Friday, October 13, 2023

City of Prince Rupert to provide grant towards Totem Raising Feast event at Civic Centre


A community totem raising set for Galloway Rapids on October, 21st will gain an assist from the City of Prince Rupert, that through a grant designed to eliminate the cost of rental for the Civic Centre for the follow up feast at the community facility.

The topic was a late addition to the Tuesday Council session with Prince Rupert City Manager Robert Buchan providing a synopsis of the request for the funding.

"We have a request from the Indian Residential School Survivor Society, for support, a grant in support of renting the gymnasium in the community centre for the amount of 5,800 dollars. 

The bylaw requires that the fees be paid so Council can support this by passing a grant, it will be flow through for us, the gym is not rented.  

So unless it was rented otherwise , there's really no loss to the community and  I think it's a worthy effort to support absolutely"

Mayor Pond provided some additional background to the pole raising event and what it represents.

"For clarity for public, this is a pole raising that is intended to take place on Saturday October the 21st, it is similar to the pole that is  raised in Terrace along the highway. 

And this one will be  going up at Galloway Rapids at the pull out and there's  posts on Facebook if you want to find out more information.

They're specifically setting up shuttles that will be leaving the Civic Centre to take people out there because there isn't adequate parking at the pull out for that. 

And then it would be followed by a feat back at the Civic Centre."

Council members had no comments, or questions towards the topic and then voted to approve of the grant request.

Councillor Reid Skelton-Morven expanded on the pole raising event later in the evening.

"I just wanted to reiterate also that there is a totem pole raising and that everyone is welcome to that feast  and ceremony.

 I mean obviously we have some limited parking options out at Galloway, but there will be a shuttle available.

And just a thank you to all of the volunteers and organizers that have put many hours of blood, sweat and tears over the course of the months to make this happen and just gratitude  to my colleagues for passing this motion and being able to walk in step with our Indigenous neighbours.

I think this is a huge turning point for the community, it's been decades since a pole has been raised outside of Charles Hays Secondary School, so it's now nice to see things now being erected and more representative of the community.

But it's also a tribute to both the Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls but also the Indian Residential School Survivors.  And it's a beautiful piece of art by Mike Danelli who will be coming up with a dance group as well"

You can review both streams of information to the topic from the City's Video Archive, the grant request is found at the 44 minute mark, Mr. Skelton Moren's comment come at the one hour five minute point.


More information  on the Pole Raising event can be found here, as well as through Councillor Skelton-Morven's own social media stream.


The City of Prince Rupert has added to the information related to the event, and the grant to be provided for the Civic Centre rental.

A look at some of the other items from the Tuesday Council Session can be reviewed here.

Community Event notes can be explored further from our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.

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