All posts by Paul Cipywnyk

Byrne Creek Runs Milky Day After Fish Release

I was shocked to see Byrne Creek running a milky gray-green the day after volunteer streamkeepers and local schoolchildren released several thousand coho smolts (yearlings) into the creek.

I called the City of Burnaby, and neither City staff nor I saw any dead or distressed fish, but folks, please remember that NOTHING is to go down street drains other than rain.

We missed a bullet today!

byrne creek pollution
Griffiths’ Pond near Edmonds Skytrain Station

Coho Smolt Release on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC

Kids from Glenwood Elementary, volunteers from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society, and DFO Community Advisor Maurice Coulter-Boisvert released coho smolts in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby this morning. Great to have help from City of Burnaby staff, too!

A few shots of the fun:

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DFO CA Maurice

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Talking salmon life cycle

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Netting smolts in the transport tank

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City of Burnaby staff help fill baggies of fish for the kids

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Handing out baggies of fish

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Streamkeeper volunteers supervise releases

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A lovely coho smolt

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After the kids had to leave to get back to school, we released the rest of the salmon in the artificial spawning channel

Byrne Creek coho smolt release

Never Work for Free

Cleaning my office today I ran across some words of wisdom posted to the Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators (Japan) mail list back in 1996 by Fred Uleman, quoting “Hugh Gigante of MktgMavens”:

1. I never work free of charge
2. I never work cheap
3. I charge more than others because I am better than them
4. I never get paid based on performance, only deliverables
5. I define deliverables
6. I always have more of the client’s money than he has of my time
7. Rates go up every six months
8. People who want work free or on spec must first show that they are working on the same basis, and are a legal charity
9. Every client can be fired, any day
10. Repeat number 1.

Burnaby MLAs, MP tour Byrne Creek

Burnaby MLAs Jane Shin, Raj Chouhan, and Kathy Corrigan, and MP Kennedy Stewart, toured Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC,  today. Volunteers from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society led the tour, and talked about the importance of urban biodiversity, the salmon lifecycle on the creek, and shared some of the activities and data collection that streamkeepers have been conducting annually for many years.

byrne creek tour

byrne creek tour

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If ‘CRA’ Calls and Yells at You, Hang Up

Lots of folks have been getting the CRA SCAM phone call. I reported it to the Burnaby RCMP crime prevention folks, and here’s their response:

Thank for the information.  The Canada Revenue Agency Tax Scam is quite prevalent during this time of year.  You did the right thing and it is awesome that you have informed others about it.  Please share this link to a useful video. 

CRA VIDEO - http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/scrty/frdprvntn/menu-eng.html

You can also report this information to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) as they collect data for investigations.  

CAFC - http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm

TAX SCAMS - http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/fraud-escroquerie/types/tax-contribuable/index-eng.htm

Please let us know if you have any other concerns.