Though not related to the current Dryden Creek wildfire, another fire has had an impact on local programming.
On June 4, the Cheakamus Centre Longhouse was damaged in an internal fire, leaving the roof damaged on the inside.
There were no injuries.
The centre, which is owned by the North Vancouver School District, hosts overnight field and cultural Indigenous education, to foster values such as community building and land stewardship for both children and adults.
It is based in Paradise Valley on 165 hectares of ecological reserve belonging to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
When fire broke out, students on the property were moved to the muster point and then into outdoor school cabins instead of the longhouse, where the program would have otherwise continued.
“At that time, there weren't any students in the [Longhouse],” Chloe Scott, communications manager at North Vancouver School District, told The Squamish Chief.
“They did have a student group attending programming [on site] from one of the North Vancouver school district elementary schools, and so all students were taken to the muster point and then moved over to the outdoor school cabins so their programming could continue, but not at the Longhouse site for sure.”
Currently, the fire’s cause is under investigation and remains unknown.
“There is a fire that burns in the middle of the Longhouse,” Scott said.
“We believe it was a spark that ignited, but we can't say for certain.”
Scott confirmed that the Centre’s Longhouse will remain closed for programming until the end of this month, and that school groups that were booked in for those specific programs are being accommodated elsewhere, such as the Cheakamus Environmental Learning Centre.
Regarding the evacuation itself, Scott said that everyone handled it with “utmost professionalism,” including the students.
“It was an experience for them, but everyone was in really good care.
There were a number of staff members who really stepped up to make sure that everything ran well, and that the disruption was kept at a minimum,” she said.
The Cheakamus Centre, which was established in 1969 and formerly known as the North Vancouver Outdoor School, has always been a place of learning for the Chʼiyáḵmesh people who have passed on their knowledge from the site.
Its programs include nature-based and outdoor activities aligned with the BC curriculum, alongside numerous retreats and workshops.
Folks can find more information or sign up for the centre's newsletter on its website.
Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief's Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) Reporter.
This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
