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Explore: Terry Fox run, longhouses at legislature, star parties

Join Canadians from communities across the country to walk, run, bike or blade at the annual Terry Fox Run on Sunday.
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Participants make their way along Dallas Road at the start of a Terry Fox Run.

Join Canadians from communities across the country to walk, run, bike or blade at the annual Terry Fox Run on Sunday.

Every year, more than 9,000 communities in Canada honour Terry Fox by taking part in events that raise awareness and money for cancer research.

Fox is not only well-known in Canada. His story has inspired millions of people in hundreds of cities around the world to participate in annual charity runs to raise funds and keep his dream alive.

You can register to participate, sponsor a participant who is attending or simply donate to the cause.

There are three runs in Greater Victoria on Sunday:

• Victoria at Mile Zero: Registration starts at 9 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. The Great Canadian Hair Do head-shaving fundraising event runs from 10:15 a.m. to noon. The warm-up begins at 10:20, with the run/walk from 10:30 a.m. to noon from the Terry Fox monument at Mile Zero, Beacon Hill Park (Douglas and Dallas Roads).

Registration area is on the grass (limited accessibility for people in wheelchairs, bikes and rollerblades).

Run one, two, five or 10 kilometres. Dogs on leash are welcome.

• Victoria Central Saanich: Registration is at 8 a.m. The run starts at 9 and ends at 11 a.m. Run a two-, five or 10-kilometre route. Routes suitable for bikes, strollers and dogs on a leash. Meet at the covered bandstand at Centennial Park, 7500-block of Wallace Drive, Saanichton.

• Western Communities: Registration at 9, run starts at 10 and concludes at 11 a.m. Includes one-, five- and 10-kilometre routes. Routes are suitable for bikes, wheelchairs and strollers. Event starts from the Lacrosse Box at Westshore Parks and Recreation, 1767 Island Hwy. For details, go to terryfox.org.

 

Cultural sharing brings longhouses to legislature lawn 

The unveiling of a historic Lekwungen village public-art installation on the lawn of the B.C. legislature is the highlight of the 10th anniversary of the One Wave Gathering on Saturday.

Four temporary longhouse structures will be raised on the legislature lawn, featuring youth designs in the styles of Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and South Pacific peoples.

The family-friendly event is hosted by Victoria-based Pacific People Partnership, a non-profit social-justice organization devoted to working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples throughout the South Pacific.

The event will include interactive displays, educational activities and cultural sharing with Indigenous leaders and artists inside the longhouses.

Enjoy music and dance presentations by performers from as far away as Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia in the South Pacific, and admire works by Indigenous artists Hjalmer Wenstob, Karen Whetung, Eddi Wilson, Nahaan and Lindsay Delaronde, Victoria’s Indigenous Artist in Residence.

Join in the fun with an interactive weaving activity and a public game of Slahal (also known as stickgame or bonegame).
Be part of the Human Loom weaving activity by bringing a piece of fabric that has meaning for you and weaving it into a collaborative art project.

Admission is free to the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on the lawn of the legislature at 501 Belleville St. The celebration is hosted on Lekwungen territory with permission of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. For details, go to pacificpeoples partnership.org/onewave.

The One Wave Gathering is intended to foster an ongoing conversation about climate change, environmental sustainability, as well as food and water security.


40 attractions for free a city-wide celebration

Enjoy free admission and other perks at 40 attractions throughout the region during Victoria Foundation Community Day, at various venues in Greater Victoria on Saturday.

The idea behind the city-wide celebration comes from the foundation’s annual Vital Signs survey, which found that feeling like an accepted, engaged part of a community is key to well-being.

“We know from Vital Signs just how important feeling a part of a community is to a person’s well-being and sense of belonging,” said CEO Sandra Richardson.

“That’s why we’ve created this opportunity for people to really get out and explore their own region without any barriers. We want everyone to have the chance to see the sights, meet their neighbours, learn a thing or two and, most of all, have fun.”

There are more locations to visit this year, from museums to galleries, gardens, parks, churches, non-profits, sport facilities and more, many of which are registered charities. Each will offer experiences, activities and knowledge at no cost.

Participating attractions include the Robert Bateman Centre, Boulders Climbing Gym, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Abkhazi Gardens, Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, Sooke Potholes Provincial Park, British Columbia Aviation Museum and CARSA Peninsula Co-op Climbing Centre and Outdoor Fields.

Established in 1936, the Victoria Foundation is Canada’s second oldest community foundation.

Admission to the various attractions is free on Saturday. For a list of participants and an interactive map of locations, go to victoriafoundation.ca.

 

Agrarian roots, plus rides equal Luxton fair fun

The Western Communities celebrates its agrarian history with the 108-year-old Luxton Fall Fair, Friday to Sunday at the Luxton Fairgrounds.

The fair showcases local agriculture, blacksmithing, antique farm equipment and an assortment of midway rides and games.

Farm tractors and other antique farm equipment will be on display on the grounds, with heritage displays of Metchosin and Luxton history on view in Middleton Hall.

Two popular events return: a working steam tractor in action and blacksmiths pounding raw metal into works of art, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Shop for handicrafts at vendor booths on site or watch a Sand Drags show, featuring cars, motorcycles and ATVs, beginning at noon Saturday and Sunday.

There will be midway rides and games to keep all members of the family happy.

Admission to the grounds is by donation Friday, free on Saturday and Sunday. The fair runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday for Special Needs Day, with general admission 3 to 7 p.m. Friday.

The fair opens 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The midway is open 3 p.m. until late (no set time) Friday, 1 p.m. until late Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sunday. For details, go to luxtonfair.ca.

 

Harvest threshing highlighted

Watch a display of grain threshing with steam engines at the Harvest Fall Threshing at Heritage Acres in Saanichton on Saturday and Sunday.

The demonstration, hosted by the Saanich Historical Artifacts Society, has been a part of fall every year since 1974.

Along with threshing, the family-friendly event also features a tractor parade, a steam-engine-pulled hayride and blacksmithing demonstrations. Take a train ride around the property on the ever-popular miniature railroad (by donation), or chow down on hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, pop and chips.

Take a peek in the Pioneer Log Cabin and Heritage Acres Museum while you are there.

The event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Heritage Acres, 7321 Lochside Dr. (access is via Island View Road). Admission is $8 for two adults or $20 for a carload (cash only). Children 12 and under admitted free. See heritageacresbc.ca

 

Sky’s the limit at star parties

Sign up to stargaze at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory during the last two Summer Star Parties of the season, this Saturday and next.

The series is hosted by the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and the Victoria branch of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

The star parties feature guest speakers and an opportunity to observe solar and night events with telescopes provided by society volunteers.

Visitors can learn about the facility’s historic Plaskett telescope or take an expert-led tour of the night sky, using only the naked eye. The series is supported by the National Research Council of Canada.

Admission is free, but limited to 250, so tickets are required. The event runs from 8 to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sept. 23, rain or shine, at the observatory, 5071 West Saanich Rd. Go to summerstarparties.eventbrite.ca to register. For more information, go to observatoryhill.org.