On Saturday, our country will come together to honour the survivors of residential schools and commemorate those who perished during one of the darkest periods of Canada’s history. Residents of Halfmoon Bay are invited to join the shíshálh Nation in Sechelt on Sept. 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. See page 23 for more details.
I’m reminded of the moving conversation I had with Ed Hill, a remarkable painter I met at the Landing Artists show at the Botanical Gardens this summer. After listening, with no small amount of shame (how could I not have known?!), to him recounting a canoe trip he took students on to Skardon Island (a tiny island on which 30 First Nations families were relegated), I purchased a small print of his “Get Over It” painting. The painting is a result of the many conversations he had “with people on the matter of reconciliation…” in which he too often heard the words “Why don’t they just get over it?” He is now “personally and intimately aware of the issues of Residential Schools, the Reserve system, and all the other bureaucratic and systemic abuses of the First Nations people over the years.” You can find out more on his website at edhillart.com/paintings/get-over-it-2/.
Kelly Foley, Sunshine Coast Housing Coordinator, and member of Cover the Coast – An Alliance for Affordable Housing, is getting the word out about housing, an important topic that demands our attention. “The Sunshine Coast has a critical need for housing that supports people in the workforce, young families, seniors, and people at risk of homelessness.” Kelly will be making a presentation at the Halfmoon Bay Community Association’s annual general meeting on Oct. 26. I spoke with her on the phone on Monday about the monumental undertaking of this initiative “that will build on the efforts of local housing providers, community organizations, local government, and private sector developers to provide safe, affordable, and appropriate housing that meets the diverse and changing needs of the southern Sunshine Coast.” She is hoping that her presentation will inspire Halfmoon Bay residents to provide support to the Cover the Coast initiatives. You can find information at www.coverthecoast.org or email Kelly at [email protected]. For information on the HBCA’s AGM, you can visit their website at www.halfmoon-bay.ca.
The Halfmoon Bay Branch of the Healthcare Auxiliary is holding its monthly meeting on Oct. 3, which is a week earlier than usual, at Coopers Green at 9:45 a.m. Guests and members are welcome.
The HBCA Pickleball season will get under way at the elementary school on Oct. 17, and will run every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. All player levels are welcome at a cost of $4/person (players must be HBCA members for insurance purposes). Email Tim Dayton at [email protected] to sign-up and for more information.
If you have a topic, a community event, or a story you would like to share, contact me at [email protected].
