Annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil 2024 - Honouring MMIWG
ONWA recently held their annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil, and I was honoured to be able to once again capture it.
ONWA recently held their annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil, and I was honoured to be able to once again capture it. Here are some highlights, as well as a quote from the ONWA website, summing up what the event is all about.
“The movement has since grown from a small vigil on Parliament Hill to various styles of events held across the country and around the globe. The Sisters in Spirit Vigil continues to be a beacon of hope, remembrance, and advocacy, standing strong in the face of continued injustices. We come together to honour those we have lost, as well as the families and communities still impacted by these tragedies.”
Aanikoobijiganag: Beading Symposium Program - Thunder Bay Art Gallery
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery put on an amazing 3 day program here in Thunder Bay, centred around beading and a host of other disciplines. Attendees from across Canada came to learn from experts in each field. I was asked to cover a couple hours a day, which I was very thankful for.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery put on an amazing 3 day program here in Thunder Bay, centred around beading and a host of other disciplines. Attendees from across Canada came to learn from experts in each field. I was asked to cover a couple hours a day, which I was very thankful for. Even though I was focusing on taking photos, it was still interesting to hear the teachings and see all the unique work being done by the students.
YLP Embracing Youth Festival - ONWA
ONWA is always hosting great events in and around the community and this time around they had a wonderful event right in their backyard called the YLP Embracing Youth Festival. It was a free festival and it had so many great artists and vendors. I was amazed at how many people showed up.
ONWA is always hosting great events in and around the community and this time around they had a wonderful event right in their backyard called the YLP Embracing Youth Festival. It was a free festival and it had so many great artists and vendors. I was amazed at how many people showed up.
There was music, comedy, contests and of course dancing. All the kids that were there seemed to have a great time, along with everyone else. I'm really hoping they this again soon as I had a fantastic time capturing some of the event. Below you can see some of the highlights from the evening.
Institute For Canadian Citizenship Ceremony - Fort William Historical Park
This was my second year in a row photographing probably one of my favourite events of the year - the Institute for Canadian Citizenship Ceremony at Fort William Historical Park. For those of you who don't about this organization or event, I encourage to you head on over to their website where you can learn a lot more.
This was my second year in a row photographing probably one of my favourite events of the year - the Institute for Canadian Citizenship Ceremony at Fort William Historical Park. For those of you who don't about this organization or event, I encourage to you head on over to their website where you can learn a lot more.
Institute for Canadian Citizenship website - click here.
The event his year was the same as the last in that it started with some roundtable discussion. Everyone shared there story and asked any questions they may have regarding Canadian Citizenship. Then it was time for everyone to get sworn in and officially become a citizen of Canada. Just seeing all the smiles and excitement from all the attendees, made the whole event an easy one to photograph. I'm very much looking forward to next years ceremony if they have me back.
Jumpstart 2017 - Lakehead University Hanger
I’m still amazed at how many great events there are going Thunder Bay, and a lot of them I don’t even know about. Case in point, I was asked to photograph Jumpstart this past Friday, which is an event put on by Canadian Tire. Jumpstart’s core purpose is to raise funds, lift spirits and support dreams. If you want to learn more about this great organization, I encourage you to head on over to the website.
I’m still amazed at how many great events there are going Thunder Bay, and a lot of them I don’t even know about. Case in point, I was asked to photograph Jumpstart this past Friday, which is an event put on by Canadian Tire. Jumpstart’s core purpose is to raise funds, lift spirits and support dreams. If you want to learn more about this great organization, I encourage you to head on over to the website.
The Jump Start event I was asked to photograph took place at the Lakehead University. It comprised of over 300 girls between the ages of 8 to 14. The purpose of the event was to also bring attention to the continuing trend of girls dropping out of sports as they get closer to their teen years. A couple Canadian Olympians did their part in saying a few words to all the girls in attendance. Boxer Mandy Bujold and freestyle skier Deidra Dionne spoke to the girls and offered them some inspiring words. A great write up of the day was done by TB Newswatch, so if you want to read more head on over to their website.
As a photographer, I was simply there to cover all the excitement and good times had by all the girls. I didn’t really know what to expect but as soon as I heard that over 300 girls were going to be in attendance, playing various games, I knew I had my work cut out for me. They arrived by the busload, and once all the girls were there, and changed into their Jumpstart t-shirts, it was off to the races.
There were different stations set up throughout the Hangar, and after some time at each one, groups of girls rotated throughout them. My biggest challenge for the day was choosing what to photograph. Let’s just say there was no shortage of fantastic moments. I would often try and get some group shots of some of the girls and before I knew it, the original group called over 10 more friends!
From soccer, to curling to dancing, there was a wide variety of activities. As you can see from the photos below, I think every single girl had a very fun time. At the end of the day, Jumpstart brought together over 300 young girls and showed them just how important team sports are and encouraged them to continue playing them as they get older.
Burlesque!
With more and more great shows being put on week in and week out, it's hard to keep track and know exactly what to get out and watch. Luckily, that decision was made for me recently, when The Walleye asked me to take some photos of Burlesque! I got two tickets so my wife Anne joined me. We didn't really know what expect going in but we were pleasantly surprised.
With more and more great shows being put on week in and week out, it's hard to keep track and know exactly what to get out and watch. Luckily, that decision was made for me recently, when The Walleye asked me to take some photos of Burlesque! I got two tickets so my wife Anne joined me. We didn't really know what expect going in but we were pleasantly surprised.
The show was really funny and extremely entertaining. Not only was the music fantastic but the overall energy of the whole show was so good. The crowd was yelling out and cheering during certain segments which made it that much more engaging. Everyone was really into it. Even though I was taking photos most of the time, I was still able to really appreciate all the hard work that must have gone into the production.
Assuming it is a yearly production, my wife Anne and I will definitely be going back again to watch. Please enjoy some of the photos I took from the evening.
The Next Step - Wild Rhythm Tour
This past Tuesday, the Next Step Wild Rhythm Tour stopped by to put a performance on at the The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Since it was my first time seeing this show, I didn't know what to expect when The Walleye asked me to photograph the event. I was able to take photos for about 45 minutes before my time was up, but during that time I got the chance to witness some great dance routines and also some musical performances.
This past Tuesday, the Next Step Wild Rhythm Tour stopped by to put a performance on at the The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Since it was my first time seeing this show, I didn't know what to expect when The Walleye asked me to photograph the event. I was able to take photos for about 45 minutes before my time was up, but during that time I got the chance to witness some great dance routines and also some musical performances.
If you want to read all about the show, I encourage you to head on over to The Walleye. Sarah McChristie who is only 10 years old, did a special review of the entire evening. She did an amazing job so you should definitely check it out!
Of course, if you have never heard of The Next Step tour, head on over to their website to learn more and see where they are off to next. I also believe they have a sneak peek trailer on their Facebook page for Season 4 which should be airing soon on TV.
