Page 26 - Breath of the Bear
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            An eagle soars overhead, dipping its  wing
          in  reverence  to  the  500-year-old  tree  standing
          sentry in the coastal inlet. Orcas and humpbacks
          silently navigate the surrounding channels, and
          grizzlies graze on sedge grass silhouetted against
          a backdrop of lush, mountainous rainforest.
          To the tribes of British Columbia, Canada, the
          Khutzeymateen  is  a  sacred area  that  sustained
          and nourished their people. It is a place of solace
          and contemplation, where you go to be close to
          your maker and hear him speak.
            Established in 1994 as Canada’s first and only
          grizzly  bear  sanctuary,  the  174  square  miles  is  a
          carefully managed territory that protects the entire
          watershed of the rivers and the Khutzeymateen                                                       Shayne McGuire
          inlet and foreshore.  The area  was originally
          scheduled to be logged, but individuals and the
          tribes  worked together and convinced  others,
          including Prince Phillip of England, who lobbied
          the government that the region should be studied.
          Over four  years, biologists, naturalists and other
          scientists took detailed notes and observations
          of the landscape, and out of their research the
          sanctuary was born. Sometimes called the “The
          Great  Bear  Rainforest”, it  is  home  to  the  largest
          concentration of grizzlies in Canada and also
          home to the Spirit Bear, which is a creamy white
          bear born to two black bear parents, found only in
          the Great Bear Rainforest. This area is also the last
          remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest and
          a hidden gem within B.C.
            Khutzeymateen  is  located  28  miles  northeast
          of Prince Rupert, B.C. and can only be reached by
          a  two-hour  boat  ride  or  a  20-minute  float  plane
          trip  to the sanctuary. Several tour operators out
          of  Prince  Rupert  offer  day  or  multi-day  trips  to
          the area. Prince Rupert is an eclectic city where
          wildlife, history and people collide. It is a culturally
          diverse town as Japanese, Chinese, First Nations
          and Europeans have all left their mark on the
          place. The city is known for its abundance of fresh




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