SALMON ARM – There is a lot of buzz at Roderick Haig-Brown Park and no, it's not bees. Excavators and saws working on a multi-year construction project have left many new facilities, and the first of thousands of families have descended on the park to view the spawning salmon.

Sunday, MLAs Todd Stone and Greg Kyllo joined Jerry the Moose and the Adams River Salmon Society at Roderick Haig-Brown Park to kick off the Salute to the Sockeye Festival; a world-renowned event celebrating the dominant sockeye run in the Fraser River.

The $1.2 million dollar construction project allows for greater flexibility in Roderick Haig-Brown Park, and provides new facilities for large and small groups. A new, smaller day-use area meets the needs of families and individuals who come year-round to hike, mountain bike, snowshoe, ski and view wildlife. A new gathering space can adequately accommodate large festivals and community events.

Additional improvements include:

* A new viewing platform;
* The creation of a buffer zone between the Adams River and park facilities, to better protect habitat;
* New trails have been created, while others have been improved with new signs and displays;
* Older trails along the river have been closed, rehabilitated and naturalized;
* New picnic tables;
* New interpretive information kiosks and signs;
* Hardening surfaces, lowering grades, removing barriers and providing resting spots for greater accessibility;
* And a modified parking lot, enabling more parking in times of high traffic.

The Adams River Salmon Society, the Secwepemc First Nation, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the local community have been actively involved with BC Parks on this project.

Quick Facts:

* Roderick Haig-Brown Park was established in 1977 to conserve and protect spawning beds of various Pacific salmon, particularly sockeye.
* The Pacific salmon was designated British Columbia's provincial fish in 2013. There are several species of Pacific salmon, with the sockeye being one of the most common in B.C. waters.
* The Salute to the Sockeye Festival is coordinated by the Adams River Salmon Society, and is supported by the Secwepemc First Nation, BC Parks and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
* Attendance for the last festival in 2010 was estimated at 250,000 people.
* Over the past five years, BC Parks has invested approximately $60 million across the province in park facilities, delivering projects directed at attracting young families, offering new recreation opportunities and increasing attendance.
* Total capital investment since 2001 to improve park facilities and acquire new lands is $192.6 million.

Learn More:

For more information about Roderick Haig Brown Provincial Park, visit:
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/roderick/

For more information on the Salute to the Sockeye Festival, on now until October 26, 2014, visit: www.salmonsociety.com

Connect with BC Parks on Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourBCParks