So I was fishing at Spectacle Lake the other day. For those of you who don't know South Vancouver Island, Spectacle Lake is a tiny provincial park near the Malahat Hwy residing right in the middle of a bunch of developments and clear cuts. Unfortunately, South Vancouver Island hasn't fared too well with regards to logging and development. One look at Google Earth will make your heart sink as you realize how much wilderness has been lost in this part of the world.

I managed to catch 9 fish that day which is a lot for me. I let 4 go though cause really, who needs 9 trout in one catch? Two was enough for dinner and 3 others will keep me over until the next fishing day. I encountered a group of local residents who decided that having a big fire beside the lake in the middle of a provincial park was a good idea. I decided to "remind" them that there are no fires allowed, but they didn't seem to care. Its not that I expected them to listen, but you have to put the social pressure on when you can right?

While parks like Spectacle don't necessarily accomplish too much in regards to the preservation of biodiversity (the park is so heavily used that there is likely not much in regards to natural values there and the lake is filled with stocked trout) it still serves an important role in giving urban dwellers an opportunity to interact with a "wilderness" setting. If the thought enters your head "but that isn't wilderness!" just remember, it is all in the eye of the beholder. I once took some friends to Thetis Lake which is essentially completely man made and no more than two minutes outside of Victoria and had a friend exclaim "Its so nice to have a wilderness experience!". I think that that statement speaks strongly to the challenge that lies ahead to change social norms in Canada so that people truly care about the preservation of the natural world.