Over 300 people are expected to paddle their way to Willingdon Beach as part of a small scale tribal canoe journey event.
Canoe families, which can include up to 40 people, are expected from communities on Vancouver Island and the South Coast, including Victoria, Duncan, Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Vancouver and Sechelt, said event organizer Calvin Harry.
Harry said the festivities will get underway at noon on Friday, July 17, and run to the afternoon of Sunday, July 19.
It will be the lead up to a much larger gathering to be held in 2017 when over 100 canoes are expected to arrive on Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation territory, he added.
Harry said that each of the families will take different routes but are aiming to meet at Powell River. “They will all be on their own with their own courses,” he said. The teams of paddlers will be accompanied by support vessels which will help carry equipment, provide increased safety and allow more people to have an experience in the journey, he said.
Along the journey the canoes will stop in various communities to be welcomed and spend the night as they journey toward Powell River, Harry said.
The organizers are planning to have all the canoes converge off Willingdon Beach during high tide, the time when they will have the welcoming protocol.
Cyndi Pallen, master of ceremonies for the event, will bring in each of the canoes one at a time.
“The canoe chief will stand up and ask if they can come into our territory,” Harry said adding that he hopes the chief councillors from Tla’amin, Klahoose and Homalco first nations will be there to welcome the paddlers. Then the canoes will be carried up the beach one at a time. Once all the canoes have been welcomed, Harry said that they are planning to have a small parade to commemorate the theme of the event which is honouring our youth, he added.
“They are the next generation who are coming up to run our communities,” he said, adding that he hopes cultural events like these stay with them through their lives.
The gathering is open to all who are interested and has received support from the City of Powell River to use the park over the weekend. Harry is inviting everyone to gather at Willingdon Beach to participate and watch.
“Come down to listen to a lot of different styles of singing and dancing,” he said.
Harry said organizers are looking for about 100 volunteers to help provide security, staff the tribal canoe booths and provide visitor information.
Readers interested in more information can contact Harry at 1.604.761.1106 or by email at [email protected].
