It was a wonderful gathering for our annual Douglas Day Dinner to honour one of BC’s most important historical figures, Sir James Douglas. Among other things, he headed the HBC in BC, wore a separate hat as a colonial governor and guided BC through the chaotic gold rush era. He also declared the colony of British Columbia at Fort Langley in 1858. Douglas was of mixed race and married a Métis woman, Amelia Connolly, and six of their thirteen children survived to adulthood. We learned much about Métis trading and cultural history from Tom Long of the new Amelia Douglas Institute for Métis Culture and Language. Métis are distinct Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the sash Tom wears represents the mix of cultural backgrounds — woven by multi-coloured threads to form one whole. Learn more about the work of this organization HERE. Thanks to Glenn Disney for sharing these photos from the event.
Tom Long from the Amelia Douglas Institute for Métis Culture & Language
Valley Catering serves up another fine meal for LHS members
Our CNR Station volunteers. Thanks for all that you do!
Sharon and Fred catch up
Long time members and heritage enthusiasts
Organizer extraordinaire Dave Buckley
