19 cities take part in cross-country protection drive

Dozens of people in 19 cities across Canada will take to the streets this Canada Day to raise awareness of Canada’s most widespread endangered species, the caribou, whose numbers are quickly declining in all provinces where they live.

Handing out flags and dressed in antlers and in T-shirts reading “My Canada Includes Caribou”, members of Caribou Nation – a project of three environmental organizations – will work the Canada Day crowds from coast to coast. They will be asking people to become citizens of Caribou Nation, complete with their own passports, and to express their concerns to their elected officials.

"Caribou are a Canadian icon and they are vanishing before our eyes. We’re telling people across the country that we need their help to protect the caribou’s habitat,” said Rachel Plotkin of the Sierra Club of Canada.

Caribou have been eliminated entirely from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Across Canada, woodland caribou have disappeared from approximately half of their historic range

“Historically, caribou lived in every province and territory in Canada,” said Andrea Reimer of the Wilderness Committee. “In the last century caribou have declined because of human actions--most particularly habitat destruction from logging and oil and gas exploration.”

Three different species of caribou live in Canada: barren-ground, Peary and woodland, which itself has many sub-species. In BC, a woodland caribou sub-species called mountain caribou is in severe decline. With only 1900 left, they are among Canada’s most endangered caribou.

"These majestic forest-dwelling animals are part of BC’s wildlife heritage,” said Candace Batycki of ForestEthics. “We can keep them around for future generations, but we need leadership from the provincial and federal governments. These are the only mountain caribou left in the world.”

Caribou Day activities will be taking place noon:

BC: Vancouver (Granville Island), Victoria (Legislature fireworks), Cranbrook (fireworks), Kaslo (the Crooked Café), Richmond (Steveston Salmon Festival) AB: Grande Prairie, Edmonton MB: Winnipeg (The Forks) ON: Ottawa, Stratford (Market Square), Toronto (Ontario Place and fireworks), Kitchener/Waterloo, Perth PQ: Gatineau, Montreal LB: Happy Valley-Goose Bay NS: Dartmouth (waterfront), Dalhousie, Halifax (waterfront)

For more information, visit: http://www.caribounation.org and please contact:
Andrea Reimer, Wilderness Committee, 604-719-3920 

Candace Batycki, ForestEthics, 604-219-7457