Image: Facebook / The Chilliwack community is invited to attend a public conversation and dinner in conjunction with the Xá:y Syí:ts’emílep Project to restore Gill Bar. According to information posted on Facebook, Pelólxw Tribe members Cheam and Sqwá cordially invite anyone in the greater Chilliwack area to attend a project launch and community conversation about the Gill Bar restoration and Management Plan project. The event happens Wednesday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Gill Bar in Chilliwack

Chilliwack First Nations invite community to attend Gill Bar restoration event Feb. 21

Feb 8, 2024 | 2:05 PM

CHILLIWACK — The Chilliwack community is invited to attend a public conversation and dinner in conjunction with the Xá:y Syí:ts’emílep Project to restore Gill Bar.

According to information posted on Facebook, Pelólxw Tribe members Cheam and Sqwá cordially invite anyone in the greater Chilliwack area to attend a project launch and community conversation about the Gill Bar restoration and Management Plan project. The event happens Wednesday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m.

Gill Bar Restoration and Management Plan Team is a collaboration with the S’ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance (STSA), the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA), the Watershed Watch Salmon Society (WWSS), and the Pelólxw Tribe. Xá:y Syí:ts’emílep means Gill Sand Bar in Halkomelem.

This community event will detail the plans and actions being taken to revitalize and restore the Gill Bar reach of the Fraser River. Stewarded by Pelólxw Tribe members Cheam and Sqwá, these waterways have been important transportation routes and sources of food for multiple generations.

“Now, with the leadership of the Cheam and Sqwá, this popular recreation and fishing site is being given the attention and care it needs to thrive,” the Facebook event states. “The Project Team invites you to attend, learn and share feedback on what the First Nations are collaboratively working towards for the future of this important river reach. With the coming together of our communities, we can take steps to restore, revitalize and preserve Gill Bar for the benefit of many generations to come!”

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Residents who live in proximity to Gill Bar and who might be curious to know what the restoration and management plans for the area might look like, or are keen to ensure other values are considered, are warmly welcome to attend. This event is open to Stó:lõ community members keen to learn about this restorative project, the event description states. This event is also open to those living close to Gill Bar, the larger Chilliwack community and users of Gill Bar now affected by its closure.

In appreciation of your time and interest in this exemplary ecosystem, organizers will be providing dinner (at 5:30 p.m.) and we will be raffling off some door prizes.

Visit Watershed Watch Salmon Society on Facebook, or find the event entitled “Gill Bar Project Launch and Community Conversation” on Facebook likewise.

The address listed for the event is 52170 Old Yale Road, Chilliwack.