“It’s a critical moment for the Fraser River estuary,” says Ken Ashley. “We need to protect it,” he says. “It’s the eleventh hour. The estuary, which has experienced myriad developmental pressures for over a century, faces an uncertain future due to continuing development, a failure by all levels of government to provide a coordinated governance mechanism, and the existential threat of sea level rise from climate change, which could be the end of the estuary as we know it,” says Ken. The Soul of the Fraser tells the story of this important intertidal habitat, where the ocean’s saltwater meets the river’s fresh water, considered the most ecologically sensitive and threatened ecosystem in the entire Fraser River. The estuary is a vital waterway for salmon to acclimatize, he notes, as they pass from salt water to fresh water at key phases of their reproductive life. 

A Q&A discussion will be held after the film screening with Ken Ashley and Misty MacDuffee, Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

A film trailer is available on YouTube: Soul of the Fraser.