The Fraser River is not just British Columbia’s most iconic river, it’s one of the most celebrated rivers in the world. Dubbed by some as the greatest salmon river on Earth, the Fraser begins as a trickle in the high alpine of Mount Robson Provincial Park, before hundreds of tributaries help bring it to its conclusion in the estuaries surrounding the city of Vancouver. The organization tasked with its stewardship is the Fraser Basin Council – an organization made up of all four levels of government, including First Nations, as well as representatives from the private sector and civil society. One of its most passionate supporters is Brock Endean, a young Métis who works across Canada and around the world to engage youth in rural and Indigenous communities on the issues that affect their future.
We met Brock on a famously rainy afternoon in downtown Vancouver to learn more about the river that connects the Port of Vancouver to Mount Robson Provincial Park, and his vision for how rural and Indigenous youth can take the lead in creating a better world.
Find him: X
What do you think?
- What did you learn from Brock’s story?
- Do you think age, or where you’re born, impacts our ability to advance a new idea?
- Are we doing a good enough job, as a society, to champion the good ideas that emanate from rural communities? If not, how can we do better?
- If everything begins with relationships, how can we take that first step to create them with those we don’t know or don’t agree with?
- Is there a blueprint to be found in Brock’s work with the Fraser Basin Council and beyond that might inform new strategies to solve similar challenges in other parts of Canada?
More on Brock
Watch his journey down the Fraser River: Reflections on the Sustainable Living Leadership Program trip down the Fraser River
Favourite Book: The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
Favourite Documentary: Our Planet (or any other doc with Attenborough)
Favourite Websites or Programs: SpringWise – incredible curation of innovative projects from around the world that drive sustainability and change, FBC’s My Climate Story project, New approach BC is taking around the Wildlife ActTogether for Wildlife: A Proposed Pathway for Improving Wildlife Management and Habitat Conservation in British ColumbiaFirst Nations – BC Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum Video
