Advocates are planning an October "Paddle for Wild Salmon" down the Fraser River, according to a post on the Salmon Are Sacred website. The event is timed to coincide with the start of the Cohen Commission inquiry into the 2009 collapse of the Fraser River sockeye run.

The paddle is backed by Alexandra Morton, several First Nations, and a number of politicians:

The migration will be officially launched at a “Hope for Wild Salmon” event on 19th October in Hope with other events en route including Chilliwack (20th), Mission (21st) and New Westminster (23rd).

First Nations will take a leading role and paddlers include Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chief Bob Chamberlin and Grand Chief Saul Terry. John Cummins MP, Fin Donnelly MP, Vicki Huntington MLA, Spencer Chandra Herbert MLA, Michelle Mungall MLA and Peter Julian MP will also paddle various stretches.

... Darren Blaney of the Homalco First Nation will also lead a canoe team across the Salish Sea to join the paddlers in Vancouver on 25th October with other canoes hopefully making the journey from Victoria, Cowichan Valley and Washington. Kayakers from the Pipedreams Project will leave Kitimat on 1st September and plan to join the Paddle for Wild Salmon in October.

On October 25, the paddlers will join a "Stand Up for Wild Salmon" march from Vanier Park to the office of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and then to the Law Courts, where the Cohen Commission will conduct its first day of hearings.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.