Three-year-old Cameron Stevens hopped down the plush red carpet at Government House and into the ballroom where pizza, miniburgers and breaded prawns were waiting.
On his first Family Day in B.C., Cameron and his mother, Kari, accepted an invitation from Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon to attend a reception for the families of the crew of HMCS Regina.
Little girls in patent shoes and shiny dresses ran through the ballroom, lining up to have their faces painted, to make a crown and see a puppet show.
“We’re missing our darling Ryan,” Kari said of her husband, Leading Seaman Ryan Lourenco. “It’s different. We are from Halifax so we have no family here. All our family is on the Regina right now. We got to Skype today. So we did have the whole family together.”
As she greeted her guests, Guichon observed that for many people, Family Day is a day of mixed feelings.
“For you folks, your loved ones have been gone now for more than 30 days, and although you miss them every day, a day like today is even more poignant,” said Guichon.
“During our normal routines with work, school, homework and chores, the time passes by more quickly. But these special days, holidays, birthdays, sunny days, cloudy days, those are the times that we long to share, that is when their absence is most painful.”
Guichon told the crowd she understood, because she spends quite a bit of time separated from her family, too.
Family Day is a time to learn to lean on friends and extended families and pull together to make the time speed by, she said.
“I don’t think there is anything more important that we can do to help our loved ones who are away serving than to send them happy news of the great things that we are all doing during their absence.”
With 250 on board, HMCS Regina left Esquimalt on Jan. 7 to join Operation Artemis in the Arabian Sea, counterterrorism work to help keep international waters open for trade.
After Guichon’s brief remarks, the families were asked to stand in the centre of the ballroom and be videotaped singing O Canada. They also were encouraged to yell out personal messages to their families.
“Love you. Love you. Love you,” people said, waving and blowing kisses.
The video will be shown aboard HMCS Regina.
Earlier in the day, noisy, happy families packed the Royal B.C. Museum. Admission was free. People explored the natural history gallery and crowded into the special exhibit Wildlife Photographer of the Year, which showcases 100 new photographs from the Natural History Museum in London.
Our Place, which provides a home to Greater Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens, was also busy with celebrations. Members of the Our Place family played ring toss and darts. And 500 sat down together for a Family Day lunch.
