Residents in the Smithers area will have their chance to celebrate 100 years of BC Parks this Saturday at Tyhee Lake Provincial Park.
BC Parks has enabled people to enjoy the spectacular province they live in since 1911, with the first park established on Vancouver Island. Strathcona Provincial Park marked not only the first provincial park in B.C., but in the western provinces, and since then has expanded to more than 340 campgrounds, 6,000 kilometres of hiking trails, 118 boat launches and 263 day-use areas.
To celebrate, BC Parks in partnership with the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society have planned a special event for the people of the valley to come out and enjoy.
On July 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. come on down to Tyhee Lake to enjoy a myriad of events at Arts in the Parks.
Entertainment includes the Gitsegukla Gidames Dances and the Bear Lake Pow Wow Dancers from Burns Lake, who will be showing the traditional dancing style of the prairies.
Mel Bazil will be bringing a traditional war canoe for people to enjoy. So far, they have two scheduled runs around Tyhee Lake in the morning and possibly two in the afternoon, depending on how busy things get.
Organizer Genevieve Poirier said there is also a dragon boat race in the making, however that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Fresh bannock will be provided on site, and Joanne Peter will be displaying traditional aboriginal teas and herbal medicines as well.
Artists will be there displaying their work on site as well. While not for sale, it’s a chance to see what beauty surrounds us in an artist’s interpretation, Poirier said.