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2003

His Excellency John Ralston Saul to speak at unveiling of declaration by notable Canadians supporting boreal forest conservation

September 3, 2003

His Excellency John Ralston Saul today at 9:30 a.m. will speak at a ceremony where a declaration by notable Canadians will be unveiled that calls upon Canada to show global stewardship in planning for the protection of the boreal forest region which covers more than one half of the country. His Excellency will speak following a ceremonial paddle from Victoria Island to the Canadian Museum of Civilization. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in the Grand Hall of the museum.

Some of Canada's best-known citizens, including Tom Cochrane, Marc Dery, Margie Gillis, Tomson Highway, Cathy Jones, Thomas King, Silken Laumann, David Schindler, David Suzuki and Veronica Tennant are also signatories to the declaration. His Excellency will be accompanied on the paddle and at the ceremony by other notable Canadians supporting the declaration, including wilderness writer James Raffan and artists Becky Mason and Jose Mansilla-Miranda. Algonquin Elder William Commanda of Kitigan Zibi, Quebec will bless the paddlers upon their arrival.

All are supporters of the Boreal Rendezvous organized by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in partnership with the Canadian Boreal Initiative and the David Suzuki Foundation with the support of Mountain Equipment Co-operative. The Rendezvous led off with a summer-long series of canoe trips down 10 of Canada's most spectacular rivers in the boreal forest region to promote greater awareness of the vast expanse of this remaining wilderness forest. It winds up with a celebration at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Grand Hall on September 5 hosted by Cathy Jones and Thomas King, headlining Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles. Fiftymen and Marc Dèry will also perform with spectacular boreal background images provided by leading photographers including Courtney Milne.

Boreal Rendezvous participant David Suzuki says of his trip down an Alberta river this summer, "Being on the Athabasca River, seeing lynx and other wildlife free in their natural habitat, was a powerful reminder to me of the importance of keeping the boreal forest ecosystem healthy and intact."

"The Canadian Boreal Initiative is bringing together conservation groups, First Nations and others to promote the importance of planning wisely for the conservation of Canada's boreal forest region. Our partnership in the Boreal Rendezvous is just one of the ways that we are working to ensure that Canada takes the opportunity now, while we still have large amounts of intact boreal forest, to plan for its future," says Cathy Wilkinson, CBI Director.

"We are absolutely delighted at the strength of the response from leading Canadians to participate in the Boreal Rendezvous. While this marks an end to the summer canoe trips, it also marks an exciting beginning for our on-going activities to promote boreal wilderness conservation. Plans are underway now for a book containing contributions from the many notable Canadians who participated in the Boreal Rendezvous, and we will continue to work with participants on other efforts to widen public awareness of this magnificent wilderness," says Tim Gray, Director of Boreal Conservation for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Mountain Equipment Co-op was the major equipment sponsor for the Boreal Rendezvous and provided canoes for today's event.

The boreal forest region covers more than one-half of Canada, as a broad green swath reaching through almost every province and territory. It is one of the world's most important sources of fresh water, acts as a giant air purifier, and regulates the climate by storing vast amounts of carbon in its soils. Canada's boreal forest region represents one-quarter of the world's remaining wilderness forests.

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For more information:
visit www.borealtrek.ca or contact

Ellen Adelberg
(613) 523-3905

Tamara Nowakowsky
Cell (604)250-5474