2200 Acres Protected
On October 10, 2003, the Government of British Columbia informed us that it was accepting the generous gift of the approximately 2200 acres surrounding the existing Princess Louisa Marine Park. from the Princess Louisa International Society and The Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Our goal, a dream less than five years ago, has become reality.
Your Directors have worked hard to realize this goal. They are to be congratulated for bringing it to fruition. You will have read in the President’s Message that our President is stepping down. Bill Botham’s leadership of the Society brought (sometimes pulled) us successfully through this fundraising campaign. It was Bill who lead the negotiations with Weyerhaeuser for the original options to purchase. It was Bill who recognized that we could not achieve our goal without a partner. It was Bill who convinced the Nature Conservancy of Canada to join with us in this project. On behalf of the members, Bill, thank you.
Our goal would not have been realized, however, without you, our members. Patrons, Contributors, Donors, Life Members, Annual Members: twelve hundred people share Mac’s vision, now the Society’s Mission, to protect and preserve this beautiful fjord. To keep it “just like it is”.
Many of you gave money through donations or renewed memberships; others bought our store items; still more introduced others to the Society’s aims; many dropped a line of encouragement by e-mail, fax, letters or phone calls to assure us we were on the right track; that in pursuing this dream of further land acquisition in Princess Louisa Inlet we had your support. Each of these meant a lot.
Your financial support contributed more than just the additional necessary dollars. Your contributions convinced major donors that you believed in this project and helped convince them that they should, too.
Your words of faith and encouragement and stories of what Princess Louisa Inlet meant to you seemed to always come at the right time. When the goal seemed too distant or too difficult; when we had fund raising obstacles, your letters or e-mails would arrive and renew our desire to carry on.
The Park is now 50 times larger than Mac’s original grant. You did it. Thank you.
