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The Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society and Gilmore elementary are the recipients of a $15,000 grant from the Pacific Salmon Foundation for two Pacific salmon projects. |
The total value of the projects including volunteer time and community fundraising is almost $100,000.
The Foundation’s Community Salmon Program supports habitat stewardship, Pacific salmon enhancement, and watershed education, and is funded primarily from sales of the federal government’s Salmon Conservation Stamp.
The Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society will use its share of the funds to purchase an exterior projector for outdoor events and programs related to salmon and fisheries history.
Gilmore elementary will purchase five classroom salmon incubator systems in support of DFO’s Salmonids in the Classroom education program.
“We are pleased to support these projects because the end result will be a better public understanding of the importance of salmon,” said Dr. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
The Foundation’s Community Salmon Program supports community groups, volunteers and First Nations across the province.
All give countless hours each year to monitor watersheds, develop and implement habitat rehabilitation projects, and educate communities about the conservation and protection of salmon.
The program requires grantees to find matching funds for projects. On average, grantees raise an additional $6 for every dollar they receive through fundraising for donations of in-kind and money at the community level.
The majority of funds for the Community Salmon Program were generated through sales of the federal Salmon Conservation Stamp.
The Salmon Conservation Stamp is a decal that must be purchased annually by anglers if they wish to keep Pacific salmon caught in saltwater off of Canada’s West Coast.
Currently, all proceeds from the $6 dollar stamp are returned to British Columbia through the Foundation, generating about $1 million for community grants annually.
In addition to funds generated from the sales of the federal “Salmon Stamp,” the grants are made possible by fundraising dinners, auctions, and donations from individuals, foundations and businesses.
“The Community Salmon Program captures the essence of what we are trying to do at the Foundation,” Riddell said.
“Government, business, First Nations and volunteers all working together — that is the best way to ensure the future of wild Pacific salmon.”
