Skip to content

Gumboot Nation: May Long Weekend festivities at the Legion and Creek reminiscences

Memories of the Creek characters of 60 years ago
roberts creek-COLUMN

Greetings Creekers ! 

By the time you read this, the May Long Weekend will be upon you. Some of you will retreat to the peace, quiet and privacy of your garden and others will be out and about soaking up the scene and sunshine and looking for action. For the former I suggest a long cool drink (elderlower cordial!), some tasty snacks and a good book. For the rest of you there will be lots to check out in Gibsons and Sechelt but if you prefer to stay closer to home, there are some things happening here. 

Tonight at the Legion there will be laughter and dancing as it’s Irish Pub night with the Shamrockers. Tomorrow night it’s the band “Modern Natives” who incorporate timely lyrics into their music, with a punk rock edge. For those in a more risqué frame of mind, on Saturday night Boudoir Rouge Burlesque celebrates their 10th anniversary with Sex Bomb 2023. There will be a show at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.) followed by a dance party with DJ Jason Whyte. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com. Most people are on their feet for this event but there are some limited seats. If you would like one of them, email diamondavestudio@gmail.com. 

If you are looking for something to do with the kids and all of your weekend guests, you can head to the Chapman Creek Hatchery on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a salmon release. Children can release buckets of fry into the creek and there will all kinds of activities including arts and crafts, an archery demo, a scavenger hunt and if you like to catch fish with flies, there will be a fly-tying demo by Sean Van Strepen a.k.a. “The Fish Whisperer.” Food will be available too and this is a free event. 

While on the subject of fish, have any of you noticed flocks of frenzied seagulls hovering over seals? Apparently, the herring are running and those flocks of seagulls and seals gather over herring balls to compete for dinner. Herring are mentioned in a lovely note I received from a long time Creek resident, James Blatchford. In the 1960s he used to deliver papers to Mr. Roberts, who would recite poetry to him. He enjoyed watching Hubert Evans catching herring in a canoe outfitted to spear them with a trailing rake device. He lived on Lower Road where Malcolm Creek empties into the ocean. I love the image this summons up for me of little beach houses, dirt roads and a much quieter time.  

If any of you are wondering who Mr. Roberts and Huberts Evans were, head to the library and check out a copy of Remembering Roberts Creek. I would like to encourage others who grew up or moved here in a different time to send me your stories. They serve as valuable glimpses into the past for those who lived it and for newcomers to the Creek. They would help make this column more than just a list of events.  

Meanwhile, on to a heads up for some upcoming events. At the Hall next Saturday, May 27, it’s an Old School Hip Hop Party featuring Hip Hop Mecanix and DMC DJ Champ All Good. Tickets are $25 at tickettailor.com, with all proceeds going to the Hall. Just to make it hard to choose, on the same night The Modelos will be coming to the Legion from Vancouver with their Cowboy Surf Rock. Advance tickets are available at a reduced price. 

This next event is one you might want to put on your calendar. On June 15, Vancouver Coastal Health will be giving a free Naloxone training session. We used to all learn CPR but sadly now this is an equally important skill. The session is free, open to all ages and you will leave with a take-home kit. 7 p.m. at the Hall.  

In the bigger picture of things, the time has come for the SCRD to start the process of updating their solid waste management plan. As our landfill ends its life, this is very important and this plan will map out how we manage garbage, recycling, yard and food waste for the next 10 years. Phase one of this process involves community feedback and you can fill out a short survey, which is followed by an opportunity to express your opinion and ideas, by going to let’stalk.scrd.ca/trash/survey-tools/waste-services-feedback-form.  

Stay cool, hydrated and have a good week.  

mounseyyvonne@gmail.com.