A Heartwarming Tale of Homecoming and Responsible Tourism: Returning a Stone to Shuswap Lake

Earlier this year, our team received a heartfelt letter from a traveller named Lynne, all the way from England. Accompanying the letter was a stone. Lynne shared that she had taken it from Shuswap Lake as a happy memento during a holiday to our beautiful province many years ago. However, a sense of responsibility tugged at her heart, and she felt that the stone should be returned to its rightful home.

Moved by Lynne’s sincerity, our team helped reunite the stone with its place of origin. Luckily, one of our retired team members, who resides in the Shuswap area, stepped up to take care of this special task. With great care, she transported the stone back to its original home, ensuring it found its way back to the shores of Shuswap Lake once again.

By recognizing that the stone belonged to BC, Lynne demonstrated an understanding of her role as a responsible traveller and the importance of preserving the integrity of the places we explore. This gesture also echoes the principles we uphold as a team at Destination BC, to foster cultural exchange, respect communities and natural environments, and promote sustainable tourism practices.

In gratitude for Lynne’s thoughtful gesture, we sent her a thank-you letter, photographs of the stone at Shuswap Lake, and #explorebc pins and stickers. We now have a friend and pen-pal for life, in Lynne. She has shared that photos of the stone are proudly displayed in her kitchen, attached to her fridge, where they serve as a daily reminder of the stone’s homecoming. And perhaps inspiration for her to visit us, once again.

This heartwarming story not only highlights the power of personal connections and acts of kindness, but also reinforces the importance of responsible tourism. It reminds us that each of us have a role to play in preserving all that makes our province Super, Natural. At Destination BC, we are honored to be a part of stories that celebrate the love for our province and are inspired to continue our mission of promoting sustainable experiences, fostering connections with visitors, and preserving the natural wonders that make BC such an extraordinary place to live, work, and play.