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World Mental Health Day: Why Access to Nature Matters for Everyone
On World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2025), we’re celebrating something simple and profoundly needed: regular time in nature. The science is clear—contact with green and blue spaces reduces stress, improves mood, and supports long-term mental well-being. For the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC (FMCBC), this isn’t just interesting evidence; it’s one of the reasons we advocate so strongly for protecting non-motorized access to BC’s backcountry and trails—for all. A growing body of [...]
Book Review: The Canadian Rockies Rediscovered
by Paul Zizka - A Book Review by Ron Dart, a member of the Chilliwack Outdoor Club - There are “A”, “B” and “C” level novels that hold the reader for different reasons, but it is the classical “A” books we return to many times in our all too human journey. There can be no doubt that Paul Zizka’s compelling and creative photographs in The Canadian Rockies Rediscovered are in the highest reach of [...]
A Magical, Musical Hike
Just two of us? That was a surprise to both of us at the trail meet-up. We were expecting 4 others. We decided to hike anyway. Hike leader, Liz Bicknell, leads a delightful hike along some lesser-known trails up and around Mt. Work, on Vancouver Island. Chatting intermittently, Liz spotted and named flora and at times quietly listened to and identified bird songs while we arrived at our snack break on Puddle Rock. There, [...]
Book Review: My Soul Lives in These Mountains
"My Soul Lives in these Mountains: A Collection of Stories, Poems and Paintings of the Chilliwack Cascades — Land of the Ts'elxwéyeqw" By Peter D. Scott - A Book Review by Ron Dart, a member of the Chilliwack Outdoor Club - Many are the books that describe a variety of hikes, climbs, scrambles and off path treks in BC but rare is the book that deals with an in depth reflection on a specific [...]
Tragedy on the Mountain: In Memory of Daniel
You know how one can get really excited about leading a hike? After leading for 30 years, it’s still in me to get excited. May 7th, 2025, was that day for me as I was leading a flower hike on Mt. Tzouhalem here in the Cowichan Valley. I call it the 4 Corners Hike as we go to all 4 corners, to see all the different views. The hike is 13km. I had 11 [...]
Recreation & Conservation Committee Report
- July 2025 - By Monika Bittel, Rec & Con Committee Chair FMCBC’s Recreation and Conservation Committee (Rec & Con) advocates for the interests of public self-propelled backcountry recreation in BC. The Committee tends to focus on issues in southwest BC because, for most Committee members, this is their primary recreation area. However, since changing to virtual meetings, members from other regions participate in the monthly meetings or stay informed on matters of interest [...]