Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the sockeye that return every fall to the world-famous Adams River, known as the richest 300 acres in the world. This return is the final chapter for thousands of sockeye that hatched in the river four years ago before beginning their epic journeys through the Thompson and Fraser rivers and Pacific Ocean. After swimming thousands of kilometres, the weathered sockeye finally return home to initiate the next generation.
In early October, people from the Secwépemc and Shuswap welcome locals and visitors from around the world to witness this extraordinary spectacle of life and death against the backdrop of fall colours. Salute to the Sockeye events run from October 9 through October 25 at the Adams River and include a welcoming ceremony, interpretive and educational displays and scenic walks along the riverbank, where salmon can be seen doing what comes naturally. I encourage everyone to join in the Salute to the Sockeye events in the heart of the riding of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies and to witness the beauty of the salmon, the people and the scenery.