Media Kit
2026 Expedition — Mount Robson to the Salish Sea
August 6 – September 4, 2026
About the Fraser River Challenge
The Fraser River Challenge is a five-year campaign to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030.
Led by Fraser Riverkeeper, in formal partnership with the Indigenous Stewardship Fund, the charitable entity of the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC, the campaign exists to build the public, political, and financial momentum needed to permanently protect one of the most important living systems in British Columbia.
Fraser Riverkeeper leads the public campaign to build widespread support. First Nations will be leading the conservation work on the ground, through Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, Guardian programs, and the governance structures already in place across the rivershed.
The 2026 expedition is the campaign’s most visible act of advocacy: a 30-day journey from the headwaters near Mount Robson to the Salish Sea, carried by swimmers, walkers, paddlers, Nations, communities, and supporters across British Columbia.
The Story
The Fraser defines British Columbia.
It is one of the world’s great salmon-bearing rivers, and one of the last major wild rivers anywhere that still runs undammed from the icefields of the Rockies to the tidal flats of the Salish Sea. Across 1,375 kilometres, it carries the weight of BC’s economy, cultures, ecology, food systems, communities, and identity.
Three of every four British Columbians live within the Fraser Rivershed. Salmon return through it. Forests, farms, cities, wetlands, estuaries, and communities depend on it. And yet, only 17.6% of this 21-million-hectare system is currently protected.
Today, the Fraser is at a crossroads.
Historic salmon runs are in decline. Habitat has been fragmented by more than a century of industrial development. Climate change is bringing warmer waters, drought, floods, wildfires, and mounting pressure on an already stressed system.
The Fraser River Challenge exists to meet that scale of threat with a response at the scale of the river itself: coordinated, Indigenous-led, whole-rivershed protection from headwaters to estuary.
Thirty years ago, Fin Donnelly swam the length of the Fraser River — first in 1995, and again in 2000 — journeys that helped bring national attention to the river’s importance. In 2026, he returns to lead a new generation through the Fraser River Challenge: a women-led swim relay, a solo rivershed walk, and canoe and raft journeys connecting communities all along the river.
The expedition’s purpose is simple: make the Fraser impossible to ignore, and grow the public mandate needed to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030.
The 2026 Expedition at a Glance
Dates: August 6 – September 4, 2026
Route: Mount Robson / Fraser headwaters to the Salish Sea
Distance: 1,375 kilometres (swim), 1,000km (walk)
Campaign Goal: Protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030
Public Action: Grow signatures on the Fraser Rivershed Declaration
Expedition Components
Swim Relay
A women-led swim relay team, with Indigenous and non-Indigenous swimmers, will swim the length of the Fraser River, carrying forward the legacy of Fin Donnelly’s historic swims while telling a new story of endurance, protection, and responsibility.
Rivershed Walk
Justin Smith will walk 1,000km of the rivershed, connecting with communities, and supporters along the way.
Canoe and Raft Journeys
Conservation leaders, community groups, businesses, sponsors, and supporters will join the river at points along the route by canoe and raft.
Community Gatherings
The expedition will include community moments and gatherings throughout the rivershed, including a major gathering at Xatśūll Heritage Village on August 22, 2026.
Closing Celebration
The expedition will conclude with a community gathering at the Salish Sea, Garry Point Park, Steveston, marking the journey’s arrival and the next phase of the campaign. September 4, 2026.
The Swim Relay Team
The 2026 Fraser River Challenge relay swim is led by a team of women carrying the campaign’s message downriver, from the cold, fast-moving waters near the Fraser’s headwaters to the Salish Sea.
The relay builds on Fin Donnelly’s historic 1995 and 2000 Fraser River swims, but this time the journey is shared. Instead of one swimmer moving alone through the river, a team will carry the effort forward together, hour by hour and kilometre by kilometre.
It is a collective act of endurance, visibility and advocacy for a river system in urgent need of protection.
The swim represents a shift from solo achievement to collective action. A core team will be joined along the route by Indigenous and non-Indigenous swimmers from communities throughout the Fraser Rivershed. Together, they will move through glacial water, powerful currents, canyon walls, working landscapes and broad tidal reaches as the river changes around them.
Over 30 days and approximately 1,375 kilometres, the relay will trace the Fraser’s full journey to the sea. Each swimmer brings her own relationship to the water and her own reason for entering it. Together, they carry a shared message: the future of the Fraser will depend on people coming together to protect it.
Relay Swimmers
Naomi Devine
Campaign Manager, Fraser River Challenge
Naomi Devine is a campaign strategist, communicator, and swimmer who leads strategy, communications, media, and partnership development for the Fraser River Challenge.
Her work has spanned environmental advocacy, public engagement, political campaigns, and strategic communications across British Columbia. She has helped lead major public campaigns at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, including winning campaigns for Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock, MP Will Greaves, and the historic election of British Columbia’s first Green MLA.
Naomi’s work is rooted in the belief that public storytelling can move people from concern to action. As Campaign Manager for the Fraser River Challenge, she is helping build the public mandate to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030.
Dr. Isabelle Côté
Marine Ecologist, Adventurer, Relay Swim Team
"There are so many aspects to this swim that make it iconic: the wildness of the landscape, the diversity of nature and cultures encountered along the way, the importance of the Fraser's emblematic species like salmon and sturgeon, and the conservation message we want to convey by swimming the length of this mighty river."
Dr. Isabelle Côté is a distinguished marine ecologist, conservation scientist, swimmer, runner, and ocean adventurer. A Professor of Marine Ecology at Simon Fraser University, she has spent more than three decades advancing understanding of marine ecosystems and the impacts of human activity, climate change, and conservation measures.
She is also part of the all-women Salty Science crew that rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in the World’s Toughest Row, winning the women’s class and raising funds for marine conservation. As a former competitive swimmer, open-water swimmer, rower, trail runner, and endurance athlete, Isabelle brings scientific leadership, expedition experience, and a deep personal connection to water into the Fraser River Challenge relay team.
Michelle Connolly
Forest Disturbance Ecologist, Conservation North, Relay Swim Team
Michelle Connolly is a forest disturbance ecologist and director of Conservation North, a volunteer-run collective based in Lheidli T’enneh territory / Prince George that advocates for the protection of natural ecosystems in northern British Columbia.
Her work focuses on primary forests for biodiversity and the urgent need to protect intact nature from industrial activity. As part of the Fraser River Challenge relay swim team, Michelle brings deep conservation expertise and a strong northern BC perspective to a campaign rooted in protecting connected habitat from headwaters to estuary.
Additional relay team members and support crew to be confirmed.
Solo Rivershed Walker
Justin Smith
Justin Smith, from Coquitlam, BC, coordinates on-the-ground logistics for Fraser Riverkeeper and will walk 1,000km of the Fraser Rivershed during the 2026 expedition, connecting with communities, groups, nature and wildlife alike.
In 2022, Justin became passionate about long distance/marathon walking both as a physical challenge, and as a way to better understand the region he calls home — including the nature, wildlife and communities it contains.
Justin grew up near where the Pitt River joined the Fraser. A constant presence in his life, he is deeply committed to advancing the protection of the river, its tributaries, and the many places it ties together.
By the Numbers
1,375 km
Length of the expedition route, from the Fraser headwaters near Mount Robson to the Salish Sea.
21 million hectares
Size of the Fraser Rivershed — roughly one-quarter of British Columbia.
17.6% → 30%
Current protection of the Fraser Rivershed, and the campaign’s target by 2030.
2.9 million hectares
Amount remaining that is needed to be conserved to reach 30% protection in the Rivershed, approximately the size of Vancouver Island.
6
Number of IPCAs currently being planned in the Rivershed.
3 in 4
British Columbians who live within the Fraser Rivershed.
70+
First Nations whose territories, knowledge, governance, and stewardship shape the Fraser Rivershed.
300+
Number of major tributaries feeding the Fraser River, connecting mountain creeks, major rivers, wetlands, lakes, forests, farms, cities, and salmon habitat into one living system.
2024–2030
The six-year Fraser River Challenge campaign window.
2,800+
Signatures on the Fraser Rivershed Salmon Habitat Protection Declaration as of [confirm date before distribution].
Indigenous-Led Conservation
First Nations have stewarded the Fraser Rivershed since time immemorial. The Fraser River Challenge exists to support that leadership.
Fraser Riverkeeper’s formal campaign partner is the Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF), the charitable entity of the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC. Together, Fraser Riverkeeper and ISF are working to support conversations with Nations about Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, Indigenous Guardian programs, and long-term protection mechanisms across the rivershed.
Fraser Riverkeeper leads the public-facing campaign. First Nations lead the conservation work. That distinction shapes how decisions are made, how partnerships are built, how funding flows, and how success will be measured.
The goal is not to protect isolated fragments of the Fraser. The goal is to support permanent, connected, Indigenous-led protection across the rivershed as one living system.
Why Now
The Fraser is one of British Columbia’s defining natural systems — and one of its most threatened.
Wild salmon are in historic decline. Habitat loss, warming waters, drought, floods, wildfire impacts, pollution, and development pressure are converging across the rivershed. Communities are already living with the consequences.
At the same time, British Columbia and Canada have committed to protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030. The Fraser River Challenge is a practical, visible, public-facing campaign to help meet that commitment where it matters most: in the rivershed that sustains most of the province’s population, food systems, cultures, economies, and salmon habitat.
Protecting the Fraser is not only an environmental goal. It is a cultural, economic, and generational responsibility.
FAQ
How dangerous is the expedition?
This is a serious expedition through a powerful river system, and safety is being treated accordingly. The team will move with RiverTec, some of the most experienced expedition river guides in British Columbia, who know the Fraser better than anyone else. RiverTec took Fin Donnelly down the river during both of his historic Fraser swims, and they are taking this expedition downriver too. The team will also rely on route planning, safety protocols, local knowledge, and daily risk assessment. The point is not to take unnecessary risks — it is to make the Fraser impossible to ignore.
Why now?
Because the Fraser is at a crossroads, and 2030 is close. Wild salmon are in historic decline, habitat is under mounting pressure, and climate change is bringing warmer waters, drought, floods, and wildfires. At the same time, Canada and BC have committed to protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030 — a meaningful international conservation target. A six-year campaign runway gives the Fraser River Challenge enough time to build the public, political, Indigenous-led, and financial momentum needed to help meet that goal in the rivershed that sustains most of British Columbia.
What has changed since Fin Donnelly’s first Fraser swim?
Some things have improved, but the stakes are higher. Public awareness of the Fraser has grown, and many communities, Nations, scientists, and advocates have advanced protection work across the rivershed. But salmon are in historic decline, climate impacts are accelerating, and habitat remains fragmented after more than a century of industrial development. Thirty years later, seeing the river is not enough — it has to be protected.
How is this Indigenous-led?
First Nations lead the protection work. They determine whether and how they participate, what conservation priorities they advance, and how IPCAs, Guardian programs, and other stewardship efforts are designed in their territories. Fraser Riverkeeper does not direct that work. Our role is to help make it visible at the scale of the Fraser Rivershed — linking stories, places, and conservation efforts into one public campaign, and building the widespread support needed to move Indigenous-led protection from individual projects to a whole-rivershed movement. The campaign’s formal partner is the Indigenous Stewardship Fund, the charitable entity of the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC.
How will Indigenous-led protection work?
The campaign supports conversations with Nations about the tools, places, priorities, and governance structures they identify. That includes IPCAs, Guardian programs, stewardship initiatives, and long-term protection mechanisms that reflect Indigenous rights, title, knowledge, and leadership.
Why Indigenous-led?
First Nations have stewarded the Fraser Rivershed since time immemorial. Protecting the Fraser at the scale required means supporting the people, Nations, and governance systems already leading conservation on the ground. Indigenous-led protection is not only the right approach, it is also the most durable path to protecting the rivershed as one connected living system.
What is the route?
The 2026 expedition travels from the Fraser headwaters near Mount Robson to the Salish Sea, following the river and rivershed across 1,375 kilometres of British Columbia. The journey includes a women-led, Indigenous and non-Indigenous swim relay, a 1,000-kilometre solo rivershed walk, canoe and raft journeys, community gatherings, and a closing celebration at the Salish Sea.
What will you do about dangerous wildlife?
The team will move through wildlife habitat with preparation, respect, and appropriate safety protocols. That includes route planning, local knowledge, group communication, food and camp safety, and adapting to conditions as needed. The expedition is not separate from the living system it is trying to protect — it is moving through it carefully.
What about forest fires?
Wildfire is one of the realities of the Fraser Rivershed today. The team will monitor conditions throughout the expedition and adjust routes, timing, and activities as needed. The presence of wildfire risk is also part of the story: climate change is already affecting the rivershed, and protection must be planned for the conditions communities are now facing.
How will the Fraser River Challenge actually protect habitat?
The expedition is a public campaign vehicle, not the protection mechanism itself. Its role is to build the public, political, cultural, and financial momentum needed to support permanent, Indigenous-led protection across the rivershed. Every signature on the Fraser Rivershed Declaration helps grow the public mandate to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030.
What support do you have over the 30 days?
The expedition is supported by Fraser Riverkeeper, campaign partners, river safety planning, field logistics, community hosts, paddlers, volunteers, media support, and local knowledge along the route. It is designed as a coordinated campaign journey, not a solo stunt.
How big is the Fraser Rivershed?
The Fraser Rivershed is vast: 21 million hectares, or roughly one-quarter of British Columbia. It is fed by more than 300 tributaries, crosses the territories of more than 70 First Nations, includes 75 municipalities, and sustains the lands and waters that three in four British Columbians depend on.
How much is already protected, and what else needs protection?
About 17.6% of the Fraser Rivershed is currently protected. To reach 30% by 2030, roughly 2.9 million more hectares need to be conserved. The campaign’s focus is permanent, connected, Indigenous-led protection across the rivershed — not isolated fragments.
How will this expedition advance the campaign?
The expedition turns a vast, often invisible rivershed into a public story people can see, follow, and join. Over 30 days, the swim relay, solo walk, paddling journeys, and community gatherings are designed to move people from awareness to action by growing the Fraser Rivershed Declaration and building momentum for permanent protection.
What can the public do?
Sign the Fraser Rivershed Declaration at fraserriverkeeper.ca. It takes less than a minute, and every signature helps build the public mandate to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030.
The Fraser Rivershed Declaration
The Fraser Rivershed Salmon Habitat Protection Declaration is the campaign’s primary public engagement tool.
Hosted at fraserriverkeeper.ca, the Declaration allows people across British Columbia and beyond to add their names to the growing call to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030.
Signing takes under a minute. Each signature helps build the public mandate needed to secure permanent protection for the river, its salmon, and the communities that depend on it.
Story Angles for Media
A historic swim, 30 years later. Fin Donnelly returns to the river three decades after his first (of two) Fraser swim, this time leading a new generation through a whole-rivershed campaign.
A women-led relay across one of Canada’s great rivers. A relay team of women swimmers will carry the campaign’s message down the Fraser from headwaters to sea.
The Fraser Rivershed, one step at a time. A 1,000-kilometre solo walk gives audiences a ground-level way into the scale of the campaign, connecting distant headwaters, communities, salmon habitat, and the Salish Sea into one visible story.
Scientists, strategists, and conservationists in the water. The relay swim team brings together conservation science, public campaigning, endurance, and advocacy.
A river that sustains most of BC. Three in four British Columbians live in the Fraser Rivershed, yet many do not see the river as one connected system.
Salmon in historic decline. The Fraser River Challenge connects public concern about wild salmon to a clear conservation target: protect 30% of the rivershed’s habitat by 2030.
Indigenous-led conservation at rivershed scale. The campaign supports First Nations-led protection through IPCAs, Guardian programs, and existing governance structures across the Fraser.
A 30-day expedition built for public action. The expedition is designed to move people from awareness to action by growing the Fraser Rivershed Declaration.
Visual and Video Assets
High-resolution photography, expedition route maps, b-roll footage, logos, spokesperson images, and field media opportunities are available on request.
Available (and planned) assets include:
Expedition route maps
Fraser River photography
Swim relay and solo walk photography and video
Canoe and raft journey footage
Fin Donnelly archive material from previous Fraser swims
B-roll from communities and river sections along the route
Fraser Riverkeeper logo files
To request assets or arrange interviews, contact the media team below.
Media Contact
Naomi Devine, Campaign Manager, Fraser River Challenge naomi@fraserriverkeeper.ca
About Fraser Riverkeeper
Fraser Riverkeeper is an independently registered Canadian charity leading the Fraser River Challenge, a five-year campaign to protect 30% of the Fraser Rivershed by 2030 in partnership with the Indigenous Stewardship Fund, the charitable entity of the First Nations Fisheries Council of BC. Learn more and sign the Fraser Rivershed Declaration at fraserriverkeeper.ca.