When Ivan and Madeline Morris of the Tsartlip First Nation created the Geronimo Canoe Club back in 1974, they wanted their children — four boys and two girls — to compete in traditional war canoe races on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
More than four decades later, their grandchildren continue to uphold that tradition, and their dedication has stood them well in a related sport — outrigger canoe racing.
In recent years, Geronimo team members have topped national outrigger competitions and won spots at international events — including this year’s World Distance Championships, in August at Mooloolaba, Australia, near Brisbane.
In honour of those achievements and their late grandparents, team members plan to paddle today from Tsartlip around the Saanich Peninsula to Victoria Harbour.
Bonnie Seward, whose husband, Joe, is a team member, said today’s paddle — which begins at the Tsartlip First Nation and concludes at Songhees Point near the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort — is designed to celebrate the club’s success and raise awareness about its upcoming trip to Australia.
“It’s really to promote the world distance championships that they’re going to be attending,” said Seward.
The paddlers will head out together in single outriggers from Tsartlip and take turns completing different legs of the journey before doing the final section together from Clover Point to Songhees Point. They expect to arrive at Songhees Point about 3:30 p.m.
Along the way, they’ll make stops at Mount Douglas Park, Cadboro-Gyro Park and Willows Beach, and will cap the day by attending an art gala at the Songhees Wellness Centre to raise money for their trip.
“We’re hoping that it will create awareness of the paddlers and what they do,” said Ashley Morris, whose husband, Len, and 16-year-old son Jasper will compete in Australia.
“We just want to make it well known to other communities and other people that this is a good, healthy way to live.”
The team members include George Horne, Len Morris Jr., Gus Morris and Joe Seward, all of whom won seats in Canada’s six-man canoe that will race in the open category at Mooloolaba.
Len Morris Jr. will also race a solo canoe as will his son, Jasper, who competes in the under-19 category.
Bonnie Seward said team members have been paddling “since they could walk, pretty much,” competing in war canoe races across the Pacific Northwest. They paddle traditional canoes in the summer months and switch to outriggers in the winter.
“They’re all focusing on training and competing and representing their community and their culture and honouring their grandparents at this event,” Seward said.
“It’s a way of life for them. They’ve grown up training and racing every weekend throughout the northwest coast. Paddling is their heart and their soul and they take a lot of pride in representing the Geronimo Canoe Club in honour of the grandparents and their parents.”
The community, in turn, takes a lot of pride in them, Seward said. When club members competed two years ago at the world championships in Tahiti, people gathered at the Tsartlip band office to watch video of the races.
“They were all cheering them on and sending videos to the team members,” she said. “It was really awesome to see.”
More information on the team can be found at geronimocanoeclub.com.
