Western Canada Community Projects Society

We are welcoming a new canoe building crew!

Congratulations to Mike Billy Sr. and everyone involved in bringing his Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada-funded Dugout canoe project to life with the dugout launch today. From log to canoe in 15 weeks, providing learning and sharing opportunities along the way for the next generation of canoe carvers. Special thanks to the Government of British Columbia's Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training for supporting a group of youths who could also participate with components of the build. We remain grateful to Concord Pacific - Canada for their continued support, particularly for the use of the build site at Concord Community Park.

From Western Red Cedar log to beautiful racing canoe in 15 weeks. Huge congratulations to Mike Billy for building under an ambitious deadline, to his brilliant apprentices Mike jr. & Alvin for their hard work, and to our youth participants who all had a hand in the canoe's journey. The program was made possible through the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada, The Squamish Nation for providing the very important log, Concord Pacific - Canada for the use of space in Concord Community Park and ongoing program support, and our own team who have helped to make things run smoothly. This has been a rewarding project that we have been thrilled to be able to host and we are excited to see this canoe on the water one day.

Mike Billy's Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada dugout project is at the 7 week mark and will wrap up at the end of October. The process of using the adze to shave the depth is nearing its end point and finer tools will enter at that point. The process of teaching apprentices while providing some additional opportunities to engage with our youth program slows the pace, but it brings Mike much joy to be sharing his knowledge and experiences. Thanks to Concord Community Park for the space to host this very exceptional project.

Thanks Michael Newman Global News BC for your Global News feature on our lead carver Mike Billy and the Billy family legacy. We are so pleased to hosting Mike Sr & Jr at Concord Community Park while they complete a new dugout canoe and engage in educating our youths who are getting trained in several new skills.

While Mike Sr and his apprentices are making great progress on the 4 man dugout canoe, Mike Jr is also putting in some time on a single that he will have managed from start to finish. This Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada knowledge-sharing initiative is creating some exciting additional opportunities that we thankfully have the space to accommodate at Concord Community Park.

Another project we take great pride in is our managing of Concord Community Park. It's an amazing space that's currently in full bloom with lots of great areas for picnics, ping pong and Summer outings. We hope you enjoy this space as much as we do.

So many of the projects happening at our Concord Community Park site are so interesting. While we cannot bring the public in to share these stories in person, we're busily documenting many aspects of them to make sure we can still share what's going on.

On every project we encourage personal projects as skills are gained and interest piqued. In this instance one of our talented youth participants wanted to make a cellphone stand. Youth team leader Duncan somehow managed to keep his birthday week celebration going by receiving the prototype as a gift.

Full respirators and Tyvek suits means that the plywood canoe is entering the fibreglass phase. Lead by Duncan, the youth team is all onboard with this project. Most are pretty sure it will float.

Amongst the many projects on the go, we have a plywood canoe being built. Having multiple projects in multiple stages allows many of our participants and youths to try their hands at many things. Today is epoxy work plus fibreglassing seams. #AllHandsOnDeck

The dugout canoe is now finally light enough that it can be moved and it is now inside where power tools can happily operate under cover. It's also another opportunity for our youth participants to put some time in on the rough shaping with a power planer.

We're documenting much of the work that continues down in our work site at Concord Community Park. We have more than the large dugout canoe underway - we also have an amazing restoration project lead by Alvin on a 2-man dugout canoe from the Musqueam canoe club that is over 50 years old and a testament to the lasting power of a well made canoe.

Today was a very exciting day. The initial chainsaw shaping of the dugout canoe is complete and the carvers can now involve some of the youth in the adze work. We are grateful to the Government of British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training for funding this opportunity for youths, to 7th generation Squamish canoe carver Mike Billy Sr. and his apprentices for inviting youth participation and offering mentorship, and to the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada for recognizing and funding the important work in this knowledge transference project.

We're excited to have funding from the Government of British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training. We have some enthusiastic youths at our canoe building site at Concord Community Park who are trying their hands at paddle making, model canoe building and other small tools training projects.

A canoe form is beginning to be visible as parts of the log are removed. We are thrilled to play host to Mike's project which is funded through the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada and located at Concord Community Park.