Squamish officials want you to party like it's 1914.
On Thursday (Jan. 23), District of Squamish officials unveiled the 100 Years of Squamish history tool kit. A team made up of various local event organizers pooled together to incorporate the centennial celebration into Squamish's 2014 events calendar. The initiative has been met with enthusiasm, municipal spokesperson Christina Moore said, noting the goal is to unify marketing messaging.
What we tried to do is make it as easy as possible to participate, she said.
The website www.squamish2014.ca offers event organizers the opportunity to include their activity on a district-wide events calendar. It also gives users a rundown of Squamish's history, as well as logos and historical photographs that people can incorporate into their occasion's material.
We are hoping to be able to weave our 100 years theme through all of the events, Moore said.
This year's Test of Metal mountain bike race and the Squamish Triathlon are already on board. The two events can help drive traffic to one another and focus on Squamish's naming centennial, triathlon organizer John French said.
The Squamish Historical Society's 2014 Squamish Culture and Heritage Festival will be the anchor of the birthday celebrations. On May 2 and 3, Quest University will become a hive of activity. Squamish students in Grades 5, 6 and 7 will display history-themed poster boards they pieced together over a two-month period, while also viewing detailed exhibits and participating in hands-on activities.
The following day, the event is open to the public. People can check out the students' work and take in presentations from a number of speakers on topics pertinent to Squamish's history. The event received $12,500 in a federal grant money to boost its activities.
This year we are going to have about 600 kids, said Bianca Peters, the historical society's president and festival organizer.
