Today along the Bow River

Photo: Copyright Bow River Shuttles 2011

October has been a great month for photography along the Bow River. One final image... a bit of a lonely one, as it's a little chilly out there for most fly fishers.

CONNECT - Canadian Premiere Jan 13, 2012

Click directly on poster for larger image

Mark this date on your calendar! Stay tuned for ticket information.

Movie Review: "Connect" from Confluence Films

Watch movie trailer here

Confluence Films

Today along the Bow River

Shoving off from the boat launch on Sunday morning.

All photos: Copyright Bow River Shuttles 2011

It was a +16C blue sky day along the Bow River! Fly fishers were out along the banks, as well as floating every reach, from top to bottom.

Looking ahead at our much cooler weather forecast, this may end up being last day of the season for most Bow River fly fishers. But what a day it was!

Here's a bit of what we saw. Hope you enjoy the photos. 

Living in fear of fracking

Rancher Gary Tresidder is concerned about the increased use of hydraulic fracturing of horizontal oil wells near his property, about 30 kilometres north of Cochrane, where a handful of producers are tapping the Cardium formation.

Photograph by: Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald,

Living in fear of fracking

Cochrane rancher concerned about effects of fracking on water supply

By Rebecca Penty,

Calgary Herald

October 30, 2011

For 22 years, Gary Tresidder's autumn skyline view of the Rocky Mountains has been marked by trees clutching the last of their golden leaves and hay bales dotting endless farm fields.

This fall, pumpjacks also occupy the bucolic landscape.

More than a dozen units drawing oil to surface have appeared in the last six months in neighbouring fields of Tresidder's ranch off Lochend Road, about 30 kilometres north of the town of Cochrane, where he raises quarter horses.

Companies are drilling deep and wide under the farmland in Rocky View County, recovering light oil previously uneconomic to produce from the country's most prolific rock formation - the Cardium - which has been tapped using vertical wells for decades.

It's a picture growing more common as energy firms reenter old well bores to add horizontal legs, or spud new wells in parts of the province that have seen little development. The industry's new-found ability to drill for thousands of metres horizontally underground and then fracture rock formations in several stages, so oil and gas flows, is a game-changer.

Read more here

Today along the Bow River

Click on photo for large image.

Party central.  A group of friends, with five boats,

 got together for a float today.

All photos: Copyright Bow River Shuttles 2011

Today along the Bow River

Setting up for a Friday afternoon float on Oct 28.

Photo: Copyright Bow River Shuttles 2011

Fly tying for all ages

Josh age 6.  All photos: Copyright Bow River Shuttles 2011

A good turnout at the club meeting earlier this week.  President Daniel Young announced that Dennis Smith was this year's Ironman Bow River Derby winner, dethroning perennial winner Dave Curtis.

Louise Stinson had a line up for purchase of Christmas Party tickets. Lots of tying and telling of tall tales were also going on. 

Next meetings are Wednesdays Nov 09 & 23, with the Christmas Party on Dec Sunday Dec 11. Visitors are always welcome. Come check us out!

Calgary Hook & Hackle Club

Fly tying class.  Instructor Dennis Killips (centre left)

RiverWatch, Cushing Bridge

Photographed by Brent Mykytyshyn

Swerve Magazine

Oct.28.2011

Beneath the bridge: as addresses go, this one has never been desirable. You can blame the Three Billy Goats Gruff (they outsmarted a ravenous troll who lived under a bridge) for this state of affairs, but there’s no getting around the fact that this gloomy locale has a reputation for being home to unsavoury characters and disreputable activities.

But all that changes when the RiverWatch school bus, with its trailer full of rafts, comes to a stop beneath the Cushing Bridge. It attracts people who are eager to learn and who engage in activities approved by science teachers across the province. RiverWatch takes students out on the Bow for a day of hands-on learning that can’t be beat. “We’ve had teachers tell us that one day on the river is like six to 10 days in the classroom,” says Rob Vickers, RiverWatch’s program co-ordinator in Calgary. It seems that when students get their hands wet, concepts like pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity stick. Vickers also ensures that rafters are familiar with more mundane concepts like “where to sit, and how to paddle.” He also issues the rubber boots and life-jackets.

A day on the river generally lasts about six hours, and goes from the Cushing Bridge to Grave’s Landing at the Glenmore Bridge. Along the way, the rafts—each has its own guide—stop so students can conduct water-quality tests, eat lunch and tour the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant. According to Vickers, RiverWatch takes between 5,000 and 6,000 junior-high and high-school students through the facility annually. He adds that the City is an excellent partner; the RiverWatch annual report for 2010 noted that staff at Bonnybrook pitched in to fix the trailer hitch on a RiverWatch bus.

Cold mornings mean that the RiverWatch season (its 17th) is almost over. The last trip is scheduled for Nov. 1, but there are plans to expand the program. It already operates in Edmonton and has worked with schools in Fort McMurray, Drayton Valley and Red Deer. Still, Vickers says the program can’t keep up with demand, but with a few more used school buses and new rafts, he’s confident that both RiverWatch and the Bow will keep right on rollin’ along.

Via: Swerve Magazine

Parks along the Peace

Peace River

The Provincial Parks of the Peace region protect an incredible diversity of natural and cultural features. 

This presentation will follow the river over 400 km, from Notikewin to the B.C. border, to reveal stunning landscapes, unexpected plants and animals, and a history that goes back over 10 thousand years.

Join us on this incredible journey!

WHEN: Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

TIME: 7:00 p.m.

PRESENTER: Currently the Operations Manager for the NW region of Alberta Parks, Margot Hervieux is an avid naturalist and conservationist. She has lived in Grande Prairie for over 20 years, exploring the region, learning the stories, and working to protect some of the area’s unique landscapes.

WHERE: Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre, 13931 Woodpath Rd. S.W. Shannon Terrace Area, West end of Fish Creek Provincial Park

(Access via 37St. S.W. at 130th Avenue S.W.)

ADMISSION: $6.00 per person (payable at the door cash or cheque only)

REGISTRATION: Phone (403)297-7927 or email roland.kirzinger@gov.ab.ca

SPONSORED BY: Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation, Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre and The Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society

For more information, please check our website at www.fish-creek.org or contact:

Roland Kirzinger

Environmental Education Coordinator

Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre

(403) 297-7927 or toll-free 310-0000, then (403) 297-7927.