Latest news
New multi-use active transportation trails being developed in the Southern Gulf Islands
I misspent my youth on Vancouver Island. In the late 1970’s and early 1980s, I was an undergraduate student at SFU. In my spare time, I’d jump on my bike and explore Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands with different groups of friends. Eager to share my bicycle touring discoveries with others, I wrote a first guidebook to the region (published by Douglas & McIntyre, while I was away at grad school). Now that I’m [...]
ATVs on Rail Trails – blog by Simon Priest
Our group recently rode a 50-kilometre circuit between Nanoose Bay and Coombs on Vancouver Island. A combination of rail trails, greenways, mountain bike routes, and back roads, we enjoyed lunch at the world famous “Goats-on-the-roof” country store by the local market. All-in-all, this was a great spring trip with good weather, but with one exception. The sole rail trail between Coombs and Parksville Stations (that parallels beside the defunct E&N spur to Port Alberni) had [...]
The future of heli-skiing in the Spearhead Range is up for review — your voice matters!
The Spearhead Range in Garibaldi Provincial Park is one of British Columbia’s most iconic backcountry ski touring destinations. Each winter, it draws local and international skiers to experience its glaciers, alpine terrain, and world-class traverses. What many users may not realize is that commercial heli-skiing is currently permitted in the Spearhead Range under a Park Use Permit held by Whistler Heli-Skiing. This permit is set to expire in November 2026, and its future is now under [...]
The Ancient Forest that’s redefined what’s possible
By Maria Osipova, an Individual Member of the FMCBC. She's an avid hiker, outdoor enthusiast, and co-founder of TrailQwest, helping to share the stories behind British Columbia’s trails. There are places where time moves differently. Where the air tastes of cedar and earth, where moss grows thick as carpet on trunks wider than a man is tall. Ancient Forest/Chun T'oh Whudujut Provincial Park—one of the world's last stands of inland temperate rainforest, [...]
Mountain Mentors: A tribute to the LaChapelle legacy
- A poetic tribute by Ron Dart, author and member of the Chilliwack Outdoor Club - - Delores Lachapelle (d. January 22, 2007) Edward Lachapelle (d. February 2, 2007) “In my beginning is my end” -T.S. Eliot East Coker I was young in those days, keen to learn mountain lore, to take to glaciers and snow packed slopes, could ski better than walk, left school before finishing, against my elder's advice, to live the [...]
Introducing Advocacy in Action Spotlights
- By Monika Bittel, FMCBC Director, Recreation & Conservation Committee - Across British Columbia, FMCBC members and volunteers do far more than participate in outdoor recreation. Through trip leadership, skills training, mentorship, safety initiatives, stewardship, and hands-on trail and hut projects, they become informed and effective advocates for self-propelled outdoor recreation. By working directly on trails and in parks, members gain first-hand knowledge of local recreation areas and ecosystems. They understand the condition and [...]