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Hatchery and home: a lovely combination for new parent

February 12, 2013

Filed under: On The Coast,What We Do — Tags: BC, Beau, Ben Schoenfelder, Big Tree Creek, Black Creek, Cecilia Plecas, conservation, farming, Gina Forsyth, Gold River, Hatchery, horse, marine harvest, Maureen Ritter, Nanaimo, ORES, Oyster River Enhancement Society, salmon, Sayward, Trace Alexander, Vancouver Island, Vanier High School — marineharvestcanada @ 10:36 am

Cecilia and Beau

By Gina Forsyth

Cecilia Plecas was 10 years old when she was introduced to the aquaculture industry through her mother, Maureen Ritter. “I remember picking eggs at the hatchery and enjoying how methodical it was.” Years later, as an adult, Cecilia made the move to the industry.

When her maternity leave started in late October, Cecilia was working at Big Tree Creek hatchery near Sayward, north of Campbell River. She’s involved with the egg incubation process which includes removing the less healthy eggs and ensuring ongoing cleanliness. Cecilia has also been responsible for first feedings once the eggs are further developed.

A 2005 graduate of Vanier High in Courtenay, Cecilia was born in Duncan on southern Vancouver Island and lived in Nanaimo and Gold River before settling in Black Creek, south of Campbell River.

Of course a conversation with Cecilia these days would simply not be complete without the subject of the newest addition to the family, the “lovely” Trace Alexander, born November 9 to Cecilia and her partner Ben Schoenfelder, who is part of the Marine Harvest Projects Crew.

Cecilia’s interest in fish extends to her volunteer work. In 2005, as a summer student at the Oyster River Enhancement Society (ORES), Cecilia appreciated the opportunity to work outside, feeding fish, doing lawn maintenance and dismantling beaver dams on the Oyster River. “It was really cool,” she says. Since then, she’s continued to give of her time to ORES by feeding fish on weekends.

Cecilia also has a passion for horses, especially Beau, her 17 year old quarter horse. “I would love for Trace to ride when he’s older”.

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A Taste of BC: a hole in the ground to recirculating aquaculture farm

December 3, 2012

Filed under: Community Support,What We Do — Tags: A Taste of BC, Agriculture Innovation Fund, AIMAP, Andrew Forsythe, aquaculture, Canada, chef, China, Dave Ashcroft, Departure Bay, fish farmer, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ian Roberts, Jameson Road, marine harvest, Nanaimo, Philip Redmond, PRAqua, preacher, RAS, recirculating aquaculture systems, salmon, seafood, steelhead trout, Steve Atkinson, sturgeon, Taste of BC, trout, Tsawwassen, Vancouver Island University, VIU, Wayne Gorrie — marineharvestcanada @ 11:37 am

By Ian Roberts

In the late 1990s, preacher Steve Atkinson removed gravel from his newly acquired property on Jameson Road in Nanaimo. The deep hole that remained figuratively and literally spawned an idea – fill it with water and fish.
Steve approached Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Fisheries and Aquaculture faculty to buy some trout, and they introduced him to staff at Marine Harvest Canada (MHC).
And so began Steve’s career in aquaculture.
Dr. Andrew Forsythe, MHC’s Freshwater Director at that time, encouraged Steve, also a trained chef, to purchase farm-raised Chinook from the company for smoking. “My involvement in fish farming began with Marine Harvest when I started smoking and

'A Taste of BC' aquaculture farm breaks ground in Nanaimo, BC

selling salmon at the Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay and Nanaimo Ferry Terminals,” Steve recalls, “and it was a great success and expanded to markets in China.”
At the time, small amounts of trout, salmon and sturgeon were being successfully raised at his homestead and this led to another great idea. Steve, Andrew and Wayne Gorrie at PR Aqua Supplies Ltd. realized that the spring fed rural property would be a prime spot for a “model farm” – a place where nearby students could receive ‘hands on’ fish farming experience as well as providing a research and development facility for PR Aqua.
When Steve sold his smoked salmon stores in 2008, he worked to make the ‘model farm’ dream a reality and searched for private and government funding.
His efforts paid off.
This year, the federal government’s Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program announced its commitment to partially fund a 100 tonne recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) at the property. The 1.4 million dollar facility has also received public and private funding including support from the Province’s Agriculture Innovation Fund, the National Research Council, the Interprovincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development, PR Aqua, VIU and MHC.
Construction is now underway and “Taste of BC” will produce 2 kilogram steelhead trout for local markets starting in 2013.

Steve Atkinson stands with tanks donated by Marine Harvest

Steve is very thankful for the help he’s received from Marine Harvest. “Without the help of people like Dr. Forsythe, Dave Ashcroft and Philip Redmond, I wouldn’t have been able to make the transition to aquaculture,’ Steve says and adds, smiling, “these people have also become friends.”
“I’m a chef by trade, preacher by profession and fish farmer by default,” Steve says with a laugh.

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Much has changed in aquaculture in the past decades

August 27, 2012

Filed under: Letters to editor,What We Do — Tags: agriculture, aquaculture, british columbia, Canada, Communication Manager, communications, Daily News, disease, environment, farm raised, fish farming, fish Health, fishing, food, Ian Roberts, Jacques Cousteau, marine harvest canada, Nanaimo, opinion, Pacific, planet, population, Protecting wild fish, seafood, Sir Sandford Fleming College, transparency, vaccines, viruses, Walter Cordery, wild fish — marineharvestcanada @ 5:19 pm

As published in the Nanaimo Daily News on August 21,2012

Back in 1988, there were 5.1 billion reasons why I chose aquaculture as a career. Today, there are more than seven billion reasons.

In the 1980s I knew that aquaculture would become an increasingly important solution to feeding a growing world population.

Today, it has done exactly that, by surpassing the global catch of wild fish and reducing fishing pressure on many wild stocks traditionally targeted to feed more than 7.061 billion people on the Earth.

So many things have changed since I began farming salmon 25 years ago. For example:

Underwater cameras now monitor feeding to ensure little is wasted
Effective vaccines continue to improve fish health;
Land-based recirculating aquaculture systems continue to advance and now provide much larger smolts ready for saltwater;
Improved feed diets ensure a healthy, nutritious fish and efficient use of our planet’s resources;
Science-based ocean bottom monitoring ensures that the farm site can continue to operate, sustainably, with little impact on the surrounding environment.

What I didn’t know when I first started a career in aquaculture is that it would become a controversial subject here in

Aquaculture has evolved and so has the discussion

British Columbia. Some concerns are well-founded – we need to take care of our oceans and life within them. But others are less genuine – perhaps more market driven or ideological based. Regardless of motive, these concerns have spawned a change in my career path – still a fish farmer – I’ve just traded in my feed scoop for a career in communications.

When we began perfecting the art of growing fish, we neglected to tell our neighbours how we do it and how we strive to do it better. We did a poor job communicating our business.

Today that has changed. Not only do we commit to improving operations, we invest much effort in providing British Columbians with important information about our farm practices. So much so, that this transparency exceeds any other agriculture sector. We’re proud of this.

But an column that appeared in the Nanaimo Daily News on Aug. 14 (“Protecting wild fish must be made a priority”) illustrates that communication efforts need to continue or even increase.

The opinion piece contained numerous incorrect statements about fish viruses and farming impacts – just the kind of persistent untruths that are so frustrating to the committed workers on B.C. salmon farms.

I’m sure that by now there has been a letter to the editor correcting those falsehoods in the opinion piece, but just in case you missed it, here are the highlights:

A single drop of sea water contains about a billion viruses and a few of these viruses, some harmful, most not, may be found naturally in both wild fish and also farm-raised fish. None that may affect our fish are a concernto human health;
Regular scientific testing shows that exotic viruses or diseases are not being introduced into Pacific waters and fish;
Much scientific study and recent strong returns of wild salmon indicate that both wild fish and farm-raised fish can co-exist in B.C. waters.

Regardless of whether you’re a proponent or opponent of fish farming, we all have a same motivation. That is, to take care of our oceans. For salmon farmers, we want to care for the oceans not only because it’s important to our coastal home, but because it’s critical to our success. This care is also imbedded in the strict regulations we operate under. These regulations help ensure that an aquaculture site is being farmed in a sustainable manner that can continue to provide food for future generations.

Jacques Cousteau once said “We must plant the sea and herd its animals using the sea as farmers instead of hunters.”

His point is a critical one. The world is no longer talking about whether aquaculture should happen but how to make sure it’s done well.

I agree and feel British Columbia will benefit from a conversation free of misinformation.

Ian Roberts, Marine Harvest Canada

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From Norway to Canada, company offers broad range of experience

May 16, 2012

Filed under: On The Coast,What We Do — Tags: Amanda Girgan, aquaculture, BC, border collie, Canada, career, cod, dog, feeding fish, Fish Technician, fishing, Georgie Lake, Gina Forsyth, halibut, Hatchery, job, Kitimat, Kyle Girgan, Lulu, marine harvest, Nanaimo, Northwest Territories, Norway, Ocean Falls, Port Hardy, processing fish, salmon, Sayward, Vancouver Island University, Yellowknife — marineharvestcanada @ 7:31 am

By Gina Forsyth

Kyle Girgan’s aquaculture career has taken him to two countries – Canada and Norway – and provided varied opportunities, all with Marine Harvest. As a Fish Technician at Sayward South Hatchery for the past seven months, Kyle enjoys the challenges and successes of feeding fish that weigh less than ½ a gram.

“I started in processing, then worked on the sites and now I’m at a hatchery so I’m working my way backward in the fish’s life cycle”, he said with a laugh.

Kyle was introduced to the industry while abroad, after extending a trip to visit family in Norway. He worked for Marine Harvest Norway in a processing plant for three years and also worked with cod and halibut. Upon returning to Canada in 2005, Kyle worked at

Kyle Girgan

Georgie Lake and took aquaculture courses at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, when he began doing presentations to high school students about the industry, something he continues to do. He also worked on a sea site and most recently at the hatchery in Ocean Falls, which he describes as a “magical” and “special” place.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with the world-class people at Marine Harvest, particularly here in BC,” said Kyle.

Kyle was born in Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, and completed high school in Kitimat in the early 1990s. His family was a mobile one. Kyle and his fiancée Amanda, a high school teacher, are planning a December wedding. They live in Nanaimo and enjoy exploring the area with their five year old dog, Lulu, a border collie cross.

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A story of three grads – building a strong education foundation

December 8, 2011

Filed under: On The Coast,Uncategorized — Tags: Bachelor of Science, Bob Cearns, british columbia, Canada, career, diploma, Duncan, education, fish biology, fisheries and aquaculture school, freshwater farms, Gina Forsyth, graduate, Graham Cruise, hatchery manager, job, Koskimo, Lance Page, Manitoba, marine harvest canada, Nanaimo, Parksville, Quatsino Sound, Stolt, tropical, Untied hatchery, Vancouver Island University, VIU — marineharvestcanada @ 12:24 pm

By Gina Forsyth

One route into the aquaculture industry is through post-secondary education. For those individuals choosing it, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Fisheries and Aquaculture program in Nanaimo has provided a plethora of people with not only the theory but the practical knowledge needed to build a lasting career. Let’s meet three Marine Harvest employees who are former students to discover the contribution their alma mater played in their current jobs.

VIU provides opportunities if the freshwater side of aquaculture is your primary interest. For Lance Page, Hatchery Manager at

Lance Page

Freshwater Farms in Duncan, graduating from the two year Fisheries and Aquacultures diploma program in 1993 has given him “the confidence, contacts, and knowledge” to successfully manage Freshwater Farms hatchery in Duncan since late 2010. Prior to that, he was at United hatchery growing fry for 13 years.

“I started the program wanting to come out the other end with skills that I could put to work right away and I did,” he said. Not only that, Lance originally planned to pursue wild salmon enhancement but the program opened his eyes to aquaculture, an industry he appreciates for its variety of opportunities.

Lance’s summer job during school breaks at a trout hatchery became permanent after graduation and launched his aquaculture career. Before landing his current management position, Lance worked at two other fresh water facilities for Stolt Sea Farm and Pan Fish.

“VIU gave me the education I needed to make the switch from a job that paid the bills to a career that also pays the bills but which allows me to work with fish, a life-long passion of mine”.

Bob Cearns came to the aquaculture industry after his shipping and receiving job at a Parksville non-profit organization was

Bob Cearns

eliminated due to a company restructuring. A childhood spent in Manitoba enjoying the outdoors made the choice of aquaculture a good fit. “I like having the opportunity to work with fish from the smolt stage through to when they’re ready for harvesting”.

During the summer break from school, Bob worked at a smolt site in the Broughton for Stolt. This opportunity gave him the chance to build on the knowledge he’d gained while doing practicums at various government and private facilities on the Central Island.

The value of the program for me was having the opportunity to not only gain knowledge in the classroom but to also experience the reality of the industry, he said. Bob reapplied to Stolt and found himself employed full time within two weeks of graduation in 2004. Campbell River North area is now Bob’s home base, where he has recently accepted a management position.

Graham Cruise, a farm technician at Koskimo Bay in the Quatsino region, chose VIU after extensive research on educational options that would allow him to be on the water, an important consideration for this self-confessed “coastal guy” who has spent nearly all his life near the ocean.

Graham Cruise

“I wanted something more specialized than a Bachelor of Science and the two year diploma program suited me very well,” he said. It prepared me well for the reality of the day to day tasks faced on the farm.

He particularly appreciated the fish biology course. It was an overview of the broad spectrum of fish, from tropical to freshwater and deep water. Graham saw samples of fish he wouldn’t have otherwise.

For more information about the opportunities at VIU, visit www.viu.ca

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Vancouver Island “lifer” knows home is where the heart is

November 4, 2011

Filed under: On The Coast,What We Do — Tags: Aquametrix Research, Biology Degree, broughton, Campbell River, Courtenay, Environmental Assessment Biologist, Greg Gibson, Island Sea Farms, Mainstream Canada, marine harvest, Nanaimo, South East Asia, University of Victoria, Vancouver Islander — marineharvestcanada @ 10:07 am

Greg Gibson, a native Vancouver Islander, knows that you don’t always need to travel far from your birth place to build a fulfilling life. As an Environmental Assessment Biologist, Greg’s job requires both office and field work. “My main focus is compliance and making sure any benthic impacts from the sites are within acceptable limits. I’m also involved with site amendments and technical work,” he explains.

Born in Nanaimo, less than two hours south of Campbell River, Greg graduated from high school in Courtenay, and then enrolled at the University of Victoria in pursuit of his BSc in biology. His introduction to aquaculture in 1993 was through a summer job in the Broughton for what is now Mainstream Canada. Plans to return to school that fall changed when Greg realized how much he enjoyed site work. A three month job became a three year job but I did complete my Biology degree in 1998 with a minor in economics, Greg says, laughing.

After graduation, Greg worked for Island Sea Farms and then travelled for several months throughout south-east Asia. He came back to a full time job in 2001 with Aquametrix Research, an environmental consulting company. When it was time for a different focus, Greg found his way to Marine Harvest in 2008.

Greg and his wife have three kids ranging in age from five to sixteen. They’re involved in a variety of activities so when they’re not busy driving to and from soccer, or piano, their house in Comox keeps both Greg and Tammy occupied with landscaping and planting. “It’s a work in progress and we’re getting it done piece by piece.”

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All the facts in salmon issue must be revealed

October 28, 2011

Published: Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Re: ‘Feds must take threat seriously’ (Daily News, Oct. 24)

Although I agree 100% with the title of Walter Cordery’s piece about a suspected new fish virus found in two B.C. juvenile wild sockeye, it is concerning that the rest of the article omits many important facts about this issue.

Cordery fails to acknowledge that initial findings are unverified and that the CFIA has stated. “We are concerned that proper protocols may not have been followed in the testing and reporting of these findings.” He is wrong in suggesting that the federal government was slow to react; authorities have been engaged since the Monday of Simon Fraser University’s premature press release.

And although Cordery hints four times that B.C. farmed salmon may be the source of this fish virus, he fails to mention nearly 5,000 farmed salmon have been tested according to international standards over the past eight years. All samples were negative – that is, no virus.

I would kindly suggest that if Cordery is going to continue to comment on this issue, that he try to include all pertinent facts. Your readers deserve as much.

Ian Roberts – Marine Harvest Canada, Campbell River

In response to:

Walter Cordery: Feds must take threat seriously
Walter Cordery, The Daily News – Nanaimo
Published: Monday, October 24, 2011

It wasn’t until Alaskan and Washington state politicians raised the alarm about a potentially devastating salmon virus that has been detected in wild West Coast salmon stocks that Ottawa started to investigate the findings of a study by Simon Fraser University fisheries statistician Rick Routledge.

Initially, the Harper government described the study as “inconclusive.”

New Democratic fisheries critic Fin Donnelly drew attention to concerns raised Thursday by three American senators who have made a bipartisan appeal to U.S. government officials to probe the possible spread of infectious salmon anemia.

The senators are calling on the National Aquatic Animal Health Task Force to analyze the risk of it spreading.

“We need to act now to protect the Pacific Northwest’s coastal economy and jobs,” Washington state Senator Maria Cantwell said.

“Infectious salmon anemia could pose a serious threat to Pacific Northwest wild salmon and the thousands of Washington State jobs that rely on them.”

Donnelly said Ottawa wasn’t taking the SFU report seriously.

This shouldn’t comes as a surprise. When it comes to aquaculture, both the Harper Conservatives and the Chretien/ Martin Liberals have thrown the “precautionary principle” out the window. That principle stems from the UN’s Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It states: “In decision making, the precautionary principle is considered when possibly dangerous, irreversible, or catastrophic events are identified, but scientific evaluation of the potential damage is not sufficiently certain.”

The precautionary principle implies an emphasis on the need to prevent such adverse effects. Canada was a signatory of the summit’s final communiqu?.

The ISA virus, previously limited to Atlantic salmon – including an outbreak that ravaged Chile’s farm-raised salmon industry in 2007 and 2008 – was found in two out of 48 young sockeye salmon sampled from B.C. The findings were announced Monday in Vancouver by Routledge, who said the European strain of the virus they detected had only been identified before in farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

The research suggested that the virus in Canada originated from imports of Atlantic salmon and eggs into the Pacific Northwest, though no direct link has been confirmed.

When Donnelly pointed out ISA devastated corporate fish farms in Chile and with the pressure from West Coast American senators, the Harper government relented somewhat and agreed to look into the matter.

Federal officials are working to confirm reports that ISA has been detected in B.C. wild salmon stocks.

“The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is investigating recent reports that infectious salmon anaemia has been detected in wild sockeye salmon in British Columbia.” said a statement issued Friday.

They said they are now working closely with the Atlantic Veterinary College, which conducted initial testing for Routledge, to confirm the results.

It seems to me that if Ottawa really believed in the precautionary principle, it would halt the importation of Atlantic salmon eggs to B.C. and destroy any infected fish farms to stop the spread of this virus.

When Republican senators from Alaska echo the warnings of peer-reviewed scientists like Alexandra Morton that this finding poses a threat to B.C. salmon, it’s time Ottawa took this matter seriously and do more than just study the findings.

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Life on the water a long held passion for Senior Vessel Master

September 29, 2011

Filed under: Community Support,On The Coast,What We Do — Tags: 1926 Model T, 1934 Ford 3-window coupe, Alert Bay, atlantic salmon, Campbell River, Gina Forsyth, John Olney, Mamalilikulla Band, Mamalilikulla First Nation, Master’s Ticket, Nanaimo, North Island College, Orca Chief, Orca Shipping, Orca Warrior, Port McNeill, Salmon Transporter, salt water, Senior Master, Vancouver Island, West Coast Fisherman — marineharvestcanada @ 12:48 pm

It was an article in West Coast Fisherman magazine and a sighting of a vessel he would later be responsible for that led John Olney to a career in aquaculture.

As the Senior Master on the Orca Chief, John oversees all personnel and maintenance on not only the Chief but the Orca Warrior and the Salmon Transporter as well. He is responsible for more than a dozen staff. The boats move fish to farm sites and are also involved in grading.

John was a long-time commercial fisherman and began his aquaculture career with Orca Shipping after reading about the Orca boats arriving in BC and seeing the Warrior while he was fishing.

“It appealed to me, I called Deane and he hired me right away,” explained John. “I started as a deckhand and worked my way up”. That was more than 13 years and one company merger ago and along the way, John earned his Master’s Ticket through North Island College.

“I’ve got salt water running through my veins,” John said with a smile, adding that the best thing about his job is seeing the coast every day and being on the water.

Born in Alert Bay, John is a member of the Mamalilikulla Band. He and his wife Heather live in Campbell River and have two grown daughters living in Nanaimo as well as one granddaughter.

John’s passion away from work is restoring old vehicles. He’s currently busy with a 1934 Ford 3-window coupe to compliment the 1926 Model T truck he did for his wife.

By Gina Forsyth

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Company Donation supports sturgeon R&D and conservation

July 27, 2011

Filed under: Community Support,Salmon Enhancement,What We Do — Tags: Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Director of the International Centre for Sturgeon Studies, Don Tillapaugh, donation, Island Coastal Economic Trust, marine harvest, Nanaimo, Sturgeon Centre, sturgeon fry, Vancouver Island University, white sturgeon — marineharvestcanada @ 8:56 am

Thanks to a $211,000 in-kind donation of freshwater equipment from Marine Harvest, the Sturgeon Centre at Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo is well on its way to meeting its mandate of supporting and fostering white sturgeon for future use in aquaculture as well as facilitating their conservation.
The donation of several surplus five, eight and ten foot round tanks last summer are used for the first feeding of sturgeon fry. “These tanks are integral to the operation of the freshwater system,” said Don Tillapaugh, Director of the International Centre for Sturgeon Studies at VIU.
There are currently three year classes of sturgeon in the tanks donated by Marine Harvest, ranging from 2008 to 2010.
“This crucial support from Marine Harvest is generous, timely and very important,” said Don.
The costs of building construction went up significantly between 2004 and completion in 2009, he explained. Money had to be reallocated from what was budgeted for tanks to cover the increase in construction costs. Although this isn’t unusual with a project of this magnitude, it left the Sturgeon Centre with a deficit of tanks that was filled by the company.
The Sturgeon Centre has five labs devoted to a variety of research initiatives that focus on the conservation and protection of this ancient species. The juvenile rearing room is currently operational with brood rearing to be up and running soon. By the end of the summer, three additional research labs will have come online as well.
Our dual purpose applied research focuses on both facilitation sturgeon conservation as well as the potential development of the species as a human food source, explained Don. A goal of the Centre is to become knowledge and innovation hub for sturgeon. Our research will produce peerreviewed publications with concrete outcomes, he added.
The Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the BC Knowledge Development Fund as well as the Island Coastal Economic Trust all financially supported the Sturgeon Centre as well.

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Love of Salmon leads to gratifying aquaculture career

March 25, 2011

Filed under: On The Coast,What We Do — Tags: 1986, Abbotsford, Assistant, Assistant manager, Campbell River, Fisheries and Aquaculture Program, Georgie Lake, Graeme Bull, Kim Bull, Malaspina College, marine harvest, Nanaimo, Port Hardy, public recreation fishery, salmonid enhancement, Sayward North Hatchery, Stolt Sea Farm, Terrace, Vaccination Supervisor — marineharvestcanada @ 10:46 am

Some people land in a career more by accident or circumstance than through a conscious decision. But for Graeme Bull, Assistant Manager at Sayward North Hatchery and Vaccination Supervisor, joining the aquaculture industry was entirely deliberate.

Born in Terrace and raised in Abbotsford, where his family lived and worked on a farm, Graeme finished high school in 1986 and completed the Fisheries and Aquaculture program at Malaspina College in Nanaimo two years later.

Being surrounded by a variety of animals on the farm meant that raising them was a natural part of my life, he said. This interest, as well as Graeme’s post-secondary education, led him to work in salmonid enhancement in Port Hardy. The non-profit society he worked for had contracts with the province and the federal government to raise steelhead and Pacific salmon. “I’ve always been a strong advocate for the public recreational fishery,” explains Graeme, adding that dwindling resources for salmonid enhancement distressed him.

Graeme made the switch to aquaculture in 2000, when he became manager of Stolt Sea Farm’s Georgie Lake net pen sites north of Port Hardy, which until recently raised smolts.

For Graeme, the best thing about working for Marine Harvest is the company’s commitment to community involvement, especially as it relates to providing support for salmonid enhancement through equipment and feed donations.

Graeme and his wife of 14 years, Kim, who is a biologist, moved to Campbell River in late 2010 with their two daughters after more than 20 years in Port Hardy. Nicky, the former resident cat at Georgie Lake also made the move with the Bull family.

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