Archive For The “ceremony” Category
Members of the Haisla Nation and people of Kitimat braved an Environment Canada storm warning with heavy rain and wind on September 30, 2021 to mark The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Haisla elder Marilyn Furlan opened the proceedings with a prayer. (Robin Rowland)
Most participants wore orange to mark the other name, Orange Shirt Day. It marks the time an indigenous girl had an orange shirt taken away in a residential school. (Robin Rowland)
Marking Truth and Reconciliation in a rain storm. (Robin Rowland)
Sunny Stewart-Pollard helped organize the reconciliation event hosted by volunteers from the Haisla Nation and members of the Kitimat community. (Robin Rowland)
Barb Campbell watches the event. (Robin Rowland)
The tables with decorations and gifts represent all the holidays that children in residential schools missed. (Robin Rowland)
A boy waves a Truth and Reconciliation flag. (Robin Rowland)
Watching in the rain. Kitimat Counsellor Terry Marleau (second from right) and Mayor Phil Germuth (far right) (Robin Rowland)
Shelley Irene Bolton drums as she leads the Haisla Braid drummers and dancers. (Robin Rowland)
The sun did come out briefly for the Haisla Braid dancers and drummers. (Robin Rowland)
Three flocks of geese flew over the ceremony, the first and largest flock are snow geese, followed by a small group of Canada geese and then more snow geese.(Robin Rowland)
Geese fly over the ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Musician and artist Arthur Renwick closed off the event with his own songs. (Robin Rowland)
Kitimat had a spectacular display of fireworks Monday night, March 18, 2019 to mark the opening of the Junior All Native Basketball tournament, hosted by the Haisla Nation.
After the friendship pole was raised in Kitimat, the Haisla Nation hosted a feast for both communities at Kitimat’s Riverlodge Recreation Centre.
The headtable, from left to right members of the District of Kitimat Council and the Haisla Nation Council, Kitimat officials and the Haisla hereditary chiefs. (Robin Rowland)
Carver Gary Wilson was the host and master of ceremonies for the feast (Robin Rowland)
Hereditary chief Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi) addresses the feast. (Robin Rowland)
Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) addresses the feast. (Robin Rowland)
A chief addresses the feast. (Robin Rowland)
A man addresses the feast on behalf of his clan. (Robin Rowland)
Spirit of Kitlope dancers (Robin Rowland)
Spirit of Kitlope Dancers (Robin Rowland)
Spirit of Kitlope Dancers (Robin Rowland)
Spirit of Kitlope Dancers (Robin Rowland)
On May 4, the Haisla Nation and the District of Kitimat raised a totem pole to mark the growing friendship between “township” and Kitamaat Village. Planning for the pole began a couple of years ago when the Haisla Nation and the people of the Kitimat township held a reconciliation forum at Riverlodge. The pole was carved over the past year under the supervision of carver Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o). Funding for the project came from the Canada 150 fund, the District of Kitimat and the Haisla Nation.
Before the ceremony
Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders gather for the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Skeena Bulkley NDP MP Nathan Cullen speaks to Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders before the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Eagle chief Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) speaks to carver and master of ceremonies Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o) and Kitimat mayor Phil Germuth before the ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Aiden Robinson speaking to her Ma’ma’o (grandmother) Rose Robinson, Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi) amd Basil Grant (He’mas Legaix) (Robin Rowland)
Unveiling and blessing the friendship pole
Carver Gary Wilson unveils the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)
Sammy Robinson begins to bless the new pole, along with Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o), Allan Williams (He’mas Wakas), Verlie Nelson (C’esi’s spokesperson) Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) as Harvey Grant, MP Nathan Cullen and Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth watch. (Robin Rowland)
Cedar boughs are used to cleanse the totem pole. (Robin Rowland)
Sammy Robinson He’mas C’esi and Verlie Nelson prepare the eagle down to cleanse and bless the pole. (Robin Rowland)
Cleansing and blessing the pole. (Robin Rowland)
At the pole blessing, Harvey Grant (He’mas Wiiseks), Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi), Nathan Cullen, Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid), Phil Germuth and Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas). (Robin Rowland)
Raising the pole
Hereditary chiefs and construction workers prepare to raise the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)
The construction workers prepare to secure the pole. (Robin Rowland)
Simon Hall (Hai’mac Gax) helps put the totem pole in place. (Robin Rowland)
Carver Gary Wilson explains the meaning of the pole. At the bottom is the snowflake, the District of Kitimat’s official symbol. The face in the middle represents the people of Kitimat with four multi-ethnic faces above it. At the top of the pole are representations of the clans of the Haisla Nation, with the eagle, the beaver in the middle, (Robin Rowland)
Dancing
Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas) speaks to Gary Wilson speaks as the dancing begins. (Robin Rowland)
Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid) leads the Eagle Clan dance after the pole was secured. (Robin Rowland)
People join in the dancing. (Robin Rowland)
Children from the Haisla Community School participate with drumming and dancing. (Robin Rowland)
A near blizzard did not stop the people of Kitimat turning out for the Remembrance Day service on November 11, 2017.
Building a snowman before the Remembrance Day service (Robin Rowland)
Laura Mckenzie and Linda Lewis checking the wreaths prior to the service (Robin Rowland)
An RCMP officer leads the colour party (Robin Rowland)
The colour party (Robin Rowland)
The RCMP march to the cenotaph. (Robin Rowland)
The invocation, left to right, Dwight Magee, Royal Canadian Legion, Rev. Dr. Dona Lethbridge, Legion chaplain, Marg Bogaert, Royal Canadian Legion. (Robin Rowland)
Cubs and scouts at the Remembrance Day service (Robin Rowland)
Lucy Beatty of the Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary lowers the flag during the two minutes of silence (Robin Rowland)
A moment of silence. (Robin Rowland)
Veteran Jason Parrill lays a wreath on behalf of Canada. (Robin Rowland)
Anne Berrisford lays a memorial wreath for Captain (Chaplain) D. Schmidt. (Robin Rowland)
A cub lays a wreath. (Robin Rowland)
Mayor Phil Germuth lays a wreath. (Robin Rowland)
The wreaths (Robin Rowland)
A Mountie salutes during the playing of O Canada. (Robin Rowland)
A new plaque at the Kitimat cenotaph commemorates service in Afghanistan, see on Remembrance Day, November 11, 2015. (Robin Rowland)
A member of the Royal Canadian Legion distributes poppies and programs before the Remembrance Day Service. (Robin Rowland)
Before the “Guardians of Remembrance” service, someone left three red roses on the cenotaph. (Robin Rowland)
A small boy wears an RCMP uniform at the service. (Robin Rowland)
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police lead the parade to the cenotaph. (Robin Rowland)
Army Cadets and Girl Guides were also part of the parade. (Robin Rowland)
Bugler Derrick Stoigny sounds the Last Post, as Marg Bogaert of the Legion salutes and Mayor Phil Germuth bows his head. (Robin Rowland)
Across the country on its one hundredth anniversary, John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields was recited or sung. In Kitimat it was the Sine Nomine choir. (Robin Rowland)
One of the singers from Sine Nomine. (Robin Rowland)
A former peacekeeper lays the wreath on behalf of the Canadian Forces. (Robin Rowland)
Mayor Phil Germuth prepares to lay a wreath on behalf of the District of Kitimat. (Robin Rowland)
The Winterhawks hockey team witnessed the 2015 Remembrance Day service. (Robin Rowland)
Marg Bogaert salutes during the playing of “God Save the Queen,” as the 2015 Remembrance Service comes to an end. (Robin Rowland)
A bouquet of carnations with two maple leaf flags honouring Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was left on the Kitimat Cenotaph prior to Tuesday’s Remembrance Day ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
In Kitimat, as happened across the country on November 11. 2014, there was a larger turnout than usual at the Remembrance Day service, as people reflected on the recent events, the deaths of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, as well as the fact that Canadian Forces are in action against the Islamic State in Iraq.
A veteran waits quietly for the ceremony to begin. (Robin Rowland)
As in previous years, the fly past over the cenotaph came from the wild, migrating geese.
A cub leader and her troop were part of the parade to the cenotaph. (Robin Rowland)
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Girl Guides at the cenotaph with Canadian Rangers and Army cadets in the rear ranks. (Robin Rowland)
Generations of Girl Guides at the cenotaph in Kitimat (Robin Rowland)
The Guard of Honour–a Canadian Ranger. (Robin Rowland)
The Guard of Honour–an army cadet. (Robin Rowland)
The Guard of Honour–a Mountie (Robin Rowland)
Members of the Royal Canadian Legion lowered flags during the two minutes of silence. (Robin Rowland)
One of the veterans at the Remembrance Day ceremony (Robin Rowland)
The spectators at the Remembrance Day Ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
RCMP Corporal Chris Manseau lays a wreath as the Royal Canadian Legion’s wreath party watch. (Robin Rowland)
A new tradition…
For the past several years, there’s been a tradition that began at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, people leave their poppies at the cenotaph. Here in Kitimat, people are now pinning their poppies to the wreathes that were laid at the cenotaph a few minutes earlier. (Robin Rowland)