Save Simms Creek

06/02/2026

She said it well: "...wild salmon rely on healthy habitats to survive". That's what Save Simms Creek is working on...hanging on to a bit of healthy habitat.

Today is Wild Salmon Day — a celebration of the profound cultural and environmental importance of wild salmon, a connection deeply felt throughout the Saanich Gulf-Islands.

This year’s theme highlights the essential truth that wild salmon rely on healthy habitats to survive. Throughout their life cycle, they depend on thriving rivers, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans. Yet many of these habitats have been damaged by human activity and further stressed by climate change. Wild salmon are also threatened by toxic fish farms

If we want wild salmon populations to remain strong for generations to come, we must protect and restore the places they call home. Safeguarding these habitats is not only vital for salmon but is essential for the ecosystems, cultures, and communities that depend on them.

06/02/2026

Wild salmon in Simms Creek face a pending loss of sustaining wetlands and forest from WestUrban's proposed development. If City Hall can expand a boat ramp parking lot to promote Campbell River as the Salmon Capital of the World, surely they can protect this critical salmon habitat!

05/31/2026

It's a beautiful, sunny market day and we're here at Shoppers Row until 2:00! Stop by to sign our petition to Save Simms Creek!

05/28/2026

Save Simms Creek is well represented in this article by Sarah Cox from The Tyee. We are very pleased she has written about our cause so clearly and shone a light on all these important issues. We hope you enjoy the photos - the area is stunning and full of birdsong and wildlife this spring. Please share as widely as possible, and visit our website for more information: savesimmscreek.org

Click on this link to read the story: https://savesimmscreek.org/media-1

05/27/2026

Mark us in your calendar! Save Simms Creek will be at the CR Farmers Market on Sunday, May 31 (Shoppers Row, 10:00 to 2:00). Sign our petition, pick up a sticker for your car window, and chat about the issues with the proposed development. Drop by and say hi!

05/23/2026

This article hits home. Save Simms Creek launched an appeal with the BC Environmental Appeal Board to stand up against the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and the green light they’ve given to WestUrban Developments to build on/destroy natural wetlands that feed this salmon-bearing creek.

Meanwhile, our premier says B.C.’s government is “strengthening ecosystems protections” and renewing its commitment to protect “some of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth” for future generations. This sentiment is echoed by the Minister of Environment and Parks.

We don't buy it.

Sarah Cox, biodiversity reporter for The Tyee writes:

"Former BC Liberal MLA Mike Morris, who led a provincewide biodiversity review in 2015, told The Tyee he gives the Eby government “a failing grade” on strengthening ecosystem protections.

Morris, the former B.C. minister of public safety and solicitor general, said biodiversity loss is continuing at unprecedented levels across the province and he’s “gobsmacked” by the premier’s claim.

“Our wildlife populations are down. Salmon and steelhead populations in our rivers and streams are down. We’re having die-offs because the water is too hot in summertime [and] it’s too low.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said the government is also advancing conservation and supporting biodiversity and ecosystem health through other initiatives. These include $57 million to help restore watersheds, an additional $100 million in 2023 to restore and build resiliency in watersheds and landscapes and investing $150 million in a conservation fund to protect diverse ecosystems, such as old-growth forests and wetlands."

We, too, give the government a failing grade. Putting a halt to the proposed Simms Creek development and working towards conservation would be a start to achieving the government’s stated goals. Are Simms Creek’s wetlands on the $150 million conservation fund list? Apparently not.

Let’s hold decision makers accountable to their words, and ensure the City, too, pays attention to their constituents' support to Save Simms Creek. Our appeal is likely the last step before the City can proceed with the development application, and work to “move” the wetlands can begin June 15, 2026.

Please read the article (Google “BC ‘Going Backwards’ on Ecosystem Protections”) and visit our website to learn more and donate: savesimmscreek.org

05/16/2026

This long weekend is a perfect time to download and use iNaturalist. The International Day for Biodiversity blitz starts today - we encourage you to participate!

05/12/2026

Did you know that a simple photo taken on your phone can record species and help provide data for scientists around the world? Sign up for iNaturalist’s free webinar (and recording) to learn how to get started and understand how your observations directly support species protection and conservation research.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KMKOKc5WTMaQ8-NqxzCtcw #/registration

We encourage you to share your observations from in and around Simms Creek and your own backyard. Let us know what you discover!

04/22/2026

Today is Earth Day. A CBC news headline reads “Vancouver Island’s low snowpack likely to affect salmon populations: researchers”

Researchers say that low snowpack levels on Vancouver Island are likely to stress salmon populations that are already dealing with the impacts of habitat degradation, overfishing and warmer waters.

Researchers say the province should work with local communities to preserve watersheds and salmon populations, and mitigate the impact of climate change to help struggling salmon.

[Tom Balfour, a habitat biologist with the Redd Fish Restoration Society] says the public should push for governments to implement longer-term conservation and restoration measures for watersheds, but also keep an eye out for trapped fish and drying pools this spring and summer.

"So really it's on us, the public, to take notice and raise the alarm when things are happening."

Save Simms Creek Society has raised the alarm, yet the province has approved WestUrban’s plan to build on wetlands that feed salmon bearing Simms Creek, especially during the dry season.

This Earth Day, we ask you to join with us in raising the alarm – write letters, spread the word, become a member, and donate. Visit our website for more information: savesimmscreek.org

We know better. It’s time to do better.

04/09/2026

It was a glorious day to raise awareness for Save Simms Creek! A huge thank you to our volunteers, and all the drivers and passengers who slowed down, waved and tooted their horns in support. We know we are not alone in our efforts to protect this greenway - a salmon-bearing stream, wetlands, wildlife corridor, and urban forest. We are incredibly lucky to have this special place in the heart of Campbell River, but it is at real risk of succumbing to a huge development. If our signs caught your interest, please check out our website at savesimmscreek.org for more information and how to donate to help Save Simms Creek.