Some historical sites in Squamish go back almost 7,000 years, and 1990 Howe Sound Secondary School (HSSS) grad Dr. Rudy Reimer is at the forefront of those explorations.
The indigenous archaeologist presented some of his findings at the Squamish Culture and Heritage Festival at Quest University on Saturday (May 3).
“I’m sort of a time traveller,” Reimer joked, while making a Dr. Who reference. “This region has a fascinating history.”
Reimer explained that the Squamish Nation territory spanned almost 7,000 square kilometres and housed 23 traditional villages. There was a lot of seasonal movement within the villages, with many groups congregating in coastal areas in the summer.
The former Squamish resident has his MA from SFU and primarily works out of the Burnaby campus. He also defended his PhD at McMaster University in 2012.
Reimer was just one of the many speakers who took part in the festival, with topics ranging from everything to the history of mountain biking in Squamish to a look at the Sikh community’s contributions to Squamish.
Event organizer Bianca Peters from the Squamish Historical Society (SHS) said the festival was a success.
“It was an amazing couple of days,” she told The Chief in an email. “The calibre of speakers and entertainment blew me away and the location and facilities of Quest University are world class. The kids’ research projects and their perspectives of what they learned about the history of our community was heartwarming.”
In addition to the eight speakers, two historical films were shown and two workshops were available on Saturday. Friday saw the Executive Suites host four different speakers.
Peters said her personal highlight was seeing the passion of the local students in the projects they developed for the event.
“That is who this festival is really for in my mind, the students,” she said. “I loved seeing nearly 200 kids at the Quest campus running around in their festival shirts.”
Peters also praised the many talented entertainers including Cam Salay and the Sea to Sky Singers, who rocked the main stage.
The next big event for the SHS is the official opening of the Squamish Museum on Saturday (May 10). Located inside the Wilkie Station Building at the West Coast Heritage Railway Park, the display showcases what life was like in Squamish before the highway. Everyone is invited to attend the event from noon to 2 p.m. and there will be free hot dogs.
For more information on the SHS, visit www.squamishhistory.ca.
