More than 100 families from Indigenous nations across B.C., and as far away as Alaska and California, will unite in Campbell River this summer for the biannual Tribal Canoe Journeys festival.
The aim of the ceremonial event is to strengthen relationships among the peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast while demonstrating to youth the importance of maintaining a lifelong connection to their heritage.
The event involves five days of celebrations, feasts and performances, starting Aug. 5.
Families will arrive aboard majestic, hand-carved canoes — many of which are crafted from a single log.
The canoe arrival is visually stunning. Thousands of spectators are expected to follow the canoes as they journey to their final destination in Campbell River. At each stop along the way, more families will join the journey.
The nations hail from as far south as California and as far north as Alaska.
Tribal Journeys was introduced nearly 30 years ago as a reminder to Indigenous families to continue to practise traditional beliefs and customs and retrace the journeys of their ancestors.
The families’ arrival via canoe is symbolic, as canoes and water have traditionally played a key role in daily life — and still do today.
Tribal Journeys events are highly culturally significant, with songs that reflect the diversity of regional languages, traditional dress that identifies each nation and feasts that incorporate ingredients from the land.
Throughout the five days of celebration, elders encourage Indigenous youth to uphold a lifelong connection to their heritage, and to build relationships with other nations.
This year’s events will be hosted by the We Wai Kai and We Wai Kum nations.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend and witness the ceremonies. Tribal Journeys staff members will be on hand to explain cultural protocol and answer questions.
The event runs Aug. 5 to 10 in the Campbell River Big House. The canoes are due to land starting at noon, Aug. 5 at the Campbell River Spit at Dick Murphy Park, 3200 Spit Rd. There is a limited shuttle for elders and veterans from in front of the former Target store at Discovery Mall, 1416 Island Highway. Parking is at the mall or all city lots.
A community feast will be held at 6 p.m. at Thunderbird Hall following the landing, with the official opening event held at the Campbell River Big House immediately after. Please leave pets at home. There might be occasions throughout the event when photography is prohibited.
For more information, go to tribaljourneys2017.com or aboriginalbc.com. They are also on Facebook.
North Saanich creating aircraft-themed play park
The District of North Saanich is using crowdfunding to raise money for a children’s playground.
The aircraft-themed playground will be located in Jubilee Park, a new park on the north side of Victoria International Airport.
It will be developed in four phases and, once completed, will include a children’s play area, shelters, picnic tables, forest restoration and a giant climbable aircraft play structure.
“Public spaces are for the people to enjoy, and we want to create opportunities to work with our community to make great public spaces come to life,” said Mayor Alice Finall. “We saw this crowdfunding platform as a way to do that.”
The budget for the first two phases of the project is $200,000 and has been funded through a Canada 150 grant of $60,100 with a matching contribution from the District of North Saanich.
Contributions by the business community include Viking Air ($25,000), Vancouver Island Helicopter Aviation ($6,000), Victoria Airport Authority ($5,000), Coast Capital Credit Union ($2,500) and Seaspan Ferries ($500).
The project has a funding shortfall of $44,000, and the district hopes that this can be raised using the Wayblaze crowdfunding website.
“Organizations around the world are using crowdfunding to raise funds for all kinds of community-based projects,” said Rob Barrs, co-founder and director of planning at Wayblaze. “Studies show that the greater community involvement in a public project, the greater likelihood of the project succeeding and being supported for the long-term.”
For more information, go to northsaanich.ca.
Walk for Peace Sunday at Beacon Hill Park
Take a gentler path in the world and join Gordy Dodd in a Walk for Peace on Sunday at Beacon Hill Park.
The annual event, in its eighth year, is organized by Dodd, a philanthropist and owner of Dodd’s Furniture. It is supported by the India Canada Cultural Association, the Sikh Temple and the Hindu Temple, among others.
The event is inspired by peace crusaders throughout history, such as Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Mahatma Gandhi, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.
Ji, the founder of Sikhism, walked thousands of kilometres in Burma, Iraq and India, advocating peace to everyone he met along the way.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Victoria Hospice.
Participants are asked to meet at 9 a.m. at the Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park. The introduction is at 10, with the walk starting at 11 and ending with a free lunch at noon.
For information, or to register, email gs.dodd@hotmail.com or call 250-360-6662.
Art sales will aid wildlife organization
An artist, gardener and cat-lover living in Saanichton has decided to auction off her massive art collection to benefit a wildlife rehabilitation and education organization in Nova Scotia.
Anne Freidank, originally from Munich, Germany, plans to sell off her entire collection of artwork and donate the proceeds to Hope for Wildlife, a charitable organization in Seaforth, Nova Scotia.
Everything will be sold at up to 40 per cent under gallery prices. Items include reverse glass paintings, oils and acrylics — of whimsical cats and more.
The sale runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from Thursday to July 25 at Anne’s Cat Gallery, 1870 Doney Rd., Saanichton. The event is on Facebook. Preview by appointment, 250-652-0401.
For more information, go to hopeforwildlife.net.
Cyclists give back to Island hospices
The fifth annual Cycle of Life Tour takes place July 22 and 23 in support of eight hospices on Vancouver Island, including the Victoria Hospice Society.
The nearly 200-kilometre fundraising ride will take 80 riders across the Saanich Inlet, Cowichan Valley and Salt Spring Island.
Many riders return year after year to raise funds and awareness for quality palliative care across Vancouver Island.
New to the ride this year is cyclist Stephen Mohan, who sought grief counselling from the Cowichan Valley Hospice Society following the death of his 15-year-old son.
“Grief can be quite the emotional rollercoaster,” Mohan said. “Last year, I fell apart in a bad way. I was directed to the hospice and have benefited so much from their support.”
Mohan’s mother also received end-of-life care at Oceanside Hospice, in Qualicum Beach last winter.
The ride is presented by Think Communications.
Since 2011, the Cycle of Life Tour has raised more than $360,000 for end-of-life care. To learn more about the hospices supported by this event, go to cycleoflifetour.ca.
Campaign halfway to buying Mayne Island site
Over the past seven months, the Mayne Island Conservancy and American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts have successfully raised more than $2 million in pledges and donations to save St. John Point on Mayne Island.
The milestone allows them to enter an exclusive agreement to purchase the property for $4.3 million.
The group has been working on a campaign to buy the 26-hectare property with over two kilometres of undeveloped shoreline, including two beaches, in the coastal Douglas fir ecosystem.
It is one of only seven remaining undeveloped, privately owned properties in the Southern Gulf Islands that are larger than 20 hectares and have more than 1.6 km of ocean frontage.
The group has four months to raise the remaining $2.3 million.
For more information, or to donate, go to sjp.conservancyonmayne.com.
Grandmothers pass milestone for Africa
Victoria Grandmothers for Africa marked a milestone recently when they reached the $1-million mark in donations.
Across Canada, grandmothers in more than 250 similar groups have collectively raised more than $25 million for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign, which helps children in Africa who are orphaned.
These children benefit tremendously from programs run through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
For the past 10 years, the Victoria Grandmothers for Africa have organized a 275-kilometre cycle tour to raise funds.
Less well-known is a 50-km ride that started two years ago for those who might be intimidated by the longer distance.
This ride has attracted beginner riders. The shorter ride starts and ends on Sept. 10 — finishing about the same time as the longer group, on the grounds of the legislative assembly about 3 p.m.
For more information, or to register for either ride, go to victoriagrandmothersforafrica.ca.
Prospect Lake fundraiser a success
The inaugural Art in the Vineyard event was a runaway success, raising almost $8,000 for improvement of the grounds around the heritage Prospect Lake Hall.
Hosted by the Prospect Lake District Community Association, the event last week saw about 1,200 people snap up more than 1,000 pieces of previously enjoyed art and collectibles.
After checking out the art, visitors strolled among 40 artist and artisan booths scattered in the gardens or had a cuppa in the vintage tea room.
The event took place among the historic farm buildings and English-country gardens of Starling Lane Vineyard, a Saanich designated heritage property on Old West Saanich Road.
The Prospect Lake Hall is one of the few remaining community-owned and managed halls in B.C. and is used for programs, meetings and community events.
For more information, go to pldca.ca.
Dancers will swirl above Saxe Point
Get ready for Soaring With the Eagles at Saxe Point Park, featuring four awe-inspiring dancers, perching and swirling amid the park’s venerable Douglas Fir trees.
The event is hosted by the Township Community Arts Council and put on by the Aeriosa dance company.
Unlike most dance companies, which perform on stage, Aeriosa dances on earth and in the air. They use the realm of suspension to combine art, environment and adventure, creating dances both in nature and on stage.
At the event, they bring the magic of vertical dance to the tree tops of Saxe Point Park, with three 20-minute performances. If the timing is right, the final dance should take place with the sunset as a backdrop.
The cast includes Victoria native Alia Saurini, who is home on a break from her regular job as an aerialist with the Cirque du Soleil show Kà, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The performances are free. They start at 6:30 p.m. July 28 and 29 at Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt. Bring your chair, picnic and friends to enjoy this unique and fascinating art form.
The Township Community Arts Council recognizes the Township of Esquimalt, the B.C. Arts Council and Aragon Properties for their support.
For more information, go to townshiparts.org.
