December 4, 2025 • 23 mins
A trail should move more than bodies; it should move history into the open. We sit down with Elder Ruth Adams of Tsawwassen First Nation to explore the Great Blue Heron Way: a bold, Indigenous‑led active transportation route that reconnects communities along the Fraser River and the Salish Sea while reviving stories long pushed aside.
***********************************************
The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.
Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
Welcome to Bike Sense, the BC Cycling
Coalition's podcast, where wetalk about all things related to
active transportation advocacyin BC.
I'm your host, Peter Ladner,Chair of the Board of the BC
Cycling Coalition.
I hope you enjoy the show.
(00:47):
My guest today is Christania,also known as Elder Ruth Adams
from the Tuasin Nation.
She is the visionary behindSmukwahiel, the Great Blue Heron
Way, which is a very ambitiousFirst Nations-led project to
reconnect First Nationscommunities and others along the
(01:07):
Fraser River and around theSalish Sea.
It's more than just a trail,it's a journey through history,
culture, and nature.
So here to tell us about it andwhat's happened with it, what's
going to happen with it.
Elder Ruth Adams, welcome.
SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Thank you very much.
I'm very honored to be here tospeak about Suwasim First Nation
and the Smoq Coal.
This is about our history, ourculture, and everything that we
(01:46):
lost under the Indian Act.
So we no longer live under theIndian Act anymore.
We had our treaty in 2009, andwhere our chief Kim Baird said,
we are open for business.
So I thought, oh, that is great.
Now we can talk about ourhistory.
So that was the part that Ithought was really important was
(02:12):
to be able to visit other FirstNations the way we did before
settlers came in to try and tellus what to do.
What got me to starting this outand how that started is for our
treaty.
I am Carol Vignali went toVictoria to listen to our chief
(02:32):
as she was doing the treaty, andwent went, uh came upon the
galloping goose, and I askedthem what First Nations are in
this, and they said zero.
And I told them, oh, that's allright.
She can come on the Great BlueHeron Way.
SPEAKER_01 (02:50):
When you were on the Galloping Goose and you said we
want to do the Great Blue HeronWay, did you just come up with
that name and that thought atthat time, or had you thought
about it earlier?
And why Great Blue Heron?
SPEAKER_00 (03:03):
Oh, because we have the rookery.
And so I came up with the GreatBlue Heron Way because what I
told our youth, I said, that'sour way of life.
It's all about our way of lifeon our land and water.
(03:27):
So that that is what that greatblue heron meant because that
was part of us and we are partof nature.
In the old days, cowboys andIndians would say, Oh, they're
so wild.
Yes, we are wild, because webelong in the nature.
We knew all about the land andthe water and everything living
(03:49):
with us.
SPEAKER_01 (03:51):
I understand that one of the first initiatives
that somebody undertook orlooked at was a way to cross
Highway 17, which many peopleknow as the road out to the
Tuason Ferry Terminal.
And you that separated yourcommunity.
What was going on there and whathas happened there?
SPEAKER_00 (04:11):
Oh, because the highway going to the ferry um
cut us in half.
It took away our gatheringplace, which is there where the
Great Blue Heron Way rookery is.
That was our gathering place.
It was a sacred place, and ourour people would go out into the
(04:31):
flats to gather crabs.
And there were so many crabsthat we we would take them back,
and we would all eat crabstogether at this gathering
place, and that's where we've umput some of our history, all of
all of our things along thatrookery going into the water.
(04:53):
And and and nobody cared whatwhat they did.
They went through where ourlonghouse was, and our little
Catholic church was there,because my grandmother and
grandfather had a little stovein there, wood stove, and they
would uh my grandfather would dothe stove and my grandma would
(05:14):
would uh bring flowers and cleanthe church.
So it went right between those.
The road went right betweenthose, those things, with
without um, without anyone everasking, do do we want that or do
we need this?
What are we going to do with it?
SPEAKER_01 (05:32):
Did you achieve the crossing of Highway 17?
How do your people cross it now?
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
Uh now thank you for asking that because they put a
traffic light there to crossover to for us to go over to the
our little gas station that wehave there.
But that's a long ways to wherewe used to walk along the beach
to get to that gathering place.
(05:58):
So uh so our people, and we'vealready had an accident where
our young one has not been ableto marry, not to have children,
because he got hit on thathighway.
So it's about the safety, andthat crossing does not get us to
the beach where we used to walkalong the beach to get there.
(06:22):
So that's the part that wasbroken to us.
So that is where this bridgewill, land bridge will go over
for our pedestrians to be ableto walk over there to the other
side where we gather and wherewe have our own little park
there now, too.
SPEAKER_01 (06:41):
Well, it sounds like your project is is a very bold
and important attempt to remedysome of those breaks and
disconnects and and harms thathave been done.
Um could you just imagine it'sall done in your mind, and
you've talked about the culturalhealing and and knowledge that
is involved, but what is it,what is it actually going to
(07:03):
look like on the ground in yourmind?
SPEAKER_00 (07:08):
Oh, it it will it will look at how we how we can
uh how we can honor what we haveright now, that we can go along
our boardwalk and get out to thedike, which is the Great Blue
Heron Way.
You can stand there and you canturn around and look at our
(07:32):
whole nation in a circle, andthen you turn around and you
look at what do we have today?
A port and a ferry.
So um I'm I'm what I want thechildren to see, the youth to
see, is that they can walkaround our nation and do the
(07:55):
history, have our artwork, haveour signage, and even go
high-tech and and have a littlea little thing that you could
pick on your phone and look atthe thing and be able to hear us
talk about what this piece ofland means to us and what did we
do.
And and and just to just to havethe tours for my great blue
(08:21):
heron way for all of the friendsin Delta, especially, who want
to come to visit us to be ableto hear the real history.
Because I have lots of friendsout there that mean a lot to me,
and they want to know about us,and I will I I want to have them
(08:42):
around us and have them be safe.
So this is what the Great BlueHeron Way is.
It's about our ancestors, butit's about me today, letting
people know that they should getto know us and what we have done
for British Columbia and Canada.
I need them to know the realhistory, and I'm glad the
(09:04):
governments didn't do it becausethey would have gotten it wrong.
So we're telling our stories,we're telling our history
because it's your history.
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
Well, uh speaking of my history, I feel compelled to
mention that that the town ofLadner was named after my
great-grandfather, so I have apersonal connection with that
land, and I have been luckyenough to take the trip on my
bicycle along the section that'sbuilt now, along the dike and
that boardwalk.
And uh it's very beautiful.
(09:33):
And I would recommend people tolook at the video, which will
put a connection to it in ourshow notes, where you've done a
video which basically is arepresentation of what you just
described, standing in thatplace and looking all around.
Yes.
And we talked about Highway 17going out to the ferry, but
there's also, as you mentioned,the port, the coal port, which
(09:54):
has a railway that that cutsthat.
Yes.
Um, what are your thoughts aboutgetting over through past that
railway, which is now quite abit of a detour?
SPEAKER_00 (10:04):
Oh, it is, thank you very much, because it is the
other part.
It is the other part of what I'mworking on along with the
Suwasan Delta bicycle hub, isthat that this is a big
connection to Ladner.
If if we could go over there ina safe way, go over to the other
(10:29):
side, and even go along thatdike right into Ladner, and
Ladner can come over to us in asafe way.
So that means a lot.
We would love to have thatcrossing, a safe crossing,
because it's just beautiful togo along there and it could be
fixed in a in a safer way.
(10:51):
And I'm going to say this, andand this is always all those
little gossipy things thatpeople say, oh no, the drunk
people are gonna go and partydown there.
No, they'll have to they'll haveto bicycle or walk.
And if you're drunk, are yougonna bicycle or walk?
I don't think so.
(11:11):
So, no, we're we're making thisfor people who want to enjoy the
nature, walking or biking.
So, so just a I I know howpeople think and talk.
So just for those people.
SPEAKER_01 (11:26):
That's uh a benefit of active transportation that we
have not brought up before onthis podcast.
It discourages um crazy partyingbecause you have to walk or
cycle to get there.
So looking at the at themunicipal support for this, how
how are they looking at this?
(11:47):
I guess this is the municipalityof Delta for this particular
section.
And uh have they offered supportand what do they want to get out
of it?
SPEAKER_00 (11:58):
Well, I I think they want a nice place to bicycle in
the first place that that thatthey would want to go along that
dike, and when they get to theend of that dike, where are they
going to go?
They're going to come to SwashamFirst Nation.
SPEAKER_01 (12:15):
Elder Ruth, when you think about the other attracting
and working with these otherpartners, um do you have access
as Tuas and First Nation tofunding that is not available
to, say, the municipality ofDelta that could make this
project happen faster or better?
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
Well, we now have things that settlers had forever
in their lives.
We we can look into the grantsnow.
And so there are some grantsthat are for First Nations.
Finally.
SPEAKER_01 (12:53):
Uh there's a project to expand the port, as I don't
have to tell you.
Yeah.
Uh and is it is it have youspoken to them or is it possible
that they could be asked orexpected to contribute to this
as a give back to the communityfor what they're doing, which is
let's just say somewhat harmfulin some ways?
SPEAKER_00 (13:13):
Well, it it's like everything else, that it's not
just one big organization, theport.
Uh, we did work with one part ofit, and they were they were
happy to do that because whatyou're looking at is artwork and
signage, and who and the heck isDelta, and who and the heck is
(13:38):
TFN.
SPEAKER_01 (13:40):
You've talked about connecting First Nations beyond
just your Troisen First Nation.
W what are who are some of theother First Nations that you
either have involved or wouldlook forward to getting involved
in this?
SPEAKER_00 (13:55):
Well, you have to understand that we don't do 10
or 100 nations all put togetherlike the governments want one
statement to fit all of thenations, one treaty to fit all
of the nations.
No, you can't do that.
That is not us.
So I go one by one to eachnation to let them know what is
(14:22):
happening, and all I am doingthere is saying, Oh, I'm going
across your traditionalterritory, and I want to thank
you and acknowledge you forletting me pass into your
traditional territory, and thatis all that I will do.
(14:43):
I will not tell that FirstNation what to do, because that
is their way of life, and ifthey want to do something, that
is up to them, and if they don'twant to do something, that is up
to them.
So that that is what this isabout.
Looking after everyone.
SPEAKER_01 (15:06):
That's the that's the key that I I hear from you,
Elder Ruth, is looking aftereveryone.
It seems that your First Nation,in spite of its um need to
educate the settlers, is alsoopen to people from anywhere to
come through this route andexperience your land, your
(15:26):
territory, and the beauty thatyou see around you.
I know that you've engagedyounger people in your community
to take this on and pick it up.
And as you say, this is this isyour handoff really to them.
How are they embracing it andwhat do they think about it?
SPEAKER_00 (15:44):
Well, they're excellent because when we
started our treaty, it was youththat wanted the boardwalk along
with me, and and the person thatwas doing our, and I have to
mention his name because uh Itold him the story of the Great
Blue Heron Way, and he made theroads and everything with that
(16:08):
name on it.
So that was a youth, and nowthey're all grown up.
I'm into the third generation ofyouth, and they wanted that
boardwalk, and now the nextyouth wanted the the the pass
over the highway.
And and so that that is a bigone.
(16:33):
So that will be this generation,and probably the next generation
will be the ones that say wewant that overpass over the
railroad track.
SPEAKER_01 (16:45):
So this is a multi-generational project.
Yes, it is.
Uh, there's something elsecalled Experience the Fraser,
which I've heard about, which isanother some other kind of
active transportation multi-usepathway route.
Uh are you part of that?
Is that uh overlapping with whatyou're doing or something
(17:05):
different?
SPEAKER_00 (17:07):
No, it isn't.
And and why I'm involved in allof this, I'll let you know my
little story.
My children used to ask, why doyou need to know everything?
I said, because I don't want tofall in a hole along the path.
I need to know there's a bighole there, or I need to know
(17:27):
something's gonna whip me in theface, a big tree or whatever.
So that is my life, knowingeverything.
Yes, I I have heard about theexperience of Fraser, and what
do I think?
I think this, you're not gonnaknow the experience of the
Fraser until you know theexperience of all the First
(17:49):
Nations along the Frasier River.
So they've left out that part.
So of course I'm gonna betalking about, and I do talk
everywhere and anytime anyoneasks me.
Oh, and that is my job now.
Hey, I do, I do get I do gethonorarians for opening up
meetings and for saying theprayer and the recognition, and
(18:12):
that's another big thing.
There's these people that say,oh, why do we have to do
recognition every time?
Because every time you come upto a person, that's another part
of your life.
You do not forget, just like yousay, hello, how are you?
Well, the recognition is what wethat's our culture, that's our
(18:35):
heritage.
We always ask.
The canoes coming in, they hadto ask if if they could come in.
So that is why every time yourecognize the First Nation, just
think of it this way (18:49):
when you do that, then you're recognizing
your history, not just the FirstNation history, but it's your
history, the real history.
You're that's what you aregetting when you recognize the
traditional territories.
SPEAKER_01 (19:06):
Well, I first met you at the Active Transportation
Summit in New Westminster in2024, where you did the
recognition, theacknowledgement, and the prayer
and describe this project.
And it was a pretty uh inspiringmoment there.
And uh I I'm inspired as well tohear you now.
And I didn't fully understandhow much of the historical part
(19:32):
of this route was was built intoit.
And we tend to, at least on thispodcast, look at the way
bicyclists can move around andnot really pay enough attention
to the history of the landthey're moving through and the
people who were there and theirinvolvement in these routes.
So I think you're doing a agreat service to all of us to
(19:54):
pursue this and and keep thisframework in our minds as we try
to enable more choices formoving around and also build in
more ways to understand ourhistory.
So thank you very much for doingthis.
SPEAKER_00 (20:09):
Oh, I just have to say to you, thank you, because
one of my children just, oh,there is a there is a Ladner,
there is a person Ladner, and Isaid, Yes, there is.
So for you, Peter, I'm thankfulto meet you, and I think we need
to put that history out of umhow your family came on this
(20:34):
land and how it happened.
Same, same as Sawason and SeanHodgins, and how did they get
that name?
So all of that is history, andright now I just have to say,
thank you, Chief Laura Cassidy.
You're our hero.
The same as talking to PeterLadner of Ladner, BC.
(20:59):
Laura Cassidy, your chief LauraCassidy of Sawathan, the host
nation between Cowchan and Lummytribe in Washington.
So you are the chief of thishost nation.
So I just thought I put that inbecause she is.
SPEAKER_01 (22:22):
I really appreciate your work, and we will be
watching this very closely.
SPEAKER_00 (22:26):
Thank you very much.
It's been an honor, Mr.
Ladner.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Thank you.
Call me Peter.
SPEAKER_00 (22:32):
Yes, Peter.
SPEAKER_01 (22:42):
You've been listening to Bike Since, an
original podcast from the BCCycling Coalition.
If you like the podcast, we'd begrateful if you could leave us a
rating on whatever platform youuse.
You can also subscribe so youdon't miss future episodes.
If you have comments orsuggestions for future episodes,
(23:04):
email me at peter.ladner atbccycling.ca.
You can help us amplify BCCycling Coalition's voice by
simply becoming a free member atbccycling.ca.
Welcome to Bike Sense, the BC Cycling
Coalition's podcast, where wetalk about all things related to
active transportation advocacyin BC.
I'm your host, Peter Ladner,Chair of the Board of the BC
Cycling Coalition.
I hope you enjoy the show.
(00:47):
My guest today is Christania,also known as Elder Ruth Adams
from the Tuasin Nation.
She is the visionary behindSmukwahiel, the Great Blue Heron
Way, which is a very ambitiousFirst Nations-led project to
reconnect First Nationscommunities and others along the
(01:07):
Fraser River and around theSalish Sea.
It's more than just a trail,it's a journey through history,
culture, and nature.
So here to tell us about it andwhat's happened with it, what's
going to happen with it.
Elder Ruth Adams, welcome.
SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Thank you very much.
I'm very honored to be here tospeak about Suwasim First Nation
and the Smoq Coal.
This is about our history, ourculture, and everything that we
(01:46):
lost under the Indian Act.
So we no longer live under theIndian Act anymore.
We had our treaty in 2009, andwhere our chief Kim Baird said,
we are open for business.
So I thought, oh, that is great.
Now we can talk about ourhistory.
So that was the part that Ithought was really important was
(02:12):
to be able to visit other FirstNations the way we did before
settlers came in to try and tellus what to do.
What got me to starting this outand how that started is for our
treaty.
I am Carol Vignali went toVictoria to listen to our chief
(02:32):
as she was doing the treaty, andwent went, uh came upon the
galloping goose, and I askedthem what First Nations are in
this, and they said zero.
And I told them, oh, that's allright.
She can come on the Great BlueHeron Way.
SPEAKER_01 (02:50):
When you were on the Galloping Goose and you said we
want to do the Great Blue HeronWay, did you just come up with
that name and that thought atthat time, or had you thought
about it earlier?
And why Great Blue Heron?
SPEAKER_00 (03:03):
Oh, because we have the rookery.
And so I came up with the GreatBlue Heron Way because what I
told our youth, I said, that'sour way of life.
It's all about our way of lifeon our land and water.
(03:27):
So that that is what that greatblue heron meant because that
was part of us and we are partof nature.
In the old days, cowboys andIndians would say, Oh, they're
so wild.
Yes, we are wild, because webelong in the nature.
We knew all about the land andthe water and everything living
(03:49):
with us.
SPEAKER_01 (03:51):
I understand that one of the first initiatives
that somebody undertook orlooked at was a way to cross
Highway 17, which many peopleknow as the road out to the
Tuason Ferry Terminal.
And you that separated yourcommunity.
What was going on there and whathas happened there?
SPEAKER_00 (04:11):
Oh, because the highway going to the ferry um
cut us in half.
It took away our gatheringplace, which is there where the
Great Blue Heron Way rookery is.
That was our gathering place.
It was a sacred place, and ourour people would go out into the
(04:31):
flats to gather crabs.
And there were so many crabsthat we we would take them back,
and we would all eat crabstogether at this gathering
place, and that's where we've umput some of our history, all of
all of our things along thatrookery going into the water.
(04:53):
And and and nobody cared whatwhat they did.
They went through where ourlonghouse was, and our little
Catholic church was there,because my grandmother and
grandfather had a little stovein there, wood stove, and they
would uh my grandfather would dothe stove and my grandma would
(05:14):
would uh bring flowers and cleanthe church.
So it went right between those.
The road went right betweenthose, those things, with
without um, without anyone everasking, do do we want that or do
we need this?
What are we going to do with it?
SPEAKER_01 (05:32):
Did you achieve the crossing of Highway 17?
How do your people cross it now?
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
Uh now thank you for asking that because they put a
traffic light there to crossover to for us to go over to the
our little gas station that wehave there.
But that's a long ways to wherewe used to walk along the beach
to get to that gathering place.
(05:58):
So uh so our people, and we'vealready had an accident where
our young one has not been ableto marry, not to have children,
because he got hit on thathighway.
So it's about the safety, andthat crossing does not get us to
the beach where we used to walkalong the beach to get there.
(06:22):
So that's the part that wasbroken to us.
So that is where this bridgewill, land bridge will go over
for our pedestrians to be ableto walk over there to the other
side where we gather and wherewe have our own little park
there now, too.
SPEAKER_01 (06:41):
Well, it sounds like your project is is a very bold
and important attempt to remedysome of those breaks and
disconnects and and harms thathave been done.
Um could you just imagine it'sall done in your mind, and
you've talked about the culturalhealing and and knowledge that
is involved, but what is it,what is it actually going to
(07:03):
look like on the ground in yourmind?
SPEAKER_00 (07:08):
Oh, it it will it will look at how we how we can
uh how we can honor what we haveright now, that we can go along
our boardwalk and get out to thedike, which is the Great Blue
Heron Way.
You can stand there and you canturn around and look at our
(07:32):
whole nation in a circle, andthen you turn around and you
look at what do we have today?
A port and a ferry.
So um I'm I'm what I want thechildren to see, the youth to
see, is that they can walkaround our nation and do the
(07:55):
history, have our artwork, haveour signage, and even go
high-tech and and have a littlea little thing that you could
pick on your phone and look atthe thing and be able to hear us
talk about what this piece ofland means to us and what did we
do.
And and and just to just to havethe tours for my great blue
(08:21):
heron way for all of the friendsin Delta, especially, who want
to come to visit us to be ableto hear the real history.
Because I have lots of friendsout there that mean a lot to me,
and they want to know about us,and I will I I want to have them
(08:42):
around us and have them be safe.
So this is what the Great BlueHeron Way is.
It's about our ancestors, butit's about me today, letting
people know that they should getto know us and what we have done
for British Columbia and Canada.
I need them to know the realhistory, and I'm glad the
(09:04):
governments didn't do it becausethey would have gotten it wrong.
So we're telling our stories,we're telling our history
because it's your history.
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
Well, uh speaking of my history, I feel compelled to
mention that that the town ofLadner was named after my
great-grandfather, so I have apersonal connection with that
land, and I have been luckyenough to take the trip on my
bicycle along the section that'sbuilt now, along the dike and
that boardwalk.
And uh it's very beautiful.
(09:33):
And I would recommend people tolook at the video, which will
put a connection to it in ourshow notes, where you've done a
video which basically is arepresentation of what you just
described, standing in thatplace and looking all around.
Yes.
And we talked about Highway 17going out to the ferry, but
there's also, as you mentioned,the port, the coal port, which
(09:54):
has a railway that that cutsthat.
Yes.
Um, what are your thoughts aboutgetting over through past that
railway, which is now quite abit of a detour?
SPEAKER_00 (10:04):
Oh, it is, thank you very much, because it is the
other part.
It is the other part of what I'mworking on along with the
Suwasan Delta bicycle hub, isthat that this is a big
connection to Ladner.
If if we could go over there ina safe way, go over to the other
(10:29):
side, and even go along thatdike right into Ladner, and
Ladner can come over to us in asafe way.
So that means a lot.
We would love to have thatcrossing, a safe crossing,
because it's just beautiful togo along there and it could be
fixed in a in a safer way.
(10:51):
And I'm going to say this, andand this is always all those
little gossipy things thatpeople say, oh no, the drunk
people are gonna go and partydown there.
No, they'll have to they'll haveto bicycle or walk.
And if you're drunk, are yougonna bicycle or walk?
I don't think so.
(11:11):
So, no, we're we're making thisfor people who want to enjoy the
nature, walking or biking.
So, so just a I I know howpeople think and talk.
So just for those people.
SPEAKER_01 (11:26):
That's uh a benefit of active transportation that we
have not brought up before onthis podcast.
It discourages um crazy partyingbecause you have to walk or
cycle to get there.
So looking at the at themunicipal support for this, how
how are they looking at this?
(11:47):
I guess this is the municipalityof Delta for this particular
section.
And uh have they offered supportand what do they want to get out
of it?
SPEAKER_00 (11:58):
Well, I I think they want a nice place to bicycle in
the first place that that thatthey would want to go along that
dike, and when they get to theend of that dike, where are they
going to go?
They're going to come to SwashamFirst Nation.
SPEAKER_01 (12:15):
Elder Ruth, when you think about the other attracting
and working with these otherpartners, um do you have access
as Tuas and First Nation tofunding that is not available
to, say, the municipality ofDelta that could make this
project happen faster or better?
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
Well, we now have things that settlers had forever
in their lives.
We we can look into the grantsnow.
And so there are some grantsthat are for First Nations.
Finally.
SPEAKER_01 (12:53):
Uh there's a project to expand the port, as I don't
have to tell you.
Yeah.
Uh and is it is it have youspoken to them or is it possible
that they could be asked orexpected to contribute to this
as a give back to the communityfor what they're doing, which is
let's just say somewhat harmfulin some ways?
SPEAKER_00 (13:13):
Well, it it's like everything else, that it's not
just one big organization, theport.
Uh, we did work with one part ofit, and they were they were
happy to do that because whatyou're looking at is artwork and
signage, and who and the heck isDelta, and who and the heck is
(13:38):
TFN.
SPEAKER_01 (13:40):
You've talked about connecting First Nations beyond
just your Troisen First Nation.
W what are who are some of theother First Nations that you
either have involved or wouldlook forward to getting involved
in this?
SPEAKER_00 (13:55):
Well, you have to understand that we don't do 10
or 100 nations all put togetherlike the governments want one
statement to fit all of thenations, one treaty to fit all
of the nations.
No, you can't do that.
That is not us.
So I go one by one to eachnation to let them know what is
(14:22):
happening, and all I am doingthere is saying, Oh, I'm going
across your traditionalterritory, and I want to thank
you and acknowledge you forletting me pass into your
traditional territory, and thatis all that I will do.
(14:43):
I will not tell that FirstNation what to do, because that
is their way of life, and ifthey want to do something, that
is up to them, and if they don'twant to do something, that is up
to them.
So that that is what this isabout.
Looking after everyone.
SPEAKER_01 (15:06):
That's the that's the key that I I hear from you,
Elder Ruth, is looking aftereveryone.
It seems that your First Nation,in spite of its um need to
educate the settlers, is alsoopen to people from anywhere to
come through this route andexperience your land, your
(15:26):
territory, and the beauty thatyou see around you.
I know that you've engagedyounger people in your community
to take this on and pick it up.
And as you say, this is this isyour handoff really to them.
How are they embracing it andwhat do they think about it?
SPEAKER_00 (15:44):
Well, they're excellent because when we
started our treaty, it was youththat wanted the boardwalk along
with me, and and the person thatwas doing our, and I have to
mention his name because uh Itold him the story of the Great
Blue Heron Way, and he made theroads and everything with that
(16:08):
name on it.
So that was a youth, and nowthey're all grown up.
I'm into the third generation ofyouth, and they wanted that
boardwalk, and now the nextyouth wanted the the the pass
over the highway.
And and so that that is a bigone.
(16:33):
So that will be this generation,and probably the next generation
will be the ones that say wewant that overpass over the
railroad track.
SPEAKER_01 (16:45):
So this is a multi-generational project.
Yes, it is.
Uh, there's something elsecalled Experience the Fraser,
which I've heard about, which isanother some other kind of
active transportation multi-usepathway route.
Uh are you part of that?
Is that uh overlapping with whatyou're doing or something
(17:05):
different?
SPEAKER_00 (17:07):
No, it isn't.
And and why I'm involved in allof this, I'll let you know my
little story.
My children used to ask, why doyou need to know everything?
I said, because I don't want tofall in a hole along the path.
I need to know there's a bighole there, or I need to know
(17:27):
something's gonna whip me in theface, a big tree or whatever.
So that is my life, knowingeverything.
Yes, I I have heard about theexperience of Fraser, and what
do I think?
I think this, you're not gonnaknow the experience of the
Fraser until you know theexperience of all the First
(17:49):
Nations along the Frasier River.
So they've left out that part.
So of course I'm gonna betalking about, and I do talk
everywhere and anytime anyoneasks me.
Oh, and that is my job now.
Hey, I do, I do get I do gethonorarians for opening up
meetings and for saying theprayer and the recognition, and
(18:12):
that's another big thing.
There's these people that say,oh, why do we have to do
recognition every time?
Because every time you come upto a person, that's another part
of your life.
You do not forget, just like yousay, hello, how are you?
Well, the recognition is what wethat's our culture, that's our
(18:35):
heritage.
We always ask.
The canoes coming in, they hadto ask if if they could come in.
So that is why every time yourecognize the First Nation, just
think of it this way (18:49):
when you do that, then you're recognizing
your history, not just the FirstNation history, but it's your
history, the real history.
You're that's what you aregetting when you recognize the
traditional territories.
SPEAKER_01 (19:06):
Well, I first met you at the Active Transportation
Summit in New Westminster in2024, where you did the
recognition, theacknowledgement, and the prayer
and describe this project.
And it was a pretty uh inspiringmoment there.
And uh I I'm inspired as well tohear you now.
And I didn't fully understandhow much of the historical part
(19:32):
of this route was was built intoit.
And we tend to, at least on thispodcast, look at the way
bicyclists can move around andnot really pay enough attention
to the history of the landthey're moving through and the
people who were there and theirinvolvement in these routes.
So I think you're doing a agreat service to all of us to
(19:54):
pursue this and and keep thisframework in our minds as we try
to enable more choices formoving around and also build in
more ways to understand ourhistory.
So thank you very much for doingthis.
SPEAKER_00 (20:09):
Oh, I just have to say to you, thank you, because
one of my children just, oh,there is a there is a Ladner,
there is a person Ladner, and Isaid, Yes, there is.
So for you, Peter, I'm thankfulto meet you, and I think we need
to put that history out of umhow your family came on this
(20:34):
land and how it happened.
Same, same as Sawason and SeanHodgins, and how did they get
that name?
So all of that is history, andright now I just have to say,
thank you, Chief Laura Cassidy.
You're our hero.
The same as talking to PeterLadner of Ladner, BC.
(20:59):
Laura Cassidy, your chief LauraCassidy of Sawathan, the host
nation between Cowchan and Lummytribe in Washington.
So you are the chief of thishost nation.
So I just thought I put that inbecause she is.
SPEAKER_01 (22:22):
I really appreciate your work, and we will be
watching this very closely.
SPEAKER_00 (22:26):
Thank you very much.
It's been an honor, Mr.
Ladner.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Thank you.
Call me Peter.
SPEAKER_00 (22:32):
Yes, Peter.
SPEAKER_01 (22:42):
You've been listening to Bike Since, an
original podcast from the BCCycling Coalition.
If you like the podcast, we'd begrateful if you could leave us a
rating on whatever platform youuse.
You can also subscribe so youdon't miss future episodes.
If you have comments orsuggestions for future episodes,
(23:04):
email me at peter.ladner atbccycling.ca.
You can help us amplify BCCycling Coalition's voice by
simply becoming a free member atbccycling.ca.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.