The Alouette River Management Society celebrates its 30th anniversary year in 2023.

Executive director Greta Borick-Cunningham said the “birthday year” will be marked at different points on the calendar, but in particular it will be celebrated on Earth Day on April 22, and then on Rivers Day in September.

Rivers Day will bring a celebration at the Allco Fish Hatchery, with public tours of the hatchery, which is run by BC Corrections, and the Rivers Heritage Centre, which is the ARMS facility at the site. It should be a big event, as the 2022 Rivers Day celebration saw about 500 people attend, with entertainment, exhibitors, and even salmon-shaped cookies.

Over the past three decades ARMS has developed a lot of relationships in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, and those people will be invited to the South Alouette facility to celebrate with the rivers group.

“We’re hoping to put a focus on our partnerships, and the groups who support us,” said Borick-Cunningham.

When the Alouette Dam was build in 1928, it blocked all five Pacific Salmon from historic spawning grounds. ARMS was formed 30 years ago to advocate for the health of the watershed and deliver environmental education and outreach. ARMS also promotes environmental stewardship in the watershed. One of its key initiatives is to promote fish passage – a ladder – for salmon to get past the dam, and restore salmon populations in the watershed.

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Every year the organization reaches thousands of students through environmental education program, and works with hundreds of volunteers who combine to offer thousands of hours.

Marking the 30th anniversary is one of Borick-Cunningham’s goals for 2023, and another is to set up a wildlife camera in the river this year at the fish fence. She said it will be useful for those managing the resource to see the size and condition of salmon as they return to spawn, but it will also provide beautiful and educational images for the public.

Another goal for Borick-Cunningham, and ARMS this year is to set up a new operational three-year plan for 2024-2026.

In general, she said ARMS works to foster a sense of place, a love of nature, and an appreciation for “this amazing river that runs through Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.”

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