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Rain dampens royal parade

Plans to show off one of British Columbia's most beautiful areas to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been scuttled by miserable weather.

The aerial tour of the Great Bear Rainforest and a boat tour of Bella Bella Harbour for Prince William and Kate has been cancelled.

Winds are gusting, the water is choppy and it was pouring rain on B.C.'s central coast, an area well known for its wet weather.

William and Kate were greeted by a rousing cheer today when they arrived at the Wawiskas Community Hall, where they met community members and about two dozen hereditary chiefs who were part of the official welcoming party.

The royal couple are in the area to experience indigenous culture in the small First Nation community of Bella Bella and will officially pronounce the Great Bear Rainforest part of the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy.

The initiative was launched in 2015 to create a network of forest conservation programs involving all 53 countries in the Commonwealth.

As part of the network, regions can share ideas and innovations about forest conservation and receive global attention for their efforts.

Early this year, the province and the Coast First Nations including the Heiltsuk announced they would increase protection of the area, conserving 85 per cent of the forested areas from industrial logging.

Ahead of the visit, Heiltsuk First Nation Chief Marilyn Slett said in a statement: "We are greatly honoured to be in the world spotlight with this recognition of our work to protect our lands, waters and resources."



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