It was a warning that mariners should regard these places with great fear.

But Kitimat’s dragons are a friendly bunch.

As you’ll find out when you take in this year’s Community Dragon Boat Races.

They take place on Saturday, June 6 at Minette Bay and will once again feature the good-natured competition and fun that has been the hallmark of the event since it started four years ago.

Dragon Boat racing here began with the female Northern Spirit team which paddled to conspicuous success at the Dragon Boat festival in Vancouver.

Their desire to get as many people as possible involved led to this event, one that has been drawing more teams every year.

But where last year that expansion in entries was still confined to the immediate area, they are now getting calls from as far away as Cultus Lake on the Lower Mainland.

Ruth Mills, a founding member of the Spirit squad, says the benefit of the sport is that anybody can get involved. “There are no age or fitness limits, somebody with no experience can do it.”

And that was demonstrated last year when for several teams it was their first time on the water in a dragon boat.

But then that’s what puts “Community” in the name of the event.

The schedule calls for a meet and greet and practices in the morning followed by the opening ceremonies – the team cheers are great entertainment – at 11 a.m. with racing beginning at noon.

There will also be a salmon barbecue, a food fair and craft exhibitors on site.

Parking is extremely limited at Minette Bay so organizers have laid on a shuttle bus service from Christ the King Church parking lot which will go into service at 8 a.m.

For details on that, check with the Visitor Information Centre when you get to town.;

Which is why every year our party draws visitors from across the region.

Making sure the day-long celebration gets off to a satisfying start will be the Kitimat Kiwanis club with its delicious pancake breakfast

The most relaxing is still fishing – anchoring your line and gear in the current with a weight and using a Spin-n-Glo or a Spin-n-Glo/ Hoochie combo as the lure – both come in a bewildering array of colours and sizes.

But for most, casting and “bottom bouncing” is the method of choice using either a spoon – there is even one named after our river – or again a Spin-n-Glo/Hoochie, but with a lighter weight.

It’s also the more successful method since, by varying your cast length and retrieve, you’re searching out the fish rather than waiting for them to bump into your gear.

Because water conditions have a lot to do with your choice of colour, it’s a good idea to check with a local tackle shop to find out what’s working when you arrive. Or pick up a copy of the Northern Sentinel newspaper and see the Fish Finder update in the sports pages. Check out the ad on the inside cover to see where it is sold.

Finally, a relative newcomer is the jig, and one that is gaining in popularity in leaps and bounds.

Last year I got down to Radley Park about 7 a.m. to find there were already three others there.

They had been there awhile and landed just one pink.

Soon after another two anglers joined us to make for six rods in action.

Although the fish were there, we weren’t getting any. “Don’t worry,” one of the guys – a local retiree – assured us. “The fish will come at eight o’clock.”

And at five after all hell broke loose for him and his buddy as they hooked into eight in 15 minutes.

Leaving the rest of us chartreuse with envy.

The difference? They were the only two using jigs.

By the way, while gear colours are generally important, there are days – especially with pinks – when, to quote a young lady at a local tackle shop, “you could throw a soup can out there and they’d hit it.”

And there are days when the opposite applies and the fish get very strange tastes. Which is why I always carry a couple of ghastly yellow or orange Spin-n-Glos to chuck out there if all else fails – a

It’s also no secret we owe that to our hatchery.

That’s particularly true when it comes to steelhead.

Two years ago the provincial government introduced a ban on retaining wild steelhead.

However, you can catch and keep a hatchery fish – and the Kitimat is the only river in the Northwest that offers hatchery steelhead.

The Kitimat River Fish Hatchery was first started in 1977 as a pilot project, located across from the Eurocan Pulp and Paper mill.

It came into being to rebuild salmon stocks, particularly chinook, which had been hard hit by overfishing, habitat degradation and a couple of floods that had ravaged spawning beds.

At that time it consisted of an Atco trailer containing a few troughs and only released 50,000-150,000 fish a year.

Six years later a new, $10 million facility was built and now the annual release is in the millions.

At the hatchery five different species of salmonids are raised: chum, chinook, coho, cutthroat, and steelhead. Steelhead and cutthroat are actually trout, but they are sea-run trout, which means that they have the same life cycle as a salmon by going out to the ocean to mature and returning to the rivers to spawn.

Each year adult fish of each species are caught by angling, tangle netting or seine netting to obtain eggs and sperm.

Once the raised fish are ready for release – the time varies from species to species – they are taken back to the streams from which their parents were taken except for a small percentage released through a pipe directly below the hatchery.

From there, they swim out to the ocean to mature, eventually to return to the Kitimat system to start the cycle all over again.

Incidentally, while they may not be the most prized fish, the hatchery is top heavy on the production of chum salmon. That’s because they were historically the most numerous species in the Kitimat.

Call 250-639-9888 to see if the hatchery is offering tours again this year.

You’ll find it a fascinating experience.

Quiet coves, beautiful bays and whispering waterfalls.

But what you cannot know is that you are also passing places of legend and cultural heritage.

Haisla Tourism intends to change all that, to let you see beyond the obvious and into the Haisla Nation’s proud history and traditions.

Its goal is simple: “to provide our guests with an unforgettable cultural experience.”

And in doing so it will fill a gap that has been aching to be filled.

The launch of Haisla Tourism this year ends several years of planning.

And the preparations included taking a group of travel and tourism experts on a boat tour early last October, a test run to get reaction to their plan.

One of those on the trip was George Clark, a local travel agent who is no stranger to putting together special packages that take people to far flung corners of the world.

So when he says the Haisla have a “world class asset”, you pay attention.

“The scenery there is just totally spectacular,” Clark said after the trip, adding, “The Kitlope, I think, really takes the cake.”

Describing the Kitlope (pictured above) as one of the most pristine places left in the entire province, Clark said, “In that sense I think it’s pretty unique and extremely precious.”

Marc-Andre de Launiere is the consultant hired by the Kitamaat Village Council to implement the Haisla Tourism Strategy.

“We are a customer-oriented business,” he says, referring to the flexibility of the company in providing different kinds of experiences.

Their offerings of course include a tour of the Kitlope Conservancy area, but you can also explore Foch-Giltoyees Park, “one of the most scenic and pristine sheltered bodies of water in Northwestern British Columbia.”

Or how about paddling a traditional ocean-going canoe on either a three-hour or all-day adventure?

You can enjoy hotsprings such as Bishop Bay and Shearwater, try fishing the traditional way, view wildlife including grizzlies and hike the trails of the rain forest.

And throughout you will learn about the meaning for the Haisla of the lands and waters you see while getting to

Campsites, with their food and cooking smells and garbage, are very attractive. So it’s not unusual for campsites to receive visits from hungry – or just plain curious – bears.

That means “Bear Aware” is a necessary approach in every campsite.

The following are a few simple common sense rules that can reduce the risk of a confrontation.

q Don’t provide an attraction to bears by leaving food unattended on the picnic tables. Ensure coolers, barbecues and other cooking utensils are kept in safe storage.

q Store food in your camper or in the trunk of your vehicle in airtight containers.

q Cooking or eating inside a tent could be an invitation to a hungry bear to join you.

q Respect bears and never feed them.

q Use a flashlight when moving about your campsite after dark.

Of course, your selected fishing hole may also be a bruin’s favourite spot as well.

Believe it or not, there have in the past been instances of some anglers refusing to give ground when a bear showed up on the gravel beach where they were fishing.

As the conservation officer pointed out at the time, the bear is only doing what comes naturally.

He accordingly advised people to move on and let it do just that.

Good advice, because no-one wins an argument with a bear about who was there first.

When walking trails, whether fishing or hiking, be sure to make noise – whistle, talk or carry noisemakers such as bells.

Most bears will leave if aware of your presence.

Also keep an eye open for “evidence” of a bear’s passing.

And be especially alert when travelling into the wind – a bear may not get your scent and be warned of your presence.

Bear attacks are extremely rare around here.

And a few sensible precautions will ensure they stay that way.

The Hirsch Creek Park trails are not only ideal for those who want to take it easy or have young children, they’re literally just a few minutes drive away.

When you drive into the park, take the right fork where the road divides and watch for the trail signs. Then take your pick of a relaxing 15 or 30 minutes in the forest.

Another short walk waits for those who set out to catch the beauty of the Humphrey Creek Falls. About 16kms north out of town you take the first gravel road on the right after the Humphrey Creek bridge, then the second right once on that road.

When you run out of road, there’s a short trail to the canyon and the falls which send up a constant plume of spray.

You can walk to the top of the falls, but be careful if you have small children with you – there are no fences and it’s quite a drop to the pool below.

Another spectacular view awaits at the Hirsch Creek Canyon. This one is a 6km (approximately three hour) return trip, but the trail is again an easy one, climbing only 100m throughout its length.

The trail begins at the highway on the Kitimat side of the Hirsch Creek bridge and follows the creek to a ledge overlooking the canyon.

The Kitamaat Village Road takes you to the Robinson Lake trail. After driving along that road for about two and a half kilometres, turn left after crossing Cordella Creek into a gravel pit.

Head up to the right, following the road for another 0.7km and you’ll reach the trail head.

Rated moderate, the 4km trail takes you past a series of small lakes.

It’s also the reason why an increasing number of non-anglers leap at the opportunity offered by local charter operators to take to the briny and capture that beauty through the lens of their favourite camera.

There, sheer rock walls rise out of dark green waters, towering literally thousands of feet above passing boats.

Waterfalls cascade down mountainsides as the last of the winter snow on the peaks surrenders to the heat of another summer.

The forest marches down to the foreshore of numerous bays and coves, each inviting the passerby to stop in and enjoy the tranquillity.

Porpoise suddenly appear to keep the salt chuck mariner company and in the middle distance, the distinctive plume rising off the water’s surface alerts all to the presence of an orca.

But let’s go back to fish for the moment.

Salmon, of course, are the big draw with chinook/springs and coho being the favourites.

Although the early chinooks/springs, destined for spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Kitimat River, arrive in mid to late May, the peak period begins in mid-June with the first couple of weeks of July bringing “prime time”.

Mid-July sees the beginning of the coho run which will peak a month later. They often mill around “out front” waiting for the right river conditions.

But there are also salmon to be had in the depths of winter. Known by

Operated by the city, Radley Park is the community’s premier campsite and superbly located a literal stone’s throw from the banks of the river.

And yet it is also only a couple of minutes from all the amenities of the downtown area.

Set amongst trees, the sites come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables with sturdy shelters and plenty of dry firewood supplied.

There are electrical hook ups available at a number of sites and the washroom facilities include coin operated showers.

And there is a sani-dump, fish cleaning station and even a smoker for your catches of the day.

Believe it or not, Radley Park is so appealing even local residents frequently camp there for a weekend.

Just be mindful of the signs in a few spots warning you to stay back from the edge of the bank.

The flow of the Kitimat River is shifting westward towards the park and has eroded its bank in places.

Hirsch Creek is another city-operated site but more rustic in nature.

Although you won’t find electrical hook-ups and showers, the setting is magnificent with towering trees, and the sparkling waters of the creek for which it is named. There’s also a large, open grassed area where the kids can play ball or run around to their heart’s content.

Many visitors like to get even closer to their chosen fishing spots by camping on the banks of the Kitimat River itself. However, in consideration of other anglers and the environment, you are asked to make camp at least 30 metres from the water’s edge.

You’ll see signposts indicating the 30m mark.

Vehicles displaying a disabled sign are permitted to park at the water’s edge – but cannot camp there.

For those who really want to get away from it all, the Kitimat Valley has several Forest Recreation rustic campsites such as Mount Elizabeth, Deception Lake, Enso Park and West Lake.

The staff at the Visitor Information Centre will be more than happy to provide information on those sites and how to get there.

And the city’s symbol is an aluminum snowflake.

So you won’t be surprised to find that, yes, we do have real winters here.

And the arrival of the white stuff is welcomed by countless Kitimatians.

Picture this: it’s a crisp, blue sky day and the snow is gently packed and fast.

A pair of cross country skiers round the corner and silently glide down a slope, following a trail that weaves through a tall stand of evergreens.

Up ahead a moose appears from the bush, ambles across the trail and disappears into the trees.

Welcome to Onion Lake ski trails, home of the Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club.

In less than two decades the club – with the assistance of local government, businesses and the Forest Service – has carved out more than 25 kilometres of groomed trails on the plateau above the Kitimat Valley.

Laid out by a professional, the trails run over a variety of terrains, ensuring that there is something to suit skiers of all skill levels.

For beginners there are Troll, Jackrabbit and Beaver. Clearwater. Lone Wolf and Moose Highway draw the intermediate skier while experts pit themselves against Atna and the Devil’s Elbow.

If travelling Moose Highway, pause at one of the viewpoints to take in the panorama of Lakelse Lake and the mountains beyond.

And the trails are reserved exclusively for skiers – snowmobiles are prohibited.

While Onion Lake draws locals simply looking for an enjoyable day on the trails, it also attracts skiers from across the region.

And next year they will come from across the province as Onion Lake hosts the cross-country ski events of the BC Winter Games.

And with the club having installed lighting on some of the trails, night skiing has become increasingly popular.

We mentioned snowmobilers earlier, and that takes us to another enthusiastic winter sports group – the Kitimat Snowmobile Club.

A few years back the club played a major role in installing a new bridge over Skidoo Creek to ensure continued access to Robinson Ridge, a favoured destination.

It has a management agreement with the Forest Service under which the club assumes responsibility for year-round maintenance from the bridge to the cabin it has built atop the ridge.

The club has a similar arrangement for the Clague (pronounced Clack) Mountain trail – it has another cabin there.

The public is invited to use both cabins, but people are asked to please leave them as they found them.

Haven’t caught your fancy yet?

How about snowboarding? When snowbound, the golf course is a favourite destination for boarders.

And if they are looking for more challenging conditions, they head for Shames Mountain, the regional ski hill located west of Terrace.

Amazingly, the heli-skiing potential of our local mountains (photo below) was only “discovered” two years ago and that business has, if you’ll pardon the pun, really taken off.