Biosphere Nomination Update - We're Heading to Ottawa!

We are excited to announce that we're travelling to Ottawa to deliver the biosphere nomination package on December 2nd! Project Lead Ruth Simons and Working Group member Joyce Williams will be travelling together to deliver the 200-plus page by hand to the offices of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

Striving to become Canada’s 19th UNESCO Biosphere Reserve requires contribution and support from so many local sources, champions, and volunteers - to whom we are so grateful!. After more than a year of compiling data, crafting content, curating images, and editing maps, we have only a few more signatures to obtain to deliver and present our professional and well-presented package with pride.

What happens next? Canadian experts appointed by CCUNESCO will review the document between January and April 2020 and provide the Canadian Commission with a recommendation as to whether or not the application dossier is ready to be sent to the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris for review, or if some further work is required. The aim will be to send the complete application dossier to UNESCO by the deadline of September 30, 2020. UNESCO’s decision will be announced in June 2021.

Meanwhile, we continue to develop our operations and activities as an acting biosphere reserve. Like most biosphere reserves, the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative is a community organization carrying out and support many logistic support functions in service to the Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound region. To get involved or to find out more, please contact howesoundbri@gmail.com.