Solidarity of Nations Feast

We arrived in Kitimat on Friday to sunny blue skies and warm weather for the Solidarity of Nations Feast hosted by the Haisla of Kitamaat and the Gitga'at of Hartley Bay. This feast brought people from all over coastal and interior BC to show their support of the coast and to show opposition to the proposed Northern Gateway Project.  This project would bring tar sands oil from Alberta along a 1200km pipeline to Kitimat where the oil would be transported to 225 oil tankers per year that would transport it through the GreatBear Rainforest and out past Haida Gwaii on it's way to Asia. The feast began on Saturday morning at 9:00am. Gerald Amos, organizer, asked me to paddle my standup board into the Haisla village so they could ceremoniously welcome me and our Standup4Greatbear expedition to start the feast off. We started our expedition in Kitamaat on May 8th and this would be bringing it full circle. A very large crowd gathered to welcome me in with chief counsellor Dolores Pollard and her dance crew singing as i made my way to the dock. Dolores was there to send us off on the 8th and to bless us with her incredible songs that would carry us over the next two weeks. Her song, We Don't Need Enbridge on the Douglas, was the theme song that we sang all the way to Bella Bella. The welcoming was incredible and a little overwhelming. So many people were there to support and offer congratulations. From there we went to the feast hall to listen to a number of guests speakers that would talk about the importance of the GreatBear Rainforest and the traditional territories and food harvesting areas of the coastal First Nations. All were in full 100% support of not having oil tankers on our coast. There were people from Prince George to Prince Rupert and from Alaska to Bella Bella there to support. Close to a 1000 people attended. Chiefs from various nations spoke, dance groups performed throughout the day and evening and presentations were done by whale researcher Hermann Meunter, local politicians, Dr. Riki Ott who was there from day 1 of the Exxon Valdez spill and just recently arrived from the Gulf disaster, and the highlight for most people was listening to David Suzuki. People were excited to listen to my presentation of  the Standup4Greatbear expedition. The dinner we had showcased almost every traditional food that could be found on the coast including crabs, cockles, herring eggs, seaweed, sea cucumber, salmon, seal and halibut.  The feast went on all day and into the evening and ended around 10pm. The highlight for our expedition was being called onto the stage to sing our song, We don't need Enbridge on the Douglas, with Dolores Pollard and her singers and dancers. Brian, Shannon and I stood hand in hand as we did our best to represent ourselves through song. The First Nations dancers and singers were so powerful in song and unity. I find it hard to think that Enbridge could challenge the power of the people that were there but i am sure they will try. Two days prior to the feast they submitted their environmental proposal for review.

 I have to say thank you to all of the amazing people of the coast that were there and that supported our expedition. My condolences go out to the people of Klemtu who couldn't be there due to a death in the community hours before they were set to leave. Our journey will continue together. It was an incredibly powerful and emotional weekend that highlighted the unity of the people.

Standing up for what she believes in!!

I just received this amazing picture from Melissa Rivard More. She is the daughter of a really close friend of mine, Paula. She lives in the Toronto area and has really been inspired by the Standup4GreatBear Expedition. I sent her out Ian McAllister's book called "The Salmon Bears." I am sure she read it cover to cover. She recently did a school presentation on the GreatBear Rainforest that netted her an A grade. I am really proud of her and I am excited that she is fired up about the animals and about our coastline.

Its really important that an amazing area will be here long enough so today's youth will be able to experience such a powerful place tomorrow. This expedition has gotten a lot of youth excited and that makes me really happy.

Thanks Melissa for inspiring me. I look forward to showing your family the land of the Great Bear.

Reflections

Well i am back now in Squamish resting and catching up on emails and things on the do list. I flew back to Vancouver this past Saturday after a restful and relaxing 4 days at Ian and Karen McAllister's. They were amazing hosts and our crew was grateful to decompress on Denny Island. We had a number of Brackendale Bean coffees and even went out for a night on "the town" in Shearwater. I realized how tired i was the day after we arrived when I had to get on the board to do some more video. Mentally i had completed the trip and with it my body went into completion mode as well. I can tell you that i was not that motivated to paddle. We also went into Bella Bella and Shearwater schools to do presentations on the expedition. They were a lot of fun and it was great seeing all the smile's on the children's faces. They had lots of questions and Brian and I were happy to answer all of them. I brought my board and paddle right into the classroom. They were pretty stoked. We spent a lot of the time at The McAllister's(Callum and Lucy included) catching up on media, doing interviews and eating a lot.

Ian and Karen's organization Pacific Wild were one of the sponsor's for our trip. I am excited to continue this relationship with Pacific Wild in the future to help protect and preserve the GreatBear Rainforest. It was their book "The GreatBear Rainforest,"  that started me on my path up here on the north coast and in the GreatBear Rainforest. Contact Pacific Wild if your interested in the book. Ian has also done an outstanding book on Coastal Rainforest Wolves and just completed another book for young children on Salmon Forests. Ian and Karen have both really inspired me and they continue to be great mentors. Thanks so much for the boat support, supper and breaky from Cockle Bay to Bella Bella and for helping to organize our welcoming to Bella Bella. 

I have enjoyed being home but i do miss the north coast, the people of the coast and the wide open spaces and feelings of exploration and adventure. I had an incredible support team. Brian Huntington of SWCC accompanied me the whole way in his kayak and looked after photos and videos. Brian had never been in a sea kayak before so that shows you his commitment to the project and to his "sense of now." We had never met prior to this expedition and he was a great teammate. Having Brian along really brought this expedition to another level with his logistical experience and connections in the north. Having my sister on the trip was gift for me as well. There is nothing like having family along to support you in what you do. Shannon looked after media, did an outstanding job on the blog and also helped with all other parts of the expedition from food prep to photos and video. Her easy going style, great laugh and generosity endeared her to everyone she came into contact with. She took time away from her job to support her older brother and that means the world to me. Thanks Shans and Brian. It's not easy supporting someone yet Shannon and Brian provided me with an opportunity to just concentrate on the paddling. I know that they were enriched by this experience as well. You cannot do what we did and not be affected.Thanks as well to my partner Jen who really wanted to be on the expedition but had other commitments. Jen helped with logistics, blogs and communication from home. I thought of her daily, her love and spirit pushing me along. Thank you lovely, you inspire me and i am really happy your in my life.

Thanks so much to the First Nation's communities of Kitamaat, Hartley Bay, Klemtu and Bella Bella. The people of these communities inspired me and brought depth to the expedition. They all stood up for the great bear, for their lands and for themselves. They welcomed us into their communities like we were long lost families. They shared their traditional foods, songs, dances and stories with us and for that I am so thankful. They also provided all of the boat support and did not question anything we were doing. The communities passed us safely along from boat to boat and guided us through their territories and showed us some incredible places.....thank you. I will be back to these communities. A special thanks to my adopted to community of Hartley Bay. This is the community that has helped to define who i am and who gave me all of the power in the world to complete my goal successfully. I will continue with my responsibility as T'aam Laan and will do my best to make you proud.

Thank you to my sponsors. First Ascent for providing the expedition apparel, Bodie Shandro and Surftech for giving me a Joe Bark Expedition board(what a great machine), Meg at Kialoa Paddles for the best SUP paddles on the market, Alex at Outdoor Research for the amazing dry bags, backpacks and bivy's, Steve at Brackendale Bean for the bags of Rainforest Coffee(no explanation needed), support from Pacific Wild, Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, Headwaters Initiative and Aquabatics for Brian's kayak. Thanks to Paula Rivard for her tremendous support from Day 1, for the Kodak camera and the STANDUP4GREATBEAR bracelets. You will see these all up and down the coast now. You have been a great friend and i look forward to the GreatBear presentation in Sudbury.

Thanks to my family, Mom, Dad, Brad, Tara, Sam, Alexandria and Stacey, back in Sudbury Ontario. I know dad was glued to the spot tracker for the whole expedition. I can't wait to get back home to share this experience with you all and also with my friends. Your love and support has enabled me to be who I am.

And thank you to all who supported with emails and phone calls. Thanks to all of the media who provide great coverage and for helping me to get the word out about our incredible coastline. The trip was a huge success and has brought me to another level of commitment for my passion of places and people.  Our expedition is complete but our journey continues.........STANDUP4GREATBEAR

Article from my hometown of Sudbury

Click here for the followup article on our Standup4GreatBear Expedition

Norm Hann to Join David Suzuki and Dr. Riki Ott at Anti-Oil Rally

http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/94625064.html

Day 11 - More Pics to Enjoy.....

Norm's Interview on CBC Radio - All Points West with Jo-Ann Roberts.

Norm's interview starts at 7:55. Enjoy!!!
http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/bcallpointswest_20100520_32680.mp3

Day 11 - Our Final Day - Cockle Bay to Bella Bella

Today we woke up to pounding rain for the first time in our 10 days on the water.  A fitting farewell from the Great Bear Rainforest as we hadn’t seen a drop up to this point.  Being our last day of this epic journey, we were filled with many mixed emotions.  Anxiety and nerves for being so close to accomplishing our goal, happiness for having made it this far, excitement for what the future will hold as a result of this journey, sadness for our time together as a team coming to an end, but mostly gratitude for the many gifts this expedition and the Great Bear Rainforest has blessed us with.  After a delicious breakfast of eggs and sausages, the boys suited up in their wetsuits and raingear. We then shared a private moment together before I bid them a final farewell from my perch on the bow of the boat. 

Halfway through the day we were met by Ian’s wife Karen, her daughter Lucy, and their guests from Holland, Frank and Mariam. Ingmar arrived in his kayak to join the boys for their final hours into Bella Bella.  After a quick lunch, and Karen’s incredible homemade double chocolate cookies, we were on our way once again.

Ian and I arrived about 30 minutes before Norm and Brian and were overwhelmed by the hundreds of community supporters, hereditary chiefs and band councellors who were anxiously waiting Norm’s arrival. The children were waving flags and proudly holding up the numerous signs they had made supporting our StandUp4GreatBear expedition, their land, and the Great Bear Rainforest.  As we strained our eyes to the horizon, Norm’s familiar prone position came into focus, his arms tirelessly paddling as they had for the previous 382kms.  When he got within earshot of the crowd, everyone enthusiastically cheered him on for his final meters to the beach.  Overcome with emotion, our team reunited, as Norm disembarked his faithful paddleboard for the final time on this expedition. 

An accomplishment of epic proportions had just ended safely, successfully, and without incident under the caring, supportive and watchful eye of the First Nation’s communities and people of the coast. Mother nature along with the many spirits who forever reside in the Great Bear Rainforest, allowed us to miraculously stick to our itinerary and highlight these incredible areas.  The countless thoughts, well wishes, and messages from our faithful supporters all over the world motivated and provided us with the strength needed to complete this epic journey.

Thanks to Gerald Amos, Bruce and Anne Hill for their boat support on the Haisla leg. Thanks to Alex (Pork) Clifton, Glen (Mick) Reece, Myron (ROC) Dundas, Marvin Robinson, Hermann and Janey for their support in Gitga’at territory. Thank you to Clark Robinson Sr, Freddy, Meddy, Peter and Ernie Mason for their 4-day support in the Klemtu area. Thanks to the McAllister Family for guiding us to our final destination of Bella Bella in Heiltsuk Territory and for looking after us while we rested, drank coffee and exploded our expedition gear throughout their property.

A heartfelt thanks to countless community members and children who came out to support us, the Hereditary Chiefs, matriarchs and council members who welcomed us with their wonderful words of encouragement, support, and gratitude. 

Thank you to our families whose support, guidance, prayers, and love has always been limitless. There are no words to express our love and thanks.

Day 10 - Klemtu to Cockle Bay

After a great sleep and hot shower at the Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu, Norm and Brian got a head start on another great day of conditions.  On their way to survey crabs in their territory, Ernie Mason, Sandy, and Rob were kind enough to transport me and all of our gear to Cockle Bay.  Along with the amazing view of the mountains and calm water, this peaceful island is also home to a Heiltsuk cabin used by their people to dry seaweed on the flat, black, volcanic rock running along the shore.  

I decided to build myself a nice warm fire, relax in sun, and enjoy the silence and serenity for a few hours before the boys showed up.  I was just fixing myself a nice snack when the boys rounded the point and into sight.  Like the wildlife, Norm and Brian can sense when food is nearby.  After a fresh brewed cup of coffee, Ian McAllister who would be our escort for the final leg of our journey into Bella Bella, arrived on his Trimaran. Ian is an award winning author and wildlife photographer who has been working the better part of 20 years to protect the environment, in particular the Great Bear Rainforest.  Ian and his wife Karen run Pacific Wild, a non-profit organization committed to defending wildlife and their habitat on Canada’s Pacific Coast. We are grateful and very privileged to have Pacific Wild support our expedition. Before we left the island to board Ian’s boat, we were fortunate to catch a small glimpse of his extensive expertise when he snapped a few photos and videos of Norm with his professional equipment.  

Afterwards we all settled down in the cabin of the boat for a replenishing pasta dinner before drifting peacefully to sleep from the gentle rocking of the boat. It is hard to believe that this is our last night of the expedition together.

Day 9 - Meyers Passage to Village of Klemtu

After a rather buggy night camping, Fred and Peter arrived to escort Norm and Brian into the village of Klemtu. Along the way, they showed them a historic landing site for canoes. It was easy for them to imagine these ancient vessels travelling along this same route thousands of years ago. The sun was shining brightly when Norm rounded the corner to the inlet and was confronted head on by the Klemtu “Big House” which was standing tall and proud on the point. Greeting visitors to the village was the signs of a Double-Fin Killer Whale, Raven, Eagle, and Wolf which were painted on the side of this enormous wooden structure.

A commanding statement to all who live, work, and visit this seaside village. Norm disembarked on the beach in front of the Big House to a warm welcome from the Chiefs, Elders, and members of the community. After a few introductions and pictures we hurried to the picturesque Spirit Bear Lodge to clean up before the evening’s much anticipated festivities and celebration.
When we entered the Big House, none of us were prepared for what was stood before us or what was to follow. When we entered the front doors, our senses were inundated with the sharp aroma of cedar, the sound of pounding drums, the warmth of the roaring fire on our skin, and the sight of indescribable beauty and enormity of the totem poles and artwork within.

Our taste buds were over-whelmed by the traditional feast that followed which included sea cucumber, halibut, oolichans, herring eggs, and fried seaweed just to name a few. They were extremely proud to share all of these foods with our team which had been harvested in their territory by members of the community. One local put it best when he said, “We would rather have oolichan oil than tanker oil”.
After dinner is when the real show began. Four dances were beautifully performed around a huge fire, in full regalia and headdress,

Day 8 - Weeteeam to Meyers Passage

After a great night sleep we woke up to find that the overnight high tide had actually reached and surrounded our cooler by a few inches and was merely feet from our tent, boats, and gear. Yet another example of luck being on our side.  After we ate our breakfast and packed up our belongings, Brian and I waited for Clark and Fred to arrive while Norm took off ahead of us to take advantage of the once again flat, calm, morning waters. Clark and Fred picked us up shortly thereafter and we headed out to meet Norm who had made incredible headway in the approximately hour and a half that he was gone. While speeding to reach Norm’s location, two porpoises jumped simultaneously out of the water beside the boat snapping me out of my somewhat sleepy state. As I stood there panicking and pointing in wide-eyed awe Brian more calmly “suggested” I grab my camera that I had forgotten in all the excitement.  By the time we reached the bow, six porpoises were excitedly swimming along side us, taking turns jumping out of the water and splashing us as Brian and I yelled, laughed, and hollered.  As usual, Clark and Fred were cool calm and collected as this was just another day at the office for them.

Upon reaching Norm, Brian jumped in his kayak and the two of them were off through the open water of Laredo Sound.  For the first time throughout the entire expedition the boys had the wind, tide, and swell of the ocean going in their direction. With the help of these natural forces, we made it across in great time and rested for lunch on another paradise island call Swindle Island.

After lunch we headed for the calm waters of  Myers Passage but first had to cross Kitasu Bay, our last stretch of open water which the boys completed uneventfully. Clark informed us that this is one of the most prolific areas of food harvesting for the people of Klemtu, which includes but not limited to salmon, halibut, herring, kelp, and seaweed.  Should there be an oil spill, life as his people know it would be over.

Our education in Native History was about to begin as Clark had a few unique places few people, First Nations included, have had the privilege or opportunity to see. 

Day 7

After a great breakfast on the beach we were greeted by our new escorts, Clark Robinson, Meddy Robinson, and Fred Brown. Clark is a Coastal Guardian working for the Watchmen Network. The Watchmen Network is a First Nations fleet of boats across the entire coast that troll their respective areas monitoring the various vessels in their territory and fishing area. Their responsibilities are numerous including lending a hand should boats find themselves in trouble, as well as reporting any poachers directly to the Department of Fisheries.

For the seventh straight day, the morning conditions have been perfect.  Calm, glassy water with little or no wind, certainly not typical for this area.  Upon leaving Anderson Island and our white sandy beach, we rounded out of the bay to find ourselves immersed in the most jaw dropping inter tidal life any of us have ever seen. It was an absolute flood of underwater energy including sea urchins, abalone, scallops, sea cucumbers, starfish, anenomes, just to name a few.  It was absolutely stunning, another highlight of our trip.  The thought of an oil spill devastating this rarely seen before sea world location is heart-wrenching. 

We were now headed to the edge of the abyss. The Moore Islands, the most westerly, exposed position of our expedition.  Clark took us to a few places where we were able to disembark the boat and our boards to roam around on these unusual and exceptional islands. Separating the two islands in a narrow passageway there was a stone monument or Inukshuk which was an old navigational aid. Next came the most thrilling and exciting moment for me personally.  While roaming and jumping along the hundreds of massive logs strewn along the shoreline, something caught my eye hidden deep below the floating clutter of timber.  It was a glass fishing ball that most likely floated over from Japan where they are still used today.  Clark said the ball had no doubt been in the water for years as sand had become worn into the glass, and the outside was warped from the water and the waves.  They are supposed to bring good luck to the person who finds one and I can assure you there are few times in my life I have felt more special than being the beneficiary of such a rare treasure.  Norm has yet to find one himself and said that some people search their whole lives for one and will never be rewarded for their effort.   To think of the journey this little glass ball had to endure in order to make it across the ocean unscathed is really quite miraculous especially considering I found it amongst literally tons of logs which could have crushed it at any time. A poignant metaphor perhaps for my brother’s unbreakable bravery, courage, and strength when faced with his own challenging and dangerous journey across the ocean. 

 With the weather and perhaps a little luck on our side, we geared up for the massive open water crossing from the Moore Islands across to our goal of Weeteeam Bay.  Norm, as always led the charge across for the 3.5 hour epic paddle which quickly put into perspective how frighteningly enormous and vast the open water of the Pacific really can be.  The conditions continued to be outstanding with Clark noting at one point, “I wish I could tell you I recognize this place but this certainly not the Pacific Ocean I know and am used to”.  With great conditions we made it across safely to the calm and peaceful waters of Weeteeam Bay.  Campsites are very difficult to find in this remote area as there are very few clearings in the thick rainforest.  Clark, our trusted guide whose territory we were in, remembered a spot where he had camped years before and lead us there.  With the tireless help of Clark, Meddy, and Fred, we unloaded for the night, set up our tents and ate dinner as quickly as possible because it was already late in the evening and getting dark. With the most dangerous leg of the journey now safely behind us, we all curled up together in our tent, gave thanks, and fell peacefully asleep.

Thank you all for your continued support, thoughts, messages, and countless prayers, I can tell you definitively that someone is listening and guiding us safely on our mission.

Day 6

After another great sleep in the Cetacea Lab at Whale Point, Marvin arrived to pick me up for our second day in the Discovery Scout. Janey came along for the ride and we all headed out to meet Norm and Brian who were being escorted by Hermann for the morning paddling session.  Just as we boarded the boat to leave, we got a call over the radio from Norm saying that they were travelling with a pod of Transient Killer Whales in the middle of the proposed tanker route. Four Humpback Whales and four Transient Killer Whales in less than three days. Amazing.

Marvin, Janey, and I were full speed ahead when Hermann’s boat came into view along with the huge dorsal fins of two Killer Whales. 

Just as quickly as they had come into sight they were gone again, diving deep down into the Pacific.  After saying goodbye to Herman, we met up with Brian and Norm who were having another great morning of conditions through Squally Pass. The true test of the day however was going to be navigating through Camano Sound to the massive open water crossing where the proposed tanker route heads West through Hecate Straight.  There was a strong west wind that kept Norm paddling on his right side for the better part of 3 hours but aside from that the water and weather conditions were ideal.
By mid-afternoon we reached our destination of Anderson Island with the sun shining brightly and not a cloud in the sky.  Upon entering the bay, it looked more like the Caribbean than the Pacific Northwest with crystal clear green water lapping up against a powdery white sand beach. Paradise.
After Marvin and Janey helped us unload our gear, we bid them a heartfelt farewell and returned to our island oasis for our first night alone as a “team”. After a pasta dinner on the beach beside a roaring fire, we watched the sun paint the sky a million shades of orange, pink, and red before retiring for the evening.

Thank you Marvin for your two-day escort, numerous funny stories, positive attitude and your contagious smile. Thank you again Janey and Hermann for your gracious hospitality and for making our “rest” day truly restful in every sense of the word.  

A few more tid bits to read.....

Green Peace

The Pique - Whistler

HQ Prince George

Day FIve and Six

Today we leave the Cetacea Lab and Whale Point after a much needed rest day yesterday.  We are heading south to Klemtu which will take approximately 3 days. We will be out of range until then but I will update you as soon as I can.  In the meantime, there will be posts and updates from the mainland on our location and whereabouts.
Thank you Herman and Janey for your amazing hospitality.

Video Day Four

VIDEO!!!
Day Four - Hartley Bay to Whale Point

Day Four - Epic Paddling Day

After a great sleep, hot shower, and a healthy breakfast we headed down to the water's edge with fresh steaming coffees in our hands.  Under another brilliant sunny sky we were bid farewell by our loving hosts, Hartley Bay, and faced with our longest leg of the paddle so far on this expedition.
Marvin Robinson, a long time resident of Hartley Bay is our support boat driver for the next few days. Marvin is an experienced guide who specializes in whale watching, wolf and eagle viewing, and of course seeking our the elusive Spirit Bear for guests from all over the world.
A few hours into our trip we ventured upon the site where the Queen of the North ferry sank 4 years ago.  Marvin was one of the first boats to arrive at the scene when the ferry ran aground and shared some of his remarkable, emotional, and poignant memories of that fateful day.  As we hovered in the glassy clear Pacific, Marvin and I observed a moment of silence for the two people who perished and remain on the ferry 1400 feet below us. May they rest in peace.

As life would have it, less than 30 minutes after that sobering moment, 4 magnificent Humpback whales waved hello with their giant tales and sprayed water into the air reminding us of how beautiful and teaming with life the ocean really is.

At this point Norm and Brian had been paddling in glassy water for about 3 hours which was only about a quarter of the way to our destination.  Shortly after the whale sighting the water conditions changed for the worst and waves were coming from all directions with the wind blowing head on.  These grueling conditions continued for the next 7 or 8 hours until they rounded Fawcett point where the tide was on their side for the remaining hour into Taylor Bight to our final destination of Whale Point.

Whale Point is the home of Herman and Janey, who have been conducting invaluable whale research in the Great Bear Region since 2001. They are the only two residents of Gill Island, and are completely self-sufficient using sun, wind and water for power.
Norm and Brian arrived around 10:30pm with only a crack of light left on the horizon. They were completely exhausted, and we all welcomed the site of Herman and Janey's dimly lite, warm cabin in the forest.  After a warming up by a roaring fire inside, we replenished our bodies with a well-needed dinner of rice and fresh salmon before crawling into our sleeping bags for the night. We fell peacefully asleep listening to the sounds of the crashing waves on the surface, while the underwater world was broadcast from below through the lab's hydrophone network.

Video Day 1-3 "Kitimat to Hartley Bay"

Day 1-3 "Kitimat to Hartley Bay

Day Three

After packing up our sleeping bags and having a nice hot cup of coffee with our breakfast, Norm and Brian made their way to the Old Town petroglyphs before heading on their paddling way.  Petroglifts are ancient rock engravings carved by First Nation ancestors and Old Town is the largest pertroglift site in Canada.  While waiting for the tide to come in, Myron, Glen, and Alex, took me to "Man Made Island".  Man Made Island is exactly what it sounds like - an island erected by The GitGa'at hundreds of years ago for the women and children to take refuge from raiders on the river.  At one time there was 13 Longhouses on Man Made Island.  What a rare and precious piece of GitGa'at history that few people have the opportunity to experience.  Thank you boys, it was an incredible priviledge and gift.
When we rounded the bend near Man Made Island, sitting before us was a 600-pound Black Bear grazing on sedge grass.  We were able to get within 50 meters of this stunningly massive animal before he picked up our scent and barreled back into the woods. This lush rainforest river valley supports populations of Black Bears, wolves, moose, and some of the largest grizzly bears on the coast.

After catching up with Norm, we made our way to his second home, the GitGa'at territory of Hartley Bay and his adopted Raven Clan family.  When he paddled around the breakwater and into sight, the children of the community were lined up side by side in front of the Cultural Center along the beachfront in full regalia, wooden paddles in hand, proudly singing while stroking to the beat of the banging drum.  The site was so overwhelming and powerful Norm had to look away for a moment to regain his composure.  When he disembarked on the beach, Snaxeed (Ernie Hill), welcomed back home "Ta'am Laan" - Norm's adopted Raven Clan name meaning "Steersman of the Canoe" given to him in October 2006.  His blessing bestowed upon Norm in his native Smalyx tongue, translated in English was "Welcome.  There is a fire burning, we have placed a mat down for you, come join us and be rested".  It was a humbling experience personifying the importance of this journey to the First Nations community, their land, their ocean, and their wildlife.

The feast that followed in the Cultural Center within the confines of the four totem poles as support structures - two Ravens and two Eagles holding up the house of the Killer Whale - was a community effort and absolutely delicious.  After dinner, matriarch Helen Clifton, hereditary chief Albert Clifton, Snaxeed, Lynn and Cam Hill expressed their overwhelming gratitude and spoke to the significance of Norm's journey to them, their nation, and future generations to come.  On behalf of the Hann family, I thanked Norm's adopted First Nations family and the Hartley Bay community for their incredible outpouring of support and for keeping a watchful, caring, and loving eye on Norm during his many months in the Great Bear Rainforest.  Brian who is an adopted member of the Gitxsan House of Gwininitwx shared his heartfelt experiences working with the people of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine to successfully keep one of the world's largest corporations, Royal Dutch Shell, out of the Sacred Headwaters.  He encouraged the people of Hartley Bay to continue to fight for what they believe in no matter how big the obstacles may seem.  Norm then addressed his community and reaffirmed the goals he has set for himself and that it is the people of Hartley Bay and his adopted Raven Clan that gives him the power and strength to press on when the challenges seem insurmountable.
Thank you Hartley Bay for your spectacular display of love, support, appreciation, and for embracing us all as one of your own.

The Beauty of the Great Bear Rainforest

Words are not even needed to explain these pictures.....I think you can see why Norm feels the need to do his part to protect this coastal treasure.

Boundary Elementary, grade 4/5 class sends inspiring messages....

The night before Norm departed for his expedition, Boundary Elementary located in North Vancouver, a class of 29 grade 4/5 students gave him some inspirational posters and cards, thanking him for taking a stand for something that he believes in. This was extremely overwhelming for Norm and he asked that we share a few of the posters and messages with everyone.  Without a doubt, the words of these grade 4 students is extremely powerful and it will be their words that help motivate Norm forward each day, giving him strength and encouragement to SUP huge distances as he raises awareness to protect a fragile ecosystem....

In addition, this article appeared today in the Squamish Chief!

Recent Media Coverage

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From the Crew - Happy Mothers Day - Paddle Day Two

Happy Mother's Day! Mom we love you, miss you, and are thinking of you today and always.
After a great sleep on the Suncrest deck, we arose once again to beautiful sunny skies and flat water once again.  After a brief interview via satellite phone to CBC National News, we ate our breakfast and headed out for what looked liked another day of ideal paddling weather. Around noon however, we got a taste of how quickly coastal conditions can change in the Great Bear Rainforest.  The next 5 hours proved very challenging with a major head wind and seven foot swells which on two occasions sent Norm swimming in the bitterly cold Pacific Ocean.

Finally around 5:30pm we reached our destination at the mouth of the Qual River Valley, said goodbye to the "Ocean Wind" and the Amos family and were welcomed by our new brothers Myron Dundas (Myroc), Alex Clifton (Pork), and Glen Reece (Mick) from Norm's second home, Hartley Bay. The Qual River Valley is one of the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest areas on the coast. After transferring all our food and gear to the "Discovery Scout", the six of us headed to "Old Town" to spend the night.  Old Town is the original, several hundred year old settling grounds of the GitGa'at nation who migrated here from the Skeena River. This is a prolific area for wildlife and has provided the people of Hartley Bay with traditional foods for centuries. This inlet and old growth river valley is still used for moose hunting, crab harvesting, and coho fishing. After reading the tides and anchoring properly we re-loaded to the smaller boat, the "Clam Stripper", and headed up the river to "The Big House" in the Old Town village site to spend the night.  Using the knowledge of tides that has been passed down from generation to generation allowed us to access this special place.  The air was thick with moisture, salt, and pine. Thank you to Myron for heading up there early and sweeping it clean of the mice and lighting a fire for Shannon. After warming up a little, we rolled out our sleeping bags, and fell peacefully asleep by the crackling glow of a centuries old woodstove under the protective and watchful eyes of GitGa'at spirits.

The history  and ancestry of this land is palpable and the thought of an oil spill forcing these people off their territory where they have lived and thrived for millena is inconceivable.
As always, thank you all for your continued support, messages and well-wishes, it is what sustains us when the going gets tough.

Sudbury Star article

Norm and his team are now 3 days into their massive undertaking.  The comments, emails, phone calls and support that has been coming in has been extremely overwhelming for them.  By later this afternoon, Norm will be arriving into Hartley Bay, greeted by all the familiar faces of family and friends there. 


Click HERE for a recent article published in the Sudbury Star!  Thank you to everyone in Ontario for your support!  Below are a few pictures from day #1 and the support boat "Suncrest" that has journeyed with the team for the first leg of the trip. 

Check back later tonight for full details on how day #3 went for Norm, Brian, Shannon and the team. 

Paddle Day One - Under Bluebird Skies

Under bluebird skies we made our way to Kitamat to begin our journey in the Haisla First Nations Territory.  Upon our arrival we had many people from the community gather to bid us farewell but none more special than Dolores Pollard, the elected Chief of the Haisla Nation, who arrived in full regalia, drum in hand, and sang two traditional songs of thanks, goodwill, and prayer for a safe and prosperous mission.  Her mother Melva placed her hands on Norm's shoulders and prayed for a safe journey in her native Haisla tongue.  Powerful.  Moving.  Epic.
With the wind at our backs, sun in our faces, and a much appreciated outflow wind, we headed southwest with Anne and Bruce Hill following shortly behind in their 1959 Suncrest troller.  Over the next seven hours, 42kms of spectacular open water was covered with each hour making the idea of oil tankers seem more and more unthinkable.  This place is special beyond description.
Around 5pm we moored in the calm waters of the Giltoyees estuary and tied up for the night with three generations of Amos family fisherman; Gerald, Trevor and Ethan from the boat "Ocean Wind". To our surprise, they jumped aboard with 12 freshly caught dungeness crab for dinner....it certainly doesn't get better than this...or more fresh. Delicious.

With full tummies and numerous stories and tall tales of killer whale graveyards from Gerald and Bruce, we rolled out our sleeping bags on the deck of the Suncrest for a well-needed sleep under a magnificent blanket of stars.

Thank you for taking the time to check in on the trip and cheer us on.  After our first full day traveling in this magical place, our resolve to keep it safe from the tragic risks of oil tanker traffic is stronger than ever.

Day Two - Smithers/Hazelton/Terrace

After a peaceful and well needed sleep we woke up to some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen.  Opening the door to our guest house we found ourselves on 250 acres of property surrounded by 360-degree views of snow-covered mountains.  Two gorgeous male horses trotted over to see what all the commotion was about as we unloaded our gear out of the truck to make room for the grocery shopping that was to come later in the day.  With our Americano coffee's in hand, homemade by our wonderful host Walter Bucher along with Rocky the Jack Russell Terrier and River the cat quick at our heels, we headed for the gear shed that looked more like a Mountain Equipment Coop warehouse...thank you again for the life jacket Walter!!!!

Day One - Journey Begins

Headed for the Great Bear.

Well the bags are packed and details complete(i think, i hope). Tomorrow morning we leave bright and early for our drive up to Smithers. We will over night there, do some food shopping the following day and head to Hazelton for the Premiere of Ali Howards "Awakening the Skeena." The following morning we begin the paddle. I am really hoping that there will not be strong headwinds in Kitimat. Douglas Channel will make or break me. This is where the proposed oil tankers will travel. Douglas Channel is a narrow, beautiful fiord and i am looking forward to seeing what it will hold for me and the team. Can't wait to meet everyone in Kitimat and have the Haisla guide us through their territory. My first night i hope to get to Foch Lagoon, one of the most amazing places along the channel. Thanks so much to everyone for their support.


A special thanks goes to Caroline Falconer's Grade 4 class. 29 incredible students gave me beautiful letters and pictures to motivate me along my journey. I was speechless when Jen brought these home to me tonight.

I would like to share one with you now.

"Thank you for letting people know what S.U.P with our oceans, and for standing up for sea animals and letting people know that our beautiful coast line is at risk. It's just so amazing your saving animals lives. I hope you have a great trip, its also really great your standing up for aboriginal people's cultures. and your awesome! Thank you. Standup4greatbear. Good Luck Norm.........Noah."


I hope to share more of these letters with you. They are incredible and the pictures are stunning.

See you in Smithers.......