Monday, November 6, 2017

Our Canada 150 Commemorative Event - a Recap

The Carleton Place Community Labyrinth has now wrapped up our commemorative event for Canada 150 - and we decided to check in with the other labyrinths that participated to see how their events went. A brief report follows...

377 Labyrinth Walks
for Canada 150!

Bennett-Lindsay Labyrinth located in Burnstown, Ontario beside the Bittersweet Gallery at 5 Leckie Lane, for more info contact Kathryn Lindsay at kflindsay@gmail.com
Aerial view of the Bennet-Lindsay Labyrinth (Photo: Hoverwolf Aerial Photography)
Our Canada 150 event started with the Anne-Marie Chagnon's 10th annual spring launch and trunk show A Collection as Strong as the Wind” at Bittersweet Gallery on Saturday June 10th, 2017 and concluded on the last day of Richard Gill’s 45th fall show “Canadian Icons” on Thanksgiving Monday, October 9th 2017.

It turned out to be challenging to keep track of who walked the labyrinth as participation was not highly structured and the registration sheet that was kept in the Gallery went missing and had to be replaced part way along.

Our estimate is that about 50 people participated, some multiple times including our 2017 labyrinth keeper, Pete Bresnahan. Some notable occasions when the labyrinth was walked included the Summer Solstice (June 21st ), the total eclipse of the sun (Aug 21st ), a “To Hell with the Bell” retirement party (Sept 5), the Fall Equinox (Sept 21) and a Harvest moon night walk (Oct 6).
Observing the total eclipse of the sun from the Bennett-Lindsay labyrinth.
Carleton Place Community Labyrinth  located in Carleton Place, Ontario

Whenever someone walked the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth during the period from April 10th – September 8th in 2017, they were encouraged to register their walk at the labyrinth.

We are pleased to report that we exceeded our goal of 150 labyrinth walks – we reached over 170 walks (registered either on our event poster or in the journal at the labyrinth).

We exceeded our goal of 150 labyrinths walks - we reached over 170 walks!
We celebrated our combined achievement during our annual “Light up the Labyrinth” event on Friday, September 8th - with a festive Canada 150 cake donated by our local Independent grocery store.
We celebrated our achievement - with a festive Canada 150 cake.
A wee labyrinth walker registers her walk and helps us to meet our goal.

Castlegar & District Recreation Complex Labyrinth located in Castlegar, British Columbia at 2101 6th Avenue

The Castlegar & District Community Complex recorded 37 walks during our 150 Labyrinth Walks Event. We know that there were many others who walked our labyrinth - especially children who attended the summer day camp program. All in all, it was a successful event and we thank the Carlton Place Community Labyrinth for inviting us to Trust the Path!



Joan Alexander, Labyrinth Facilitator, Castlegar, B.C.
Fleetwood Park Labyrinth located in Surrey, British Columbia at 15802 – 80th Avenue – www.labyrinthlady.ca
Report to come

St. Luke's Anglican Church Labyrinth located in Ottawa, Ontario at  760 Somerset Street

The St. Luke’s labyrinth community enjoyed two monthly evening walks to commemorate Canada 150. The labyrinth was lit up with over 100 tealights, and we had two monthly themes – in May, World Labyrinth Day and in June, Adventure! 

On June 21st, our labyrinth community also celebrated with a Summer Solstice walk at Galilee Centre in Arnprior, complete with labyrinth walkers playing different instruments, such as chimes and hand drums as they walked. In total 120 labyrinth walks were taken during our Canada 150 event. It was an honour to be able to participate in Canada 150 by walking the labyrinth for our communities and country.
St. Luke's labyrinth, illuminated by more than 100 tealights,  hosted special events to celebrate Canada 150.
A Canada 150 Summer Solstice walk (accompanied by chimes and hand drumming) held at the Galilee Centre in Arnprior.

The Toronto Public Labyrinth at Trinity Park Square located in Toronto, Ontario

Congratulations to the Carleton Place Community Labyrinth on your 150th initiative. You reached across Canada with the unifying message that we have a beacon of a country here, and that labyrinths are a sterling way to focus our awareness on that and to stand on guard for the future.

On our website, we posted your initiative and asked that people register their walks with you. It is exciting to hear you had such an active response.

One of our members, Brenda Wivell, was touched by the potential your initiative had not only to unite labyrinth walkers but to encourage the use of the labyrinth in offering prayers for wise leadership.

Jo Ann Stevenson
Labyrinth Community Network chair


Tigh Shee Labyrinth located in North Lancaster, Ontario - http://www.roadsigns.ca/wp/about/labyrinths-gardens/
Report to come