Boat Safe, Drive Safe, Play Safe, Be Safe, Stay Safe In British Columbia

Summer is finally here, a time when friends and families take to the roads for exciting vacations. Leaving the concrete jungle in exchange for the great outdoors is a top choice for people all over the country, as they travel the highways, and waterways in search of adventure in North America’s National Parks and wilderness areas. In ALL of Canada, but especially in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario these areas draw people in by the thousands; offering pristine landscapes, wide open spaces, and amazing wildlife.

From the “Spirit bears" of British Columbia, the elk, wapiti, mountain sheep and goats of the large National Parks of Alberta and BC to the Plains and Wood Bison found in Alberta’s small (the only national park in the world that is completely fenced) Elk Island National Park , nature lovers from all over the world will converge in Canada to view OUR COUNTRY’S natural splendour. 
But what's this I see on the local news show? Could it be one of Nature's formerly pristine wilderness areas has been desecrated and now makes some of the local land fills look like a cherished, well cared for and maintained, truly majestic--you get the idea-- by comparison, camp-sites? 
Come on people, you want to live in our CLASS of world country; COMPLETE with all of NATURE's provided PRIVILEGES and opportunities; get some and show some Self Respect.

 Named after Frank Kermode, former director of the Royal B.C. Museum, Victoria:

·              The Kermode or Spirit Bear is a black bear that has white fur due to a rare genetic trait.

·              The bear is not albino, as it typically has a brown nose and eyes.

·              The greatest concentration of Spirit Bears are found on the Central Coast and North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, but have been documented in north-east British Columbia and as far east as Minnesota in the United States of the Americas.

·              In British Columbia, the greatest number of Spirit Bears are found on Princess Royal Island, where as many as one-tenth of the black bears born are white.

·              In British Columbia, it is illegal to hunt the Spirit Bear(as conservation, economic, and tourism, records prove, this should be the case, for ALL BEARS, ANYWHERE IN CANADA.

·              The Spirit Bear, like most black bears, (any bear)weighs only about half a pound when born - but, Kermode bears generally between 150-300 pounds when fully grown.

·              The bear’s body length, measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, averages between four and six feet.

·              Its height, measured from the bottom of the paw flat on the ground to the highest part of the shoulders, is between two-and-a-half and three feet.

·              Spirit bears, LIKE MOST BEARS, ARE OMNIVORES NOT CARNIVORES (the ONLY, EXCEPTION,IN THE ENTIRE WORLD ,is the polar bear of Canada’s Arctic regions.) Most bears eat berries, nuts, fruits, roots, grasses and other plants, insects, deer and the occasional( very occasionally) elk or wapiti, fawns, carrion and, during the salmon season from late summer through fall, spawning salmon.

·              They are usually solitary animals, except for females with offspring.

·              Males keep large home ranges overlapping with smaller ranges of several females.

·              Females reach sexual maturity at three to four years of age.

·              Mating takes place during the summer months, with gestation taking about 220 days.

·              Cubs are born in their mother’s winter den in January or February, and are weaned at about eight months, but may remain with their mother for up to a year-and-a-half, when she is ready to mate again.

·              Spirit bears can run up to 55 km per hour.

·              They can go without food for up to seven months, during hibernation in northern areas.

·              Spirit bears can live for more than 25 years in the wild.

With the increased traffic on our nation’s roads, highways and National Parks comes the increased potential for deadly wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). WVCs inNational Parks have been on the rise the past several years. For example, in 2008 there were 98 WVCs in just one National Park. Many because,  in MODERN DAY SOCIETY, many people have forgotten how to drive safely, two years later, in 2010, there were 162. Mainly due to driver distractions, careless driving, excessive speed, LACK OF NECESSARY/ PROPER , or often , ANY,VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, inattentiveness, a general F… the other guy attitude ;these collisions play out every day around NATURE’S majestic creation what we humans insist on calling OUR country, and almost always, have devastating outcomes. Each year more than 200 people and one million other of nature’s vertebrates are killed in WVCs.

British Columbia is also Canada's gateway to the Pacific. West coast ports support a large shipping industry through ice-free, deep-water ports. The province's rugged 29,000 kilometre coastline is home to one of Canada's largest recreational boating communities and thriving fishing and marine tourism industries.

Port Metro Vancouver is Canada’s largest and busiest port, a dynamic gateway for domestic and international trade and tourism. Oil tankers, fuel barges, naval vessels, cruise ships, fish boats, pleasure craft and ferries - all must share these waters.

 These vessels leave through the southern Strait of Georgia which is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world with over 10,000 freighters passing through yearly.

Stay Safe This Summer—

Watch out Others—

Watch out for Wildlife--

Watch out for Yourself—

Don’t let your Attitude F...k you.

Other than for those that are with, so called, humans, most collisions are with members of the deer family; however no animal is safe from WVCs. Beaver (theanimals that built Canada),chipmunks, ducks, elk, hawks, humming birds, owls, sparrow, wapiti, porcupine, squirrels, skunks,  and turtles all run the risk of being involved in these accidents. Recently there have been several news stories about deadly encounters with bears on the roads, including this devastating story that took place here in Canada a few weeks ago.

So what can you do to stay safe while enjoying your summer break?

Whenever and where ever you’re driving, weather driving through a wilderness area or not, slow down, and be alert. Limit driving through wildlife areas at times when any animal, INCLUDING THE HUMAN  are most active; dawn and dusk are times when driver visibility is lowest and most all, wildlife most active. Not littering and keeping up with regular car maintenance WILL also reduce your risk of CAUSING WVCs or any other accident.

Between motorists visiting families or shopping during the start of the summer season, our highways are busier than ever. There is nothing better than patience and safe driving practices behind the wheel"

How to Stay Safe, When on the Highway; or When on the Waterway

With severe weather conditions now more likely than not, with winter storms or summer tornadoes  wreaking havoc on roadways, it's doubly important for drivers to maintain a safety-first mind-set as they embark on their holiday journeys.

Plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures sure are making this feel like a summer weekend and that might prompt some folks to head to local waterways to cool off, which could be dangerous.

The world is forever changing and the roads are becoming busier. Therefore, we should take extra precautions to assure us of a safer trip, even if it is only down to the corner store. Here are a few steps that may help us all to stay safe on the highway.

Steps: To Prepare You--

Your  Boat—

Your Vehicle—

 for Travel—

Short or Long Distance:

·         Check your wipers and fluids.

·         Have your radiator and cooling system serviced. Simple maintenance can prevent many of the problems that strand motorists on the side of the road.

·         Be aware of truck blind spots. When sharing the road with  any vehicle, boats, large trucks, ships ; always be aware of speed and blind spots-yours and theirs.

·        If you can't see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the driver  probably can't see you.

·         Check your two vehicle emergency/survival kits. Contents should include a battery-powered radio, flash-light, blanket, jumper cables, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable foods, maps, tire-repair kit and flares.

·         Stay alert and buckle up. Focus on your driving at all times, as well as on the vehicles behind you, in front of you, and to either side of you; make sure that your rear-view mirror and side mirrors are adjusted and, most importantly learn how to and then USE THEM—constantly.

·         Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.. For whatever your worthwhile reason-find one; always drive cautiously. Stay at a safe speed that will allow you time to stop when you NEED to. Difficult as it may be for you to do- Respect Others.

·          Keep your eyes on the road. Distracted driving is the major cause of traffic accidents. Even just two seconds of distraction time doubles the chances of an accident. Use your cell phone when ONY when stopped (I really, truly believe that all cell phones and other such mobile devices should, automatically, be rendered inoperable in any vehicle when the engine is running) stopped and never text while driving. Do not drive with a cell phone stuck to your ear. Pull over if you plan or need to talk on the phone.

·         Turn your radio or car stereo down and don't have it blaring; at any time; because not only will such practice cause severe and permanent hearing loss but, if an ambulance, fire truck police car or other emergency vehicle needs to get by, you need to be able to hear their sirens. You just could end riding in an ambulance yourself.

·         Leave early and avoid risks.

·          Leave early so you won't be anxious about arriving late and to accommodate delays.

·          Road conditions, especially in Canada’s high mountains  or deep valleys, can and do, change very rapidly; often almost instantaneously, over a short distance due to inclement weather or traffic congestion. You will not always be able to do so, but, try, to avoid extreme weather conditions. Ice, hail and snow make roads difficult to travel. Try to avoid driving through  such extreme weather conditions, and travel during daylight whenever possible-there are exception when it is better to drive at night- so use your head.

·         Slow down-again, try to use your head for something useful. With the extra highway congestion due to holiday travel, speeding becomes even more dangerous.

·         Allow plenty of space cushion (distance between vehicles) and reduce your speed; doing so just could, save you life.

·         Always, remove any mud, ice, snow, or other loose debris, from your vehicle before starting to drive it. Clear any mist, fog, frost, haze, snow from your windows and roof to ensure that you have maximum visibility and are not creating a hazard for the vehicle behind you. Don't allow ice and snow to create additional blind spots on your vehicle.

·          Be aware of the vehicle in front of you. Leave extra room between you and the vehicle in front so you can avoid snow and ice blowing onto your windshield or manoeuvre around animals, debris, blocked lanes, oil, spills, patches of ice, wash outs. Again, make sure that you will always have enough room to stop, no matter what emergency situation might arise—because there is a better than average chance one or more will .

·         Make sure that you have a good spare tire and tire jack in your trunk( a major flaw in most all modern vehicles is that they either do not, it is inaccessible, or, because they are all extremely difficult to check, will be unusable) as well as a jumper cable and any other tools that may be needed. It is also a good idea to carry a warning triangle. In some of the (generally, much more civilised and intelligent than we are here) European countries this is required by law).

·          Even if you like many North Americans,  are not functionally fluent, do not read well, have full comprehension of meaning, or do not fully understand English or any other official language; try to learn to recognise signs by their shape and appearance and try to get someone to explain them to you. Then, Pay Attention and Obey --road signs, such as  but not exclusively STOP signs; come to a complete stop, and look both ways, before advancing. Keep an eye out for other people , like yourself, that may not  be able to read or obey.

·          Slow down, below normal speed, while driving on winding roads... meaning lots of curves in the road.

·         Pull over to the shoulder of the road: If your car is driving harshly over the roads, or there is a problem with your brakes, handling, power steering, shocks, tires. Then the first things  to look into are your brakes and your tires. It is possible to have substantial damage to the tread without it being visible from the side as a flat would be.

·         “Alcohol, asphalt, driving, gravel , getting oiled, and water do not, never did, and never will mix. If you’re thinking of drinking while boating, think again -- or at least try to– if you’re thinking of doing any drinking while driving ,think again—or at least try to. Watch, or listen to the local news show—How many young high school kids drown? How many of our young people were killed in needless vehicle accidents?How many of these ACCIDENTS??? were alcohol, cell phones, drug, social media, or drug related. The statistics and videos of the ACCIDENT??? scenes should either help you to think, or cause you to puke.

·         The same ‘drink-driving’ rules apply on the water as they do on our roads Alcohol,drugs social media (phone calls, texting) and water don’t mix any better than alcohol drugs and asphalt .

·         Buckle up. Safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and are a simple way to increase your safety on the road.

·         “Skippers” are reminded of their responsibility to ensure the safe operability of their vessels, car truck or boat and that there is safety equipment on board. Skippers are also reminder that they and they alone are responsible for the manner in which their vessel is driven.

It is not only the lives of other people that are in your hands—

Yours is as well.© Al (Alex, Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.