Dunbar Residents Association News and Events

I see a change back to what Fraser River Pink Salmon did in the past, that is spend some dangerous time off the mouth of the Fraser River, in big schools . Looks like it is happening once again and that is great news for what we once called the Gulf of Georgia Blackfish . Fraser Pinks return to the Fraser every odd year and I found myself gillnetting them off Point Grey, Spanish Banks and the North Sturgeon Bank Flats in the 1960ies . We always had a friendly Pink competition from Blackfish about the second week in Sept. When the Orcas or Blackfish arrived, usually on a big tide , full moon night all hell broke loose out on the water ! You could hear them just a coming full bore, crashing and snorting , weaving around and under Gillnets . They always seem to have popped up at night right next to your boat, to take a peek at you as you stood on the stern drum deck. Boy was i scared bigtime, enough to try desperately to get a net full of Pinks on board and get out of their way !

I will always remember this one night , I was snoozing on deck with net out and woke with a jolt as my old flat bottom gill-netter became airborne, out of the water , I looked down to see this wriggling and pushing Blackfish scrapping the barnacles off his back, with the bottom of my boat as the sandpaper . Looking to the Nor West to Bowen Island the Pod came like white caps in a storm in a half circle formation , chasing and driving the terrified pinks to the shallows off the Point Grey Bell Buoy . The air was electric with the blackfish blow holes smells and Pink Salmon being gobbled and burped up . I Quickly picked up my Gillnet and headed for the OLD GREEN LIGHT on the end of the North Arm Jetty , in a matter of 30 minutes the Wreck Beach shallows were full of pinks, trying desperately to stay away from the salmon killers . I set my net on the shallows away from my Blackfish fishing friends and caught more Pinks than my boat could hold . It was a great night of Fraser River Pink fishing, in that I was sharing and working along side great whales , a experience I will never forget ! !

The moral of this fishing story is, Pink Salmon are so very important to other wild species such as Orcas “Blackfish “, White Sturgeon ect. , the list is long . We must be prepared to share what the River and Ocean provides us with at no cost to anyone, its a gift of nature ! Wild Fraser River Pinks were one of the first salmon species to return to the lower mainland’s creeks and rivers after the last Ice Age , they are the great survivors . Lets treat them with respect , protect their spawning Gravels in the” Hart of the Fraser” understand their wants and needs, as their offspring juvenile Fry will be moving down the Fraser to the ocean, as we open the Vancouver 2010 games next year !

Love Those Pinks ! !” “Think Pinks” is my motto ! ! !

Terry the Pink Man

Cooler evenings in Pacific Spirit Park and other areas in Vancouver in the last 2 days has triggered the Chicken of the Woods Mushroom to emerge from rotting logs and old branches along the trails, especially in Pacific Spirit Park . The big orange, red and yellow fungi seems to push out to find light overnight and by just watching the sides of the walking trails they are easy to spot usually on or along side of a very rotten log. It is very wise not to touch the mushroom , just have your Camera ready to take a great colorful picture that you will never forget !

In just about two weeks time the Chickens of the Woods will release their spores and turn from a wonderful picture of multi brilliant color to a dull grey, its sad but their life will be passed on to the next generation of a new young Chickens of the Woods, in the spores that land on a another old rotting log, along side another trail in Pacific Spirit Park . Many people tell me that they look hard and never see one , now with a promise to walk very carefully, take pictures only and please do not disturb, I will give directions to see one that just reached for light, probably last night . Enter Pacific Spirit Park at Camosun and 33rd and on your right hand side about 100yards in close to the trail, on a very rotten log is a great burst of natural color that only the Great Mother Nature could provide . Again promise to look , take pictures and please do not disturb .

Terry

Tuesday, Sept 8, 7:30 – 9:30 PM: DRA Board Meeting, Dunbar Community Centre

Thursday, Sept 17, 6:30 – 8:30 PM: Dunbar Apartments (16th & Dunbar Facility) Community Advisory Committee meeting, Dunbar Community Centre

For more information on the Dunbar Apartments, see the 16th & Dunbar page on this website.

Saturday, Sept 19, 11 AM to 3 PM: Dunbar Village Harvest Festival, a fun-filled community-oriented celebration sponsored by the Dunbar Village Business Association.

• Dunbar Street, Southlands to W. 16th — with main activities between W 26th & W 30th
• Sidewalk sales & merchant promotions
• Live music, balloon art, magic shows, face painting
• Dunk tank featuring local politicians
• Show n’ Shine

For more information, visit the DVBA website: www.dunbarvillage.ca.

Saturday, Sept 19, 10 AM – 2 PM: FestEVOLVE, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Courtyard at 2212 Main Mall, UBC

• FREE outdoor event for the whole family to learn about evolution.
• Examine specimens, meet scientsts & participate in experiments.
• Nature sketching, scavenger hunt, face painting.

For more information, see the Beaty Biodiversity Museum FestEVOLVE website.

Tuesday, Sept 22, 7:30 PM: Dunbar Garden Club Meeting, Dunbar Community Centre

• Ferns and the Woodland Garden
• Mike Lascelle, Manager, Amsterdan Greenhouses, Pitt Meadows
• Design, species selection and care of ferns and their companion plants in woodland gardens
• Meeting drop-in fee $3.00

For more information, contact DGC newsletter editor Debby Stagg: dstagg@telus.net.