The Memory of Fish: World Water Day Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Date: March 21st, 2019

Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Room 105, Harry Hickman Building, University of Victoria

Cost: Free

Join us this World Water Day for a screening of the award-winning documentary The Memory of Fish, followed by a moderated conversation with three local change-makers working to protect fresh water and wild salmon.

The Memory of Fish offers a documentary portrait of the intertwined lives of Dick Goin and wild salmon, and the key role Dick played in a decades-long fight to free the Elwha River in Washington State. We will follow Dick—a pulp mill worker and master fisherman—as he uses his memories and persistence to battle for the biggest dam removal project in U.S. history so that the salmon can come home.

Picking up on the themes in the film, the moderated conversation will turn to the B.C. context, focusing on issues facing watersheds and wild salmon, successes to date, and opportunities to ensure rivers and salmon thrive into the future. The conversation will touch on concepts of watershed governance and the urgent need for water sustainability. We will be joined by:

Tanis Gower, a Registered Professional Biologist from the Comox Valley, has been working to restore aquatic ecosystems and advocate for good water policies for the last 20 years. Tanis has worked for a number of NGOs, local governments, and others, including in her current capacity as Project Biologist for Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

Adam Olsen was first elected as MLA for Saanich North and the Islands in 2017, and is a former two-term Central Saanich Councillor. He was born and raised on Tsartlip First Nation in Brentwood Bay and is a member of the Tsartlip First Nation. As an MLA, one of his top priorities is championing better protection for wild salmon.

Tom Rutherford is the Executive Director of the Cowichan Watershed Board and previously worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. For almost 40 years, Tom has been building partnerships to support community empowerment and salmon and watershed sustainability. He is a firm believer that community engagement is the key to implementing lasting positive change.

The event will be moderated by Laura Brandes, Communications Director at the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, based at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies.

RSVPs are not required but are appreciated. Please email [email protected] if you plan to attend.

***