The Valhalla Wilderness Society was founded in 1975, in the small village of New Denver, British Columbia, Canada. It started as a group of local residents who wanted to save the forested slopes of the Valhalla Range in southeastern B.C. from logging. After an intensive eight-year campaign, Valhalla Provincial Park was won.

The Registered Charity became involved in other provincial, national, and international environmental projects. It spearheaded protection of the Khutzeymateen Valley (Canada's first sanctuary for grizzly bears) and Goat Range Provincial Park. Eighteen years ago the Society initiated the campaign to preserve a sanctuary for the white Spirit Bears of Princess Royal Island. This work has made the Spirit Bear and its need for a sanctuary renowned all over the world. In February 2006, the B.C. government and First Nations agreed to protect a large spirit bear sanctuary. Valhalla has spearheaded campaigns that now protect over 1.25 million acres. The Society also played a key role in the creation of South Moresby National Park Reserve.

Over the years its Board of Directors and Staff have included a diverse mixture of scientific expertise, political strategists, public spokespersons and literary/artistic talent. Colleen McCrory, who was one of VWS's chief activists and its longtime Chairperson, passed away suddenly in July of 2007. Supported by intense team effort, she had received the following awards:

• Goldman Environmental Prize (top international award)
• Governor General of Canada’s Conservation Award
• United Nations Global 500 Roll of Honour
• Equinox Citation for Environmental Achievement
• IUCN Fred M. Packard International Parks Merit Award
• Vancouver Island Human Rights Coalition Citation for Outstanding
  Contributions to Protection of the Environment

VWS continues to be one of the province's leading voices for wilderness and wildlife preservation. We invite you to find out more about the Valhalla Wilderness Society’s work, and how you can make a difference.

VWS Seek Support for a Return to Live-Trapping and
Releasing Habituated Black Bears in the Wild

A very cold spring meant that vast areas in the mountains that produce bear foods remained covered with snow a month or so longer than usual. This sent high numbers of bears into towns looking for food. Final statistics on how many have been shot are not available, but we know that 27 bears have been killed by the City of Castlegar alone.
For decades the province trapped the bears that became problems, and released them in remote areas. But with the change of government in 2002, the province directed Conservation Officers to stop relocating “problem” black bears, and start shooting them. In the Valhalla Wilderness Society's home town of New Denver, residents have experienced bear families shot out of trees in front of children in the campground, a wounded bear running through the streets of the villages, and hot confrontations between small crowds of outraged people and the police and Conservation Officers.
VWS directors and staff have donated untold hours of time patiently trying to reduce the problem. Conservation Officers and the RCMP have cooperated and exercised as much restraint as they could. Bear deaths were reduced in 2010 but have gone back up this year.
The Society now has a petition going to live trap and relocate problem bears. Despite rumours that relocated bears die or return to the place where they were trapped, studies show that relocation is effective for some. VWS has also produced a flyer called “Living with Bears”. Please read the flyer and spread it around.

Download Living with Bears

Selkirk Mountain Caribou Park Proposal Located in the Central Selkirk and Purcell Ranges of southeastern BC, this park proposal is designed to rescue remnant stands of ancient Inland Temperate Rainforest and to connect three existing parks with corridors for wildlife. It would protect: Forests of ancient cedars up to 1,800 years old Hundreds of species of lichens, many rare plants and mushrooms A herd of about endangered 90 Mountain Caribou Grizzly Bears fishing for Kokanee salmon Core habitat for blue-listed Wolverines Stretches of four rivers Spawning grounds for the blue-listed Bull Trout of Kootenay and Arrow lakes.

Top: Incomapleux forest, lush forest undergrowth. Photo by Alan Watson

Bottom: VWS director Craig Pettitt (left) with Michael Sather, NDP Deputy Environment critic
Photo by Anne Sherrod

Assigned Clearcuts While Industry Logs the Old-Growth

Very little is left of the old-growth forest habitat of the Central Selkirk Mountain Caribou. If logging of it continues, this important herd will disappear forever.

See Backgrounder

Update on Implementation of BC Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan

On October 16, 2007 the BC Government announced its new plan to save the mountain caribou. The Valhalla Wilderness Society was not part of this agreement, had nothing to do with setting its terms, and is strongly opposed to it. An implementation process was set up to determine how the new habitat protection will be distributed. It is now being carried out by five Habitat Teams in eight planning units. VWS has been added to the consultation list. Our aim is to monitor and provide input on location of the new protected habitat. By participating in this way, VWS in no way means to lend our support to the overall plan.

Full Update (6 pages.pdf)

Planning Participants Must Sign Confidentiality Agreement to Obtain Copy of Final
Implementation Plan for Saving Mountain Caribou

The public process on a recovery plan for the endangered mountain caribou isn’t public anymore. The BC government is forcing people to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to obtain a copy of the final draft implementation plan.

Press Release

Valhalla Wilderness Society’s submission to SARCO