The Mighty Fraser & Harrison Rivers

The mighty Fraser river is 850 miles long and it is the most important natural artery of British Columbia. Even more important are the tributaries that feed into the Fraser. What joy it was to sail from Harrison Hot Springs Resort to the confluence of the Harrison river and Fraser river aboard the Fraser River Safari Ltd.

As we took off from the dock of the Harrison lake, I was immediately fascinated by the water which was clear as Chrystal and by the rainbow colors that were looming from the waters as if the heavens were smiling down. Though the lake was calm, the guide shared that the lake gets really turbulent in the winter when storms emerge with no warning.

5 minutes into the sail, we stopped by a cove were the first nations guide shared the story of the ancient chief who was turned into an owl rock because he was mean and malicious. He also shared the story about the killer whale which got lost and ended up in the Harrison lake and liked it so much as it was at the top of the food chain and could feast on the fish with no competition. There are many salmon that call Harrison lake home as they also got confused and thought they had reached the ocean so now they go up the river to spawn and return to the lake the rest of the time.

As we proceeded down the Harrison river, I could’t help but admire the barrage of colors on the rocks, the amplitude of moss ranging from shaggy blue-green, gray, brown and off yellow. The cheerful, colorful, healthy tall primeval and new trees. The idiosyncratic sounds from the water shooting from the side of the boat kept my ears busy while I gazed into the mountains.

Further down the river lies the site of the sts’ailes first nation long house which is an archeological site that holds many artifacts. It is in this area that the sts’ailes (aka Chehalis) first nation people village/reserve is located. It is one of the oldest reserves in the region. Across the river are the burial grounds were their ancestors lay. The rock in the photo has petroglyphs. We could not get closer as the water was too shallow for the boat.

The river has been used for transportation for hundreds of years. The pylons which are down stream from the reserve were installed in 1860. The first nation also installed their pylons to mark this part of the river as it is the shallowest and they used it as a crossing point. The eagles like it as they can easily catch salmon in September and October. As many as 8700 bald eagles can be spotted in this area in one day.

We passed by the spirit tree which is a dried up log that the natives believe has their ancestors spirit. The ancestors show up in the form of eagles. Some days, as many as 89 bald eagles can be seen on this one tree.

We sailed under Highway 7 and proceeded to Harrison bay on our way to the confluence which they call the calming point. Despite the nickname, this confluence is known for rapid and turbulent whirlpools. The striking site as we approached was the turbid brown water from the Fraser river which carries a lot of pollutants collected along the way from its source in Saskatchewan. On the other side is the crystal clear, greenish blue water from the glacier fed Harrison river. There is reach first nations history in this area as well.

The most fascinating things about this river safari were the rich history, the rich ecosystem and the beautiful nature that surrounds the river. It was an owner to see things from the river’s perspective. As local government elected officials, the decisions we make impact the environment directly or indirectly. May we be conscious and wise in our decision making.

Thank you Lower Mainland Local Government Association for organizing this tour and Fraser River Safari Ltd. for the great experience.