You can help save the salmon, catch a ground-breaking play about an abandoned boy and hike or bike like a Crazy Ant along the New Pathway to Gold this September.
The Gold Rush/Spirit Trails corridor from Hope to Barkerville is popping with projects supported by the New Pathways to Gold Society (NPTGS). Powwows, plays, biking/ hiking and building even more amenities are all part of a busy landscape this month.
“We will definitely be seeing you in September,” said Cheryl Chapman, NPTGS First Nations Co-chair.
“The New Pathways to Gold Society is proud to sponsor events like the Save-the-Salmon powwow that promote a respectful sharing of our resources and are community-based and family-focused.”
Hosted by Xat’sūll Heritage Village at Soda Creek, the Save-the-Salmon powwow takes place September 9-11. A Lahal tournament, on-site camping, a Saturday night feast with MC Mike Retasket and much more will be on offer at this traditional celebration.
And this Labour Day the hot ticket in Canada’s Hot Spot is the debut of “The Boy Who Was Abandoned” on September 4 at Lytton’s River Festival. Based on an ancient N’lakap’amux creation story, the play was written by Kevin Loring after a series of community workshops.
The Governor General Award-winning playwright Loring says the play (the third in the “Songs of the Land” project) is an inspiring tale about how each of us has special gifts to offer our communities. The Songs of the Land Project is a joint initiative of Loring’s Savage Society Theatre Company and NPTGS. The performance is free of charge.
A little further up the corridor, the newly-opened Crazy Ant Trail at Xat’sull/Soda Creek will be ready for hikers and bikers who want to experience what’s already been recognized as a Cariboo recreational gem.
The 2.4 kilometre trail opened on August 17 is the first phase of the project funded jointly by NPTGS and the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT). NPTGS is contributing $60,000 towards the project while NDIT is providing matching funds. The second phase will add nearly four kilometers to the trail, creating local employment and expanding a new recreational/heritage asset in the Cariboo.
And all this fall, NPTGS will be helping to add new amenities along the Gold Rush/Spirit Trails corridor as a part of the Jobs Creation Partnership (JCP) Project. This $400,000 project is a partnership between government, First Nations and community organizations. Five participants are working on four separate phases of the initiative that will see upgrades to heritage/recreational sites and First Nations communities in the region.
“This is a great partnership between government, First Nations and community organizations that will give local people valuable skills while improving the heritage tourism infrastructure along the New Pathway to Gold,” said Terry Raymond, NPTGS Co-chair.
The JCP crew will be part of a special event at the Ice Caves on Highway 24 on September 13. They’ve been working on transforming the site on Bridge Lake into a unique, family friendly fitness/recreation/heritage site. The upgrade will create an outdoor recreational destination that will promote tourism, strengthen the Interlakes infra-structure and benefit local families and visitors alike.
NPTGS is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working with communities along the Gold Rush/Spirit Trails corridor. The Society is dedicated to heritage tourism, First Nations reconciliation and economic development. Please visit their website at www.newpathwaystogold.ca. NPTGS gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.