- May 1 Saturday Fanny Bay to Big Qualicum 5-9pm celebration at Big Qualicum River Campground live entertainment
- May 2 Sunday 11 am Town of Qualicum Beach 2pm luncheon at Pheasant Glen Golf Course
- May 3 Monday arrive Saw-Nas-Aw campground Lantzville
- May 4 Tuesday Lantzville Road from Saw-Nas-Aw campground at 7 am to Costco Parking lot at lunch time then walk to Maffeo Sutton Park for a Rally then take the 5:55 Ferry to Gabriola evening presentation at Agi Hall
- May 5 Wednesday walk through Gabriola
- May 6 Thursday walking into Duncan evening event at 5 - 7pm City Square
- May 7 Friday walking Duncan to Mill Bay ferry for 4:10 ferry, 7:30 presentation at Mary Winspear Centre
- May 8 Saturday - Walking Sidney to Victoria meeting at Centennial Square at 3pm then onto the Legislature at 4 pm!!! This is the grand finale and the most important part of this effort. MP Fin Donnelly and our west coast Fisheries Critic will meet us there.
It is vital that everyone show up for these events if possible. Ottawa is not going to inconvenience this industry without enormous public participation.
Alexandra
Sunshine Coast - Gibsons - May 2
Join us in a gathering of support for Alexandra Morton's Get Out Migration
We will meet at Pioneer Park, lower Gibsonsat 10:00 and make our way to Charman Creek at the Gibsons Marina this Sunday, May 2 .
More information
More information about the progress of the "GET OUT THE MIGRATION" walk: salmonaresacred.org (See the video gallery).