Interspiritual Gathering to Bless the Salmon as They Head to Sea

This annual event celebrates the cultural and spiritual significance of salmon to people from all walks of life, bringing together community members, local spiritual leaders, and members of the Squamish Nation. Organized by the False Creek Watershed Society, the celebration takes place in April on the beach by the Vancouver Maritime Museum, near the site of Snauq, a former Squamish village. Featuring traditional songs and dances performed by the Squamish Canoe Family, it ends with participants joining hands,

gathering by the water's edge, and dipping their hands in English Bay, which once teemed with salmon swimming to and from local streams. Although many of these watercourses have been paved over by urban development, the Interspiritual Gathering brings Vancouver's often-forgotten natural history to light, at least for one day.