Long Canoes Paddle Through the Mouth of Little Shuswap Lake

August 1st, under the noon day sun, many stand on Pine Street bridge to cheer, wave, and hold up signs for the 5 local bands participating in this years journey. After a short rest stop at Chase Memorial Park, each canoe enters the mouth of Little Shuswap Lake, skirts the Village of Chase, and passes single file beneath the bridge —mid-canoe paddlers raised their paddles in salute to the crowd until the current pops each canoe back into the sunshine. Next stop, Prichard, BC.

Passage of Long Canoes Beneath Pine Street Bridge, Chase

Chase First Nation’s Liaison, Councillor David Lepsoe takes up a paddle, seated 2nd man in. Lepsoe’s discretionary fund helped the Village of Chase to host-feed the long canoe paddlers on their journey.

This is the “Pulling Together” regatta that began their journey through the Shuswaps at Enderby. The last stop is Kamloops where they are to participate in the Grand Entry at Kamloops Powwow.
The paddlers in the 20 canoes expect to journey a total of 110 kilometers.Below, photographs show each long canoe before reaching Pine Street bridge:

In conjunction with long canoes camp destination at Sqwlax Powwow grounds, Ted Anderson, a hoop dancer from Alberta, was commissioned to entertain that morning at Chase Memorial park. Together, Neskonlith Band and Councellor Steve Scott’s discretionary fund, on behalf of the Village of Chase, helped bring the dancer to the village. Councillor Scott, on crutches needed a ride, and so I heard about the dance to be performed.  -30-