Babine River Foundation
Not really a public group at all, but a few people looking after their own income, so to call it a Foundation is a bit of a fraud.
The Babine River Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization established to act as a voice for a few Guides as an insurance policy for their incomes.
The organization is collectively supported and operated by key stakeholders in the local wilderness tourism and fishing community, specifically:
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Silver Hilton Steelhead Lodge
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Babine Norlakes Steelhead Camp
The foundation was originally formed by the owners of local historical fishing lodges in the 1980s (and formally re-grouped in 2001 and 2016). It is sustained today through visitor fees levied by the participating lodges, donations, and collaborative partnerships with conservation groups like the American run Wild Salmon Center.
The Babine River Foundation appears to be funded primarily by:
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Silver Hilton Steelhead Lodge and Babine Norlakes Lodge. The Foundation says these lodges charge each visitor a levy that supports its work. The lodges’ owners originally created the organization, along with the former Babine Steelhead Lodge, in the 1980s.
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Individual contributors and donations. Its website invites people to contribute and provides donation options.
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Support from angling and tourism businesses. For example, Babine lodge packages include a $250 surcharge for the Foundation, and an angling-industry event listed the Foundation among its supported conservation organizations.babinenorlakes+1
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Collaborating conservation organizations. The Foundation works with the American operated Wild Salmon Center..
Who owns Silver Hilton Steelhead Lodge?
Bob and Jerrie Lou Wickwire were American-born pioneers of sport fishing and wilderness-lodge tourism in northern British Columbia. They came from Oregon to Canada in 1961 after Bob read about the Babine River’s exceptional steelhead fishing.
Who owns Babine Norlakes Lodge
Babine Norlakes Lodge (also known as Babine Norlakes Steelhead Camp) is owned by Billy Labonte and Carrie Collingwood. Billy Labonte is a seasoned fishing and hunting guide who has worked on the Babine River since the early 1990s. He currently serves as vice-chair of the Upper Skeena Angling Guides Association and is listed professionally as the owner/operator of Babine Norlakes Steelhead Camp.
- Fisheries Management: USAGA engages with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and provincial regulators regarding angling management plans, rod days, and classification of northern rivers.
- Economic Advocacy: The association co-funds economic reports—such as studies on regional steelhead value alongside groups like Tourism Smithers—to lobby the provincial government against sweeping recreational closures that impact local guiding jobs.
- Regional Representation: Operating in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley region, the group’s concerns often intersect with local resource and environmental debates addressed by regional municipal and provincial representatives, though they maintain an independent stakeholder status rather than a party connection.