Peace Region among 'most magnificent places on earth' says Royal BC Museum

Northeastern British Columbia's Peace Region is filled with natural wonders, according to the Royal BC Museum, which has embarked on a series of meetings to share that knowlege with local residents.

"We want to make sure people understand what they have," said museum curator Richard Hebda, who is leading the meetings, which highlight the area's biodiversity.

The meetings come at a time when the region is undergoing heavy economic development, including the construction of a large hydroelectric dam and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. 

While the Victoria-based museum does not take a stand on BC Hydro's controversial Site C dam project, it wants the community to be aware of its rich heritage before future decisions are made.

The dam project faces multiple lawsuits from landowners and First Nations groups whose land will be flooded by the project. 

"The Peace is really special," Hebda said. "It has amazing things about it — wilderness, rich biological diversity, rich in ecological processes."

Hebda said the museum's meetings are aimed at the people who live in the Peace region. He said sometimes people often don't appreciate the natural bounties found in their own backyards, which is why the museum is holding the public meetings.

'Most magnificent place'  

He described the Peace Region as "one of the most magnificent places on earth." 

"There are some amazing things that are of world importance," he said, pointing out there are tens of thousands of fossils that have never been studied. 

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"I know for a fact that some of them will provide new information on life that no one has known before on the history of life on earth," he said. 

With files from the CBC's Daybreak North

To hear the full story listen to the audio labelled: Peace Region 'nowhere else like it' says Royal BC Museum