A film festival this Sunday will shed light on the threats facing the Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia’s coast.
Organized by Megan Jamison, the festival will show four films about the forest, spOIL, Stand Up 4 Great Bear, Oil in Eden, and Cetaceans of the Great Bear Rainforest.
Jamison works as a guide at a Knight Inlet Lodge in the rainforest and she wanted to share her experiences with more people and make people aware of the environmental threats to the area.
The rainforest, which is located on B.C.’s coast from Vancouver Island to Alaska, is considered one of the largest unspoiled areas of temporate rainforest in the world. It is home to a number of animals, most notably the Kermode “Spirit” bear, a sub-species of the black bear in which some cubs have a white coat.
The area has been in the news as a result of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline, which would transport oil through the area and bring crude oil tanker traffic to the coast.
“I think it’s important to realize about these amazing places that are in our province,” said Jamison. “Realize what’s at risk and what’s at stake and not taking what’s for granted because as Canadians we tend to do that a lot.”
spOIL is a film by the International League of Conservation Photographers made in conjunction with First Nations groups and several environment organizations. It is a visual documentation of the region’s landscapes, wildlife and culture.
Stand Up 4 Great Bear is a documentary about Norm Hann’s 400 kilometre stand-up paddleboard expedition along the Pacific Coast from Kitimat to Bella Bella.
Oil in Eden is a 16 minute documentary about the issues at stake in the fight over the proposed pipeline.
Cetaceans of the Great Bear Rainforest is an animated short about the whales of the Great Bear Rainforest.
The Stand Up For Great Bear film festival takes place on Sunday, Apr. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors. All proceeds will go to Pacific Wild.