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Vancouver Island ToursBritish Columbia, Canada

Wildlife & nature

Salmon run at Goldstream Provincial Park

Every autumn tens of thousands of chum salmon return to the Goldstream River, twenty minutes from downtown Victoria, to spawn and die in the shallows beside the trail. Bald eagles follow. It is one of the most accessible salmon runs on the coast and free to watch.

Annual, dates set by the organiser
When
Thu 15 Oct – Thu 10 Dec 2026
Exact times set locally; all-day listing
Recurrence
Roughly mid-October to early December each year, following the rains
Where
Goldstream Provincial Park, Langford
Victoria
Tickets
Free to attend
Organiser
BC Parks
Last verified
6 Sept 2026

The run typically begins in mid-to-late October, peaks in November and tails off in December; the exact timing follows the rains and the river, so treat the dates here as the window BC Parks describes rather than a schedule. The Goldstream Nature House beside the river runs interpretive programmes during the run — check its own site for hours.

Go on a weekday morning if you can: the trail beside the river is narrow and the weekend crowds are real. Dress for wet ground and keep dogs leashed and away from the water — the salmon are protected while spawning.

More on the calendar

10Oct
Public holidayAnnual, dates set by the organiser

Thanksgiving long weekend

Canada's Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October. On the island it coincides with the salmon runs, the last grizzly departures from Campbell River and the first autumn storms on the Pacific coast; ferries and accommodation fill for the three days.

Sat 10 – Mon 12 Oct 2026
Island-wide
Free to attend

Checked 6 Sept 2026

11Nov
Public holidayAnnual, dates set by the organiser

Remembrance Day ceremonies

A statutory holiday in British Columbia. Ceremonies at 11 a.m. at cenotaphs in every town; Victoria's, on the Parliament lawns beside the Inner Harbour, draws a large crowd. Most shops close for the morning and some for the day.

Wed 11 Nov 2026
Victoria
Free to attend

Checked 6 Sept 2026

Full calendar