Thursday 22 February 24

Today we explored further up the Sunshine Coast with a visit to Sechelt…

This area is of particular significance to the indigenous peoples who settled there many years ago…

On the approach to Sechelt were struck by both the individuality and grand style of many of the “everyday” properties…

It’s hardly a surprise that timber plays a big part in any construction in Canada, some traditional, some more functional…

We noticed too that, as in NZ, murals are used to enhance the environment…

Unfortunately, in one example, some mindless vandalization had taken place..

Why…?

We then took a stroll along the windy pier, where I was fortunate that a bold seagull let me get close enough to get a couple of good shots…

En route to getting a bite we couldn’t help but notice the pedestrian crossings…

…and how much totem poles are part of life in Canada, both as the “real thing” or as tourists’ memorabilia…

After a quick bite of lunch, accompanied by live music, we headed to Rockwood Lodge…

… where a first class job of the restoration had been recently completed…

Adjacent to this lodge was St. Hilda’s Anglican Church, with it’s own outdoor meditation area…

On our way to grab our next coffee we were drawn in, more out of curiosity, to the Brit Shop…taking note of another “joint” too😉🇨🇦

…and took up the invitation to pin where we were from…

The only thing Julie got there was some M&S tea whilst I resisted the temptation to add to my burgeoning T-shirt collection when I saw one with the Sex, Drugs & Sausage Rolls slogan across it…😉

Our coffee stop displayed some appealing local art….

…until I saw the price…

Our final stop of the day, which we all found incredibly moving, was a visit to the Tems Swiya Museum…

We were fortunate that a young man, a descendant of these peoples, was there to enlighten us further about their history and the horrendous news, recently revealed, about what had happened at their Church led, Catholic and Protestant, residential schools…

There was also one other particularly poignant exhibit on display…

…as well as a wee film telling the story of a young male orca that had died and what this matter meant to the indigenous peoples…

On matters less sad, Irvine then told us about his interest in maintaining one of the many crafts that his people practiced, in his case spinning his own wool then weaving it in traditional styles…