12 MAR 2019: The Great Bear Rainforest is one of Canada’s most exquisite and secluded wildernesses and home to the all-white “Spirit Bear.” Located on the north coast of British Columbia, the region – as big as Ireland – has been documented in a 40-minute film that is now playing at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, as well as IMAX venues in Vancouver, Victoria and Sudbury. We sat down with Destination BC’s Sabrina Robson for a behind-the-scenes look at the project and the rainforest.
Q: I loved the film, Sabrina. What is/was Destination BC’s role in it?
A: We are sponsoring the international distribution of The Great Bear Rainforest, which vividly captures many of BC’s iconic experiences from wildlife to wilderness, oceans, mountains, rainforests and Indigenous culture. The film can help us drive awareness and active consideration of British Columbia as a leisure destination by travellers in key geographic markets, including our own country, the US, China, Australia, and Mexico.
How does the film help the Destination BC brand?
By collaborating with the film’s distributor and producer, we can coordinate and amplify our activities to raise people’s awareness about British Columbia across Canada and in the US, China, Mexico, Australia and the UK. That heightened awareness will help us when we later follow up with advertising designed to encourage consideration of British Columbia as a travel destination.
In addition, we will have opportunities to share our brand on film-related materials—everything from posters to the movie trailer. We will also get select footage captured during the making of the film to promote tourism to and within British Columbia.
Award-winning filmmaker Ian McAllister was on hand to meet viewers at the recent premiere in Toronto and answer questions; too bad narrator and BC favourite son Ryan Reynolds couldn’t be there too…
Yes, Ian has said, “We can’t think of a more perfect fit for this project than Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds. Ryan is a wonderful representative for the ongoing conservation of this globally significant rainforest, which is part of his Canadian heritage and we are thrilled he is the narrator.”
It’s not quite “Deadpool,” but Reynolds projects a bit more personality than the average documentary narrator…
Yes, Ryan said, “I want my children to know there is still an area in this world that has remained wild, and will remain that way, because of the long history of stewardship shown by Indigenous people. I hope this film inspires the younger generation that there is hope for the future if we all work together and take care of our planet’s remaining wild places.”
How is the GBR classified?
In February 2016, the Government of BC, First Nations, environmental groups, and forest industry representatives announced their final agreement on how the Great Bear Rainforest would be managed. This agreement will conserve 85 percent of the forest and 70 percent of old growth over time. The same year, their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge officially endorsed the Great Bear Rainforest under The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy Initiative. Close to 25 percent of the world’s temperate rainforest is in BC. Most of it is coastal (where you’ll find the protected Great Bear Rainforest, which stretches some 400 km. along the central and northern coast of BC from Knight Inlet to the Alaska Panhandle. It covers 6.4 million hectares.
For those who haven’t seen the film yet, tell us what’s so special about it?
The Great Bear Rainforest is a visually stunning journey to British Columbia and one of the last wild places on earth which is home to both the Kermode Bear – a fabled all-white spirit bear—and the Indigenous First Nations, who have provided stewardship of the forest for millennia.
The Great Bear Rainforest represents two firsts: This is the first giant screen film for IMAX theatres shot exclusively in British Columbia and the first to feature Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Also, the film was shot over the course of three years and uses new technology and techniques to capture the unique, but remote location of the Great Bear Rainforest. It is a rare opportunity to see BC’s vast, unspoiled wilderness and wildlife side-by-side with the Indigenous communities dedicated to conserving this ecosystem.
And what about the rare Spirit Bear, which is a central character in the film?
People travel from far and wide for the chance to spot the rare Kermode bear (Spirit bear), which is found only in this part of the world. A subspecies of black bear, the Kermode bear has naturally white fur. About 10 percent of the black bears born in this area carry this recessive white gene.
It’s pretty remote, but can people actually go there, and, if so, what sort of experience can they expect?
Yes. June to August are the warmest months to visit the area. Bear-viewing season runs from June to October. The best chance to see bears is during the annual salmon run from late August to September or October, when these magnificent creatures hunt fish.
You can approach the Great Bear Rainforest in several different ways: Roads get you only so far in the wilderness. One of the area’s main gateways is Bella Coola in central BC. Highway 20 from Williams Lake leads to Bella Coola, or fly there on scheduled flights from Vancouver. Other points of entry include Bella Bella, Klemtu, and Prince Rupert. Or, venture into the Great Bear Rainforest by sailing along the BC coast. You can depart from Northern Vancouver Island on daytrips or multi-day trips. You can experience the area by ferry through BC Ferries’ Inside Passage route and the Discovery Coast Connector. For a more intimate environment, take a small-ship cruise that offers on-board chef service, such as Maple Leaf Adventures or Outer Shores Expeditions. Alternatively, you can fly or sail into a remote lodge on the coast, such as Farewell Harbour Lodge, Nimmo Bay Resort or Knight Inlet Lodge, and base your adventure there.
From Bella Coola, head out on a wildlife-viewing safari with Bella Coola Grizzly Tours, or go on a boat ride through glacial fjords to a natural hot springs, where you can have a soak before tucking into a barbecue lunch. From Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, go heli-hiking in the Bella Coola Valley, take a guided nature walk, go birdwatching, or simply float down a river and take in the majesty. At the Talleho Cannery, watch salmon and trout spawning in late August and learn about this history of the salmon-processing industry.
From Prince Rupert, you can head out on the water with Prince Rupert Adventure Tours to the Khutzeymateen, which boasts the largest population of grizzly bears on Earth. You could also see humpback and grey whales from late July to September. If you’re keen on whale watching, the Johnstone Strait and the Broughton Archipelago (between mainland BC and Northern Vancouver Island are two of the best places in the world to spot orcas.
Local indigenous communities are intimately involved with the GBR. How so? And are they prepared for the increased interest in the area the film may generate?
Spirit Bear Entertainment executed protocol agreements with Gitga’at, Kitasoo Xai’xais and Heiltsuk First Nations in whose traditional territories they filmed the Great Bear Rainforest. The film features three First Nations youths sharing in their own voices their intergenerational conservation efforts. This is the first giant screen film for IMAX theatres to feature Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Conservation is a central theme of the film, and Destination BC is committed to growing sustainable social, cultural and economic benefits for all British Columbians without damaging the destination or the traveler’s experience.
Given that most visitors to BC will most likely not actually get to the rainforest, do you feel the film will still generate interest in other areas or aspects of BC?
We believe strongly that we can draw on the same iconic themes and experiences showcased in the film to highlight related or complementary experiences across all regions of BC. Our goal is to motivate travel across the whole province—not only The Great Bear Rainforest.
How about a brief breakdown of some of BC’s more accessible “wild” places?
Here are just a few (there are so many all over the province!) accessible nature experiences that range from wild to urban:
• Talasay Tours Talking Trees experience in Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC
• Cabana Desolation Eco Resort on the Sunshine Coast
• Wells Gray Park (waterfalls and wildlife)
• Forest bathing with Between a Lake & a High Place in Kaslo, BC (West Kootenay Old Growth Forest)
- And, Campbell River,BC is a great jumping off point to a number of rainforest and wildlife experiences
Do you have a favourite?
Life in British Columbia is shaped by our close proximity to nature; there are so many beautiful places to explore it’s difficult to choose a favourite. One can go for a walk in a rainforest, take in the views from our many mountain ranges, kayak and paddle around our coast.
Thanks for the tips, Sabrina!