A pair of seemingly tireless athletic advocates roll into Prince George tonight to share their passion for protecting this province's watershed.
The Prince George Public Library will host the Fraser River Ripple Relay members on the 11th day of their month-long bike ride from Lumby to Musqueam - across the entire Fraser River watershed.
For two hours, Michelle Nickerson and Dan van der Kroon will share their experiences and listen to the issues, concerns and solutions surrounding the watershed in the Prince George area.
The evening kicks off at 7 p.m. in the library's Keith Gordon room - just one hour after the cyclists are scheduled to make it into town after pedaling 133 km from Quesnel - and is sponsored by the Prince George Cycling Club.
Community advocacy groups, nature centre facilitators, hatchery operators, stream-keeper groups, government representatives and other concerned citizens are invited to bring an item for a potluck dinner, share their insights and view a short film about what's happening in the wild salmon movement.
The cycling club connection came from president Jillian Merrick, who came upon the pair during their inaugural ride last year.
"I was driving in Burns Lake and saw (Dan's) big salmon flag and stopped said 'hello'," Merrick said. That chance meeting led to Merrick hosting the cyclists when they came through Prince George.
"They camped out in my yard for a couple of days," she said. "It's quite a massive undertaking. It's great to be ale to help them out and make sure they have a place to rest."
"This is why we do the ride - to connect with people with common interests," Nickerson said, noting they were unable to connect the way they would have liked last time the ride came through Pricne George.
This time around, Merrick and the cycling club are helping the relay members reach out to people with the common interest of watershed health.
"There are all sorts of people who work to keep watersheds healthy. This will be a chance to get a sense of what everyone's doing and help to stay motivated," Merrick said.
As they've moved from community to community since beginning their journey July 25, Nickerson said they've encountered a number of common elements in watershed issues and salmon sustainability, but there is also a a great deal of diversity.
"Some things have really made me realize how many different fronts we're fighting this war on," Nickerson told the Citizen, on the phone from a roadside roughly 30 km outside of Quesnel.
The ride, which was born out an initial idea to swim the Fraser River, is a way of using athletics for something beautiful and worthwhile, said Nickerson.
"Adding advocacy to athletics brings a greater strength to moving your body," she added.
