1,375km women-led swim relay and 1,000km walk begin 30-day journey to build support for protecting 30% of the Fraser Rivershed

MOUNT ROBSON PROVINCIAL PARK, BC, July 30, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Fraser River begins here as frigid mountain water. Over the next 30 days, swimmers, walkers and paddlers will follow it for 1,375 kilometres—through forests, canyons, farms and cities—to the Salish Sea.

They begin their inspiring journey during another difficult B.C. wildfire season, as fires once again expose the vulnerability of the landscapes and communities connected by the Fraser.

The Fraser River Challenge Expedition includes a women-led swim relay, a 1,000-kilometre rivershed walk, canoe and raft journeys, and gatherings with First Nations and communities along the route. Led by Fraser Riverkeeper, the expedition is the flagship initiative of a six-year campaign to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030. The campaign is being undertaken in partnership with the Indigenous Stewardship Fund, the charitable entity of the First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia.

Only 17.6% of the rivershed is currently protected. Reaching the target will require conserving another 2.9 million hectares—an area roughly the size of Vancouver Island.

"The Fraser is the lifeblood of British Columbia, but we are still treating its protection as optional," said Fin Donnelly, Fraser Riverkeeper, former MP and former BC Parliamentary Secretary for Watershed Restoration. "This expedition is about turning concern into action—and building the public will to protect the river at the scale required."

The core relay team includes campaign manager Naomi Devine, Simon Fraser University marine ecologist Dr. Isabelle Côté and forest disturbance ecologist Michelle Connolly. A fourth position is reserved for Indigenous swimmers joining along the route. Solo walker Justin Smith will travel 1,000 kilometres through the rivershed.

"We are following the Fraser from its source to the sea because it must be understood as one living system," Devine said. "The fires, forests, salmon, communities and waters are all connected. Protecting the river means protecting those relationships."

The journey concludes with a celebration on Sept. 4 at Garry Point Park in Richmond. British Columbians can follow the expedition, attend community events and sign the Fraser Rivershed Salmon Habitat Protection Declaration at fraserriverkeeper.ca.

Media kit, route schedule and local event details: fraserriverkeeper.ca.

SOURCE Fraser Riverkeeper