Key Current Projects

Heritage Rivers Story Map Project

The Fraser Basin Council’s Youth Program is developing two story maps of the Fraser and Cowichan Rivers to highlight their cultural, natural and recreational heritage values. The story map will be an interactive, visual storytelling tool that provides easy access to information and an in-depth look at particular locations. This project is part of the national story map project being developed by the Canadian Heritage Rivers System and Parks Canada.

This project is led by the FBC’s Youth Program and will encourage a strong youth component. Through this program, two FBC Youth Advisory Committee members will get a chance to travel down the Fraser River for a month long trip. FBC sponsored Brock Endean and Riley Brennan to take this trip in order to learn more about the Fraser as well as conduct interviews along the river and collect images for the Canadian Heritage Rivers System Story Map Project.  

Through our partnerships with Destination BC, Tourism Cowichan and Tourism Vancouver Island, we will be reaching out to youth and the general public via social media to get broader input on areas of importance along the river.

We will also be engaging youth through classrooms to talk about the Cowichan River and to hear directly from youth about why the river is important to them.

Our overall goal for the project is to inspire people to experience more of the Fraser and the Cowichan riversheds. The story maps can be used as travel and learning resources for those visiting the rivers and surrounding areas.

After the story maps are created, a further goal is to reach out to teachers in both riversheds in order to integrate the map into classrooms.

We are looking for your help!

FBC Youth Program is seeking the following partnerships and support throughout this project:

• Strategic partnerships with local First Nations and community leaders to support the development of a comprehensive list of natural, cultural, and recreational values along the Fraser and the Cowichan Rivers;
• Advisors to support the overall process of the two story maps;
• Youth and young adult participants to ensure that youth stories and values are imbedded throughout the story map;
• Additional funding partners who are interested in collaborating on additional projects with the stories, values, and data collected along the Fraser and the Cowichan Rivers in order to integrate these maps into classrooms.

For more information on the project or if you are interested in being involved, please contact Cherry Tam at ctam@fraserbasin.bc.ca or by phone at 604 488 5354.