The Alouette River Management Society held its annual general meeting on April 27, and Cheryl Ashlie is back as the president of the board of directors.
Ashlie noted the board will have a busy year in 2026. The conservation group held its AGM on Monday, and then on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Simon Fraser University’s Pacific Water Research Centre. A key this year will be strengthening that agreement, with collaborative project development, knowledge sharing, and student engagement, with the shared goal of advancing science-based solutions to protect and enhance the long-term health of the watershed.
“We will be fostering this relationship,” Ashlie said on Tuesday.
ARMS still has work to do on its Rivers Heritage Centre, with interior renovations coming this year.
“Our building is definitely a priority this year,” said Ashlie.
Fish passage is always a priority. Ashlie credited outgoing director and former president Ken Stewart for his work on that file, and for getting results. Giving spawning salmon a way to get past the Alouette Dam is now part of the BC Hydro works capital plan.
The president added, however, that ARMS will continue to push for the best facilities, which would be a fish ladder. Hydro is proposing a trap-and-truck system that would still see fish put in a tank and driven around the dam, much as ARMS has been doing.
“We would like to see a proper fish ladder,” said Ashlie. “Trap and truck does not grab our hearts.”
Ashlie was a Maple Ridge city councillor when she got involved with ARMS as the council liaison in 2011, and has been part of the organization over the 15 years since.
ARMS and its advocacy work is a labour of love for her.
“The reason I love ARMS is if you actually take us out of the equation – just remove us – then you actually remove probably the only consistent voice for the health of the Alouette River,” she said. “That’s what non-profits do in a community.”