A lot of respect was given a North Okanagan Canada 150th birthday event.
Organizers of RespectFEST 2017 – a week long event in September 2017 full of free public activities in and around Vernon – were thrilled with the outcome.
“There were a few bumps along the way, but we were very happy with the final results,” said Annette Sharkey with the Social Planning Council of the North Okanagan, who teamed up with coordinating partners Downtown Vernon Association, Allan Brooks Nature Centre and the Okanagan Indian Band.
RespectFEST 2017 was a celebration of respect and diversity that provided opportunities to learn about and interact with others from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds.
There were 7,051 live event participants at the 40 events; 33 delivery partners; 10 participating schools; 474 volunteers; 2,054 volunteer hours; 13,077 website page views; and 450 social media followers.
“It was expected that through this project, thousands of Canadians will have had opportunities to celebrate Canada’s birthday through a coordinated community approach to cultural exchange, learning and connection with the environment,” said Sharkey.
“The activities were also to leave a garden and public art piece as legacies of the events.”
Events included art shows and art tours, cultural history day, creek cleanups, multicultural celebrations and reconciliation workshops.