Photo: © WWF Canada
Southern Resident Killer Whales Could Be Extinct in a Lifetime. Southern resident killer whales could be extinct in a lifetime. WWF-Canada’s Climb for Nature returns to BC Place to help wildlife from coast to coast to coast.
Canada’s only stadium climb is coming back to Vancouver for a third year on October 24, raising funds for conservation here in B.C. and across Canada
Only about 75 southern resident killer whales remain in the Salish Sea, and researchers project the population could disappear within the next 100 years. The beloved West Coast icon is one of hundreds of species in Canada that are at risk of extinction. This World Nature Conservation Day, World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) is inviting British Columbians of all ages to take literal steps toward a different future for wildlife by joining the third annual WWF Climb for Nature at BC Place on October 24.
Participants can climb their way around the lower bowl of BC Place as individuals, families or teams to raise funds for conservation work across the province and the country. The 3,000-step “single bowl” involves completing one lap by climbing up and down the stairs between seating sections, while the 6,000-step “double bowl” challenge doubles the route.
Though the climb takes place inside a stadium, every step is tied to the coastline, forests, and mountains just outside it.
Funds raised support conservation efforts throughout the country, including here in B.C., where WWF-Canada is working with First Nations and other partners to restore salmon habitat in the Lower Fraser watershed and regenerate forests destroyed by wildfire. Interior, and reduce the underwater noise, ship strikes, and pollution threatening whales off the West Coast.
Our Toughest Match Yet
WWF-Canada’s latest Living Planet Report Canada found that more than half (52%) of species studied are decreasing in abundance. On average, every species group included — birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles and amphibians — is trending in the wrong direction.
“B.C. is home to some of the most extraordinary wildlife on the planet, and right now they need our help,” said Kevin Cooper, Vice-President, Community Giving of WWF-Canada. “Climbing the stands of BC Place may seem like a strange thing to do for nature until you’re standing in that stadium with a thousand other people who showed up for the same reason: to protect our natural world. That’s what this event is — a way for families, friends and coworkers to turn a Saturday morning into meaningful action for the salmon, whales, sea otters, grizzly bears, forests and coastlines that define this province.”
The third annual Climb for Nature event at BC Place follows global sporting events that brought record crowds to the stadium. Rather than watching from the stands, they’ll be climbing up and down them to help score a win for nature. Fresh off announcing FIFA World Cup games at BC Place, Don Andrews, the voice of the Vancouver Whitecaps, BC Lions and Rugby 7s, will be cheering them on from the booth.
Returning to defend his course record of 10 minutes and 45 seconds is Squamish athlete and professional tower runner Shaun Stephens-Whale. He also holds the fastest time at WWF’s CN Tower Climb for Nature event.
“Living on the West Coast, we’re seeing a lot more natural disasters, whether it’s flooding or wildfires. Even if it’s not in our town, it’s directly affecting us with the smoke,” said Stephens-Whale. “Being better stewards of the environment, more sustainable, and protecting more land, goes a long way to making sure those impacts we feel at home are lessened in the future. I think it’s neat to be able to support a cause I really believe in while doing something I’m passionate about.”
Also lacing up this year are Lindsay Carey and Martyna Dearing, two friends who share a passion for endurance events and wildlife conservation. The pair climbed the CN Tower together twice with team SOSA – a group led by Bachelor alum and Save Our Species Alliance founder Blake Moynes. Carey, based on the West Coast, is already part of a small group of supporters who have completed both the CN Tower and BC Place climbs; Dearing, a Texas-based runner, is joining her in Vancouver this fall to complete the set.
“Martyna and I have climbed the CN Tower together twice now, and this fall we’re finally doing BC Place side by side,” said Carey. “It’s a great excuse to push ourselves, but the real reason we keep coming back is what it funds—protecting the salmon and whales right off this coast.”
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The WWF Climb for Nature began at Toronto’s CN Tower in 1991 and expanded to the West Coast in 2024 with a climb at BC Place. Climbers in Vancouver — together with the thousands who conquered the CN Tower in May and hundreds more who are climbing across the country as part of the WWF Anywhere Climb for Nature — are aiming to raise a collective $1.5 million for conservation this year.
The WWF Climb for Nature is made possible by the generous support of national sponsor, Aviso. Not only is Aviso committed to supporting wildlife and their habitats for three years, but their employees are playing an active role in the event, forming teams to climb, fundraise, and volunteer.
