The bears of Bute - an invitation from the Homalco people

Join us on board the "Chinook Spirit" for a trip through the waters surrounding the Discovery Islands. Our destination is Bute Inlet, home to Homalco First Nations people and the Bears of Bute.

Homalco Wildlife Tours invite you to share the experience of the magnificent creatures found along the shorelines of the narrow waterways and inlets between Campbell River and Bute Inlet.

Your day trip starts in Campbell River on board the comfortable 32-foot "Chinook Spirit". Leaving from the Discovery Harbour dock, the one and a half hour trip will take you past abandoned villages and mile high peaks. You will arrive at the mouth of the Orford River where lunch is supplied. You will then be transferred to one of the specially designed viewing platforms that provide a safe area to wait and watch for the Bears of Bute.

Departures are at 10:00am daily and return by 6:00pm . Lunch is included. Tours are limited to 11 passengers. Bring warm clothing and don't forget your camera and binoculars.
Bute Inlet is a long, deep fjord that cut into the coastal mountain range of British Columbia. The remote and pristine area of the British Columbia coastline is located 50 kilometers north across from Campbell River on Vancouver Island . Bute Inlet reaches 66 kilometers into the coastline where the Homathko and Southgate rivers feed waters running from the glaciers and ice fields high up in the mountains.

The Orford River is located halfway between the entrance to Bute Inlet and its headwaters. The glacier green waters of the Orford are feed from the Lillooet glacier and many lakes and creeks nestled in among the rocky peaks. The luscious green valley and estuary of the Orford River are perfect for attracting wildlife that roam along the shores of this coastal river.
At the Orford River site is the Taggares-Homalco salmon hatchery that operates year round. The hatchery produces Chinook, Chum and Coho salmon that enhance the natural stock. It has a capacity to incubate up to 4 million Coho eggs, 6 million Chum eggs and over 150, 000 Chinook eggs annually.

To get to the Orford River site, the Chinook Spirit departs Campbell River and travels for approximately 90 minutes cruising at up to 32 knots.

Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary

Covering an area of approximately 26,000 sq. miles, the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, straddling the boundary of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada's mainland Arctic, is the largest and most remote wildlife refuge on the North America continent - and possibly the world. As there is little surrounding development in this region, the unusual forest oasis located far out on the tundra truly represents one of the last great, unaltered ecosystems on our planet. For those few fortunate enough to have ever visited this extreme remote region, the experience is like stepping back to a time when grizzly, wolves and musk-ox ruled the earth.

During the intense studies carried out by the International Biological Program (IBP) in the 1960's, the Thelon Sanctuary was identified as a 'Biological Site of Universal Importance'. This was primarily due to the extreme biological diversity found in the unusual boreal forest oasis that for nearly 100 miles follows the meandering Thelon River valley located 200 + km north of the tree-line. Many other important sites throughout the North identified by the IBP later became UNESCO World Heritage Sites. However, accessible only with difficulty and high expense, the Thelon Sanctuary was all but a forgotten entity.

The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary has always been a political enigma: control over this vast area has been passed from one government department to another - both federally and territorially - and subsequently there has never been a true management policy in effect - no department had the budget to police or even patrol such a vast, remote area. It remained closed to all development activity including native hunting since the 1920's; and was probably the only Sanctuary or Park in Canada that offered such full protection for wildlife. This anonymity of the Thelon Sanctuary was most probably its best protection during those times, as everyone seemingly left the Thelon alone.

Jasper River Rafting

For an adventure of a lifetime! Jasper's best rafting float trips take you down the Athabasca River for those in seek of a complete and fun filled Alberta wilderness adventure.

We invite you to travel with us on a river rafting adventure and share our love of whitewater, wilderness, and friendship. Our rafting trips are great for young and old alike looking for a more mild adventure.

Jasper offers first-class visitor attractions, activities, facilities and services within magnificently scenic wilderness surroundings of unparalleled beauty.

Jasper National Park is Canada's largest Rocky Mountain Park and one of North America's largest natural areas. Shimmering glaciers, abundant wildlife, crystal clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, deep canyons and evergreen forest surrounded by towering, rugged mountain peaks and pristine rivers - are what your eyes have been waiting to see.

Jasper is an internationally recognized four-season destination with so much to see and do to suit everyone's tastes. Whatever spectacular time of year you choose to visit - just be sure you plan to stay awhile.