Quinsam River Salmon Hatchery

Vancouver Island is home to a number of salmon hatchery programs where the public is welcome to view the ongoing efforts to enhance and encourage the wild salmon populations of the west coast.

Quinsam River Hatchery is our local hatchery and is a common field trip destination for the local schools. It is also a great place to walk, especially in the fall when the salmon are running upstream. It is not uncommon to see bears, eagles and lots of seagulls on the banks of the river, feasting on the salmon swimming upstream.

The hatchery itself is also an interesting place to walk around and look into all the pens, troughs, etc. From one week to the next you never quite know what you'll see!

Salmon are such an integral part of the coast, both from a fishing view point and also as a common topic in our news and political arenas. The hatcheries provide a valuable look for the general public, through their educational programs and displays, into the importance of salmon in our local waters and within our coastal culture.

The hatcheries also happen to be on rivers which provide beautiful walking trails, making them the perfect place for a Sunday walk.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Dealing with Archeological Information

Archeological sites are a common topic with coastal properties these days (the majority of these are sites with cultural and/or historical significance), and even make the news every once in a while. They can be controversial, but they are an essential part of developing property these days on the coast of BC so it is important to know what needs to be done.

Some properties have already had investigations done and have marked archeological sites on them. Understanding the implications of these sites is important, as an owner, or potential owner, needs to know what can and can't be done with the property. A small site can simply mean making sure you do not disturb it when creating development plans, while a large site can mean further action is required.

 You can first determine if there are any known sites on the property by contacting the provincial government through their Archaeology Branch. This is something that we at BC Oceanfront, a part of the Royal LePage Advance Realty team, do on most of our listings. We have found the Arch. Branch to be very easy to deal with, and the forms required are straight forward to fill out. We submit directly from online.

If you wish to build on a property or make major alterations to a property, then an archeological assessment is generally required. Most municipalities and regional districts will require an assessment during the permitting process. These are done by private companies, and there are often many steps involved in the process, which the company should be able to facilitate.

From the Archaeology Branch's FAQ document, these are two things they see as important to property owners: "The current use of the property is seldom affected unless the use involves significant land alteration. A house on a fully developed lot is not affected by overlapping with an archaeological site. An active gravel pit is a concern, because this current use will damage or destroy a site.
New development, such as changing the building footprint, major landscaping, or installation of an in ground swimming pool, will be a concern, because the new activity may damage the archaeological site. When planning for land use change, ensure that a professional consulting archaeologist is part of the planning process. They can determine if the new development will have an effect on the archaeological site.
In many cases, the archaeological site is not within the development zone. As an example, sites on waterfront properties are usually close to the water and are often contained within zoning setbacks set up to protect other environmental values."

Owning property on the BC Coast is a dream for many, and it is important to have all the information on hand when making those dreams reality.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Walk the River

One of the wonderful things about Vancouver Island is that every season offers a different nature show. The Fall happens to be a great time to walk along local rivers. With the beauty of the changing leaves on the trees along the banks of the rivers, the salmon returning to spawn and the extra water brought by seasonal rain, rivers are the perfect place to be in the fall.

There is a great selection of rivers with walking trails close to most of the towns and cities on Vancouver Island. Many of them are within minutes of town and are easy to drive to. Some walks are just meandering strolls while others can be quite the hike.

Be aware of rising river levels in the fall, especially when walking near dams (such as on the Campbell River trails near Elk Falls). Exploring the trails in the fall is a great way to get out in nature!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!