A BRIEF REMINDER OF SWI EVENTS IN APRIL
IN THIS ISSUE
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CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
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APRIL EVENTS: VIMFF-April 10 & SWI AGM-April 22
CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
In brief –it is only the start of April, and we are in that in-between stage when the compacted snow on the Plateau trails is crisp and icy in the morning, soft and soggy in the afternoon. The photo above of Lake Helen MacKenzie shows open ice at the Piggott Creek outflow and very little snow on the Saddle between Mt Elma and Mt Allan Brooks. Spring skiing is all but over, and we could see the trails on the Plateau clearing by early May, as double-digit temperatures are forecast for the end of the week. The dribs and drabs of snow that have fallen on the Plateau over the past couple of weeks have not really contributed to the remaining snow pack of less than a metre in Paradise Meadows.
In the Buttle area, the snow line continues to rise, especially on south facing slopes, and both Buttle and Upper Campbell Lakes are very high from the run off. The early part if the Elk River trail is clear and dry, with little blowdown. We are waiting for reports back of the state of the trail from the Butterwort camp onwards. It is too early for srping blooms, but there are some “snow-bank” fungi to be found such as Gyromitra esculenta or False Morel ( which is not, as its species name suggests, edible, unlike the prized Morchella esculenta, the common morel).
UPCOMING EVENTS
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2026
Date: Friday April 10th, 2026
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm (Doors Open 6:30pm)
Location: Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College, Courtenay.
Tickets: Adults $20 Online, $25 At the Door
$15 Student (Valid ID) and Youth (16 & Under)
Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI) is delighted to host once again the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIMFF) now in its 29th year. The program will as usual feature some of the best thought-provoking and action-packed films about climbing, snowsports, biking, the environment and more, created by BC, Canadian and International filmmakers.
The line-up of wide-ranging shows selected includes:
– 60 Wheels of Winter
– One Step Ahead
– Becky Bates, not a running story
– Embers
– Lenin Peak
– Fish for the Future
– The Guidebook
– Still Rider
– TDL – The Crossing of the Laurentians
A link to detailed information on all of these films can be found here and for a link to view the official VIMFF trailer see the top on the Events Page).
We have draw prizes generously donated by local businesses (e.g. Beaufort Cycles, Cumberland Brewing Co and Mountain City Cycle). Everyone in attendance will have a chance to win. The draw will take place during the intermission.
Also during the intermission we will have hot drinks and cookies for sale (please bring loonies and toonies) and folks are encouraged to have their own mugs.
For more information see the events page of our Website
or email us at strathconawilderness@gmail.com.
SWI 2026 AGM & PRESENTATION ON THE ISLAND’s 6000+ Peaks
Date: Wednesday April 22nd, 2026
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Evergreen Lounge, Filberg Centre, Courtenay
SWI will hold its Annual General Meeting on April 22nd in the Evergreen Lounge of the Filberg Centre at 7:00 pm in conjunction with a presentation by Eryn Tombu-Haigh on her ascents of all 53 “6000 ft” Peaks on Vancouver Island.
Strathcona Wilderness Institute is a not-for-profit organization whose essential role is, in partnership with BC Parks, to serve as an interface between the Strathcona Wilderness and the general public. We are a non-membership society, and so we invite members of the public with an interest in Strathcona Provincial Park to attend our AGM, since its purpose is to present our Annual Report to the public, as well as to elect the Board of Directors for the coming year.
With our mission to inspire awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the Natural World through research, education and participation, we schedule interpretive hikes and workshops, and oversee research projects in the Park, including the SWI Data Collection Project on iNaturalist. We also provide the Public with information about the Park at our two “huts” each summer in Strathcona Provincial Park, at the Paradise Meadows Trailhead and at Buttle Lake. All our activities are carried out by VOLUNTEERS and SUMMER STUDENTS (funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program).
We invite former and potential volunteers to attend the AGM and learn more about SWI’s work, accomplishments and plans for the upcoming year. We always welcome volunteers to staff our visitor centres and participate in our educational programs, thus ensuring the continuation of what we have achieved in the past. Please put your names forward! Moreover, anyone who loves Strathcona Park and would like to contribute a little of their time to the organization of SWI’s many activities should consider becoming a director. We have two vacant spaces on the Board. Nominations can be made in advance or from the “floor”.
Our guest presentation:
The presentation will feature Eryn Tombu-Haigh illustrating her personal quest to climb all 53 of the 6000 ft peaks on Vancouver Island. Eryn grew up in a rural community, hiking everywhere, without particularly focussing on mountains, but the attraction of open, uninhabited spaces with limitless views, drew her higher and higher, so that she eventually discovered she had in fact climbed all but five of the 53 peaks. It therefore made sense to complete the remaining few, which she did by 2022. Through her spectacular photos she will share the experiences on many of her incredible trips. And now her passion for climbing has been picked up by her seven-year old son, Caleb, who accompanied her on an ascent of the Golden Hinde last summer and so their climb together to the top of the Park’s highest peak will also be featured in this presentation.
