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May 20 2010 » Media Releases

385km Stand Up Paddleboard Expedition Completed Successfully

Squamish ?resident ?Norm? Hann? has ?completed ?what ?many? thought ?was? impossible.? ? His? 385km? Stand? Up? Paddleboard? expedition? through? Canada’s? Great? Bear? Rainforest? started? in? the? Haisla? Village? of? Kitimat,? B.C? on? May? 8th,? and? ended? yesterday? in? the? Heiltsuk? village? of? Bella? Bella,? where? he? was? greeted? by? a? large? gathering? of? local? residents,? including? school? children,? hereditary? chiefs,? elders? and? other? community? leaders.? ? ? With? stops? in? Hartley? Bay,? Klemtu? and? as? far? west? as? the? Moore? Islands,? the? expedition? helped? bring? awareness? to? the? environmental? threat? the? proposed? Enbridge? oil? pipeline? and? tanker? traffic? will? have? on? the? Great? Bear? Rainforest,? its? people? and? wildlife.? Hann ?also? visited? a? number ?of? vital ?food? harvesting? sites ?for ?First ?Nations, ?which ?are ?at ?risk ?from? potential ?oil ?spills. ?The ?expedition ?served ?to ?galvanize ?support ?amongst ?coastal ?residents ?in ?opposition ?to? the ?proposed ?oil?tanker ?route.??
“It ?was ?an ?incredible ?journey.? The ?weather ?allowed? us ?to ?visit ?wild ?and? remote ?places ?rich ?in ?wildlife? and? traditional? foods.? This ?expedition? confirmed ?how? special? and ?rare? this? coastal? environment? really ?is.? First? Nations ?from? Kitimat ?to? Bella? Bella? expressed? how ?valuable ?their ?natural ?resources ?are ?to ?their ?livelihood? and ?sense ?of ?place. ?They? were ?in ?full ?100%? support ?of ?not ?having ?oil?tankers ?on? our ?coast. ??Our ?team? was? honoured? to? be? welcomed? into? their? communities? and? we? were? fortunate? to? have? their? guidance? throughout?our?trip.”?
Hann? runs? Mountain? Surf? Adventures? in? Squamish? and? has? been? a? professional? outdoor? guide? in? the? Great? Bear? Rainforest? for? ten? years? and? is? very? connected? to? the? land? and? its? people.? As? a? fishing,? kayaking,? wildlife ?and ?bear? viewing ?guide? he ?has ?introduced? people? from ?all ?over? the? world ?to ?the ?Great? Bear?Rainforest.?

To ?schedule? an ?interview ?with ?Norm ?Hann,? please? call Shannon ?at? 604?818?7426 ?or? email? at? standup4greatbear@gmail.com.?

To ?read ?a ?detailed? account ?of ?the? StandUp4GreatBear ?Expedition ?please ?visit?? www.mountainsurfadventures.blogspot.com??

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