Apocalypse Now for Peace in the Great Bear Rainforest

Helicopter Apocalypse Now Ongoing in Great Bear Rainforest

by Ingmar Lee, Denny Island

Helijet Helicopters is now running two twin-engine Sikorsky S-76 helicopters out of Denny Island BC. The giant choppers are flying sports fishermen out to opulent floating fishing lodges in Whale Channel and Camaano Sound.

The majestic Sikorsky S-76 in flight

Here in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest we've seen a marked annual increase in helicopter traffic, but these Helijet choppers are, by far, the loudest and most disturbing we have encountered.

Every morning the 2 Sikorsky's start up, take off and fly low past our community, often right over our houses. Our peace and quiet is then totally interrupted for about 15 minutes. After dropping the clients off to their "wilderness" fishing experience, the helicopters then return back to Shearwater, presumably for coffee, and then take off again, back and forth all day.

Every single pass by these unbelievably loud machines takes more of the wild out of this wonderful place.

Helijet just showed up here unannounced one day and started their business without any notice or community consultation. They offer nothing whatsoever to the community, or the wilderness in compensation for a massive disturbance of the peace.

I believe that helicopter fishing, where rich folk can jet off from Vancouver to Bella Bella in the morning, where they are picked up and helicoptered out to the lodges and are fishing by 11 am, is not only disturbing to our community and the magnificent primaeval wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest, but spewing exhaust and noise is too an outrageous, unacceptable assault on the area.

The company made its fortune flying Gordo Campbell back and forth to his Vancouver luncheon meetings from their base near the BC legislature bothering the peace-loving neighbourhoods of James Bay and Fairfield for years, and as a result have become experts at Noise PR. Whenever noise complaints reach a crescendo, their solution is to add another few feet to their sound berm.

What kind of "fisherman" needs a giant screaming helicopter ride to "get away" for their wilderness fishing experience!? 

May the price of jet fuel quadruple; and may this totally unacceptable business venture fail, as soon as possible!