It’s that time of year again, when thousands of bald eagles flock to
the shores of the Squamish River to feed on dead chum salmon.
Visitors from all over the world come to witness this spectacle in
Brackendale during December and January. And the 21
st
annual
Brackendale Winter Eagle Festival and Count begins Sunday, Jan. 7 and runs
through the end of the month.
The festival includes a myriad of activities such as presentations,
art shows and live concerts.
The Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG) is headquarters for the Jan. 7
eagle count, where the public can sign up for walking tours starting at 10 a.m.
and browse displays throughout the day at the local gallery and teahouse.
In addition to hosting the count, live shows, local art showings and
the best salmon chowder north of Vancouver, gallery owner Thor Froslev also
introduces a new eagle aid station to the building where injured or starving
eagles can be cared for before being sent to more established rehabilitation
centres in Nanaimo and the Lower Mainland.
The centre is run out of the goodness of Froslev’s heart, with
veterinarians volunteering their time.
More than 8,000 visitors travel to Brackendale to witness the eagle
count and festival. The world record in 1994 wielded a count of 3,769 eagles in
one day.
Eagle viewing isn’t the only activity going on.
BAG also hosts a slide-show presentation by mountaineer Richard
Berry, who will share photos of the Alberta Rocky Mountain landscape Saturday,
Jan. 6 at 8 p.m.
Eagle walking tours are offered daily starting at noon for $35
(lunch included).
The gallery hosts an Eagle Art Show for January. The exhibit
showcases the talents of west coast artists Roy Hamaguchi, Ken Lubas, Norman
Rich and Floyd Joseph, just to name a few.
West Coast musicians also come together for Jam and Dance on
Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. with Shannon Saunders and the Splinters, Cam Salay,
members of the Mountain Bluebirds, and Monte and Jen Thompson taking to the
stage. Tickets are $15.
For more information, call 604-898-333 or visit
www.brackendaleartgallery.com.
Call to artists
The Bands Against Hunger society is hosting a logo competition,
inviting artists to submit a visual representation depicting what the
non-profit organization is all about.
“It’s a part of our community building,” said Kostas Lymbertos,
Bands Against Hunger founder.
The logo should incorporate the three pillars of the charity
collective: love, community and music.
The winning logo will be used on organization letterhead, a website
and event posters. The deadline for entries is Jan. 15.
The Bands Against Hunger Society, created in Whistler by local
musicians and music lovers, brings together people who are looking to make a
difference in the world. Together, through artistic collaboration, the
organization creates events that raise funds and awareness for humanitarian
issues both locally and globally.
Logos can either be sent in a jpeg format to
bandsagainsthunger@hotmail.com
or by hardcopy
to Bands Against Hunger, PO Box 1384, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B0. Submissions must
be post marked by Jan. 15. The winning logo will be announced Feb. 1.
Weathered slide show
Get to the heart of the sports action photography storm with a new
competition challenging North America’s top action photographers to capture the
awesome winter weather January reaps.
The Deep Winter Photo Challenge will come to a head with competitors
showcasing their work at a public presentation Saturday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at MY
Millennium Place.
Five photographers will team up with athletes of their choosing and
spend three days inbounds shooting on Whistler and Blackcomb between Jan. 3 and
6.
The five competitors include Whistler ski photography legend Paul
Morrison; Future Snowboarding Magazine photo editor and long-time Whistler
snowboard photographer Dano Pendygrasse; Snowboarder Magazine’s senior
photographer Oli Gagnon; contributing photographer to Transworld Snowboarding
and Snowboard Canada Dice-K Maru; and 2005’s Powder Magazine Photo of the Year
winner Bryn Hughes.
The five will compete for $3,250 in prize money and the title, King
of Storms.
Tickets for the show, presented by Whistler-Blackcomb and Arc’teryx, are $10, which includes the slide show and after party.
