Date: Friday August 29, 2003
Time: 5:00 p.m.
PUBLIC INFO LINE: 869-0386
PRC RECEPTION CENTRE: 762-8646
RED CROSS INFO LINE RE EVACUEES: 1-888-350-6070
PROVINCIAL INFO LINE: 1-800-311-7044
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ALERT BAY DONATES SALMON TO KELOWNA
The people of Alert Bay have donated
25,000 pounds of salmon to residents of Kelowna impacted by the Okanagan
Mountain Park forest fire. The fish is available free of charge to residents who
were evacuated, to emergency response personnel and to the numerous volunteers
involved in the fire fighting and recovery efforts.
A drive-through distribution system has been established for Saturday August
30th between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the south west corner of Bernard Avenue
and Spall Road.
People are asked to access the area via either Burtch Avenue or Bernard Avenue
eastbound. Traffic will be guided from the right hand turn lane just past the
Apple Bowl into the distribution area where tents will be set up with drive
through access. Traffic will exit onto Spall Road; only right hand turns will be
permitted.
Traffic control and barricades will be in place; and people are asked to be
patient. The fish will be distributed on a first come/first served basis.
Each family will be permitted one fish. Evacuees will be asked to show their
registration papers; others should provide identification that indicates their
involvement with a response agency.
The brainchild of Jesse and Anne Gordon of Alert Bay, the generous program has
involved many:
Namgis First Nation of Alert Bay donated $500, plus a portion of their food fish allocation
Jerry Alfred and his crew aboard the “Snow Cloud” caught the fish and delivered it to Walcan Seafood
George Bates of the Department of Fisheries provided the fishermen with an exemption for the food fishery, and a permit for transportation of the processed fish
Walcan Seafood processed the fish in their plant on Quadra Island, dedicating their plant and employees to process the fish at no cost
BC Ferries donated ferry passes
Ocean Fish Co. of Vancouver donated 40 disposable totes to ship the fish from Quadra Island to Kelowna
C-Force Marine of Port Hardy provided the truck to transport the processed fish to Kelowna
$500 donations were received from the Alert Bay Lions Club, the Kwakiutl Territorial Fisheries Commission, the Village of Alert Bay and W.C. Fuels of Port Hardy