ADAM OLSEN: Dick Goin’s internal struggle as a mill worker, whose livelihood was supported by the industry poisoning the river he loved and fought for over decades, was evident as he shared his story

The late Dick Goin

Have you ever heard of Dick Goin?

Dick and his family moved to the Olympic Peninsula during the depression of the 1930's. He lived next to the Elwha River until he passed away in 2015.

On Thursday night (March 21st), I had the honour of being on a panel hosted Laura Brandes of the POLIS Water Sustainability Project at the University of Victoria. It was an event to celebrate World Water day.

Prior to discussing my salmon work alongside Tanis Gower (Project Biologist, of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society) and Tom Rutherford (Executive Director of the ), we viewed a screening of The Memory of Fish. It's another story of passion and persistence, the life's work of Dick Goin. This theme of passion and persistence has been emerging in this blog recently. Either I am finding it, or it is finding me. Nonetheless, these powerful stories are inescapable.

Frankly, the movie left me fragile. It tracked Goin's advocacy for the salmon in the Elwha River over decades. He lovingly catalogued his experience and his catches year after year, notebook after notebook, capturing the devastating impact of the two hydro-electric dams that were built on the river at the turn of the 20th century. The dams powered industry.

Goin's internal struggle as a mill worker, whose livelihood was supported by the industry poisoning the river he loved and fought for over decades, was evident as he shared his story.

The Elwha is free!   Those dams are gone now ... Dick Goin won ... and he saw the result.

Salmon returning to the upper reaches of the Elwha River in numbers he could only once imagine. That due to Goin's persistence, and the persistence of the Pacific salmon. It's an inspiring and encouraging story.

Just a few kilometres north, we struggle with the same pressures: industry, salmon and water. Indeed, we know we need to create jobs and products. And the salmon reminds us of the benefit and bounty that can come from living within the cycles of nature.

Water. While we have the blessing of plentiful water in our part of the world, droughts are increasing. Climate change is here. So, we must change how we relate and respond to these conflicts.

Dick Goin was a beautiful man. His story, is a beautiful story. I hope you get a chance to see it, and it inspires you to become a passionate warrior for those places that are special to you.

Meanwhile, I will continue to stand up for the Salish Sea and the Pacific salmon.