For Good News Friday, we bring back Good News Letter Editor Emily Fagan to tell us about a floating concert in Victoria that's raising funds for a First Nations community's ongoing legal battle.
For Good News Friday, we bring back Good News Letter Editor Emily Fagan to tell us about a floating concert in Victoria that's raising funds for a First Nations community's ongoing legal battle.
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Disclaimer: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Jackie: Hi. My name is Jackie Lamport. Today is Friday, July 23. Welcome to the Capital Daily Podcast. Today on the show, for "Good news Friday," we learn about a floating concert series in Victoria. We'll explain what we mean by floating and the other part that makes the shows unique, and what they're fundraising for. The site c dam is a hydroelectric dam project ongoing in peace River. While the dam promises a clean energy source for the province. There have been major concerns over the safety of the dam. According to BC Hydro, the dam has significant geotechnical problems with the foundation. This poses a significant threat to the west moderately First Nations community. They've been challenging the project for years, but legal fights cost a lot of money. And that's where a floating concert series in Victoria comes in. To learn more about how those two things are connected, we welcome back the Good Newsletter editor Emily Fagan. Emily, welcome to the show.
Emily: Thanks for having me back on.
Jackie: As for us recording right now, the concert is ahead of us; it's happening tonight. Can you tell me a little bit about what it's going to be like?
Emily: In Victoria. We're going to have two of these concerts in the series festival afloat, here in the Gorge Waterway, which is pretty exciting. So tonight's event will have the answer drum group of Victoria-based group of Indigenous women who use drumming to highlight and heal their colonial trauma. And then we're also going to hear from West Carroll Confabulation, and this should be a pretty cool event because it's like an outdoor concert on a dock like right in the Gorge. So a lot of the audience will be on the water and in canoes and kayaks. There will also be some people in the swamp Gorge Park on the other side of the waterway. But yeah, the acoustics are supposed to be really cool down there.
Jackie: Not only is it COVID friendly, but it's also just incredibly unique and cool. As we are recording right now, it's tonight, but it will have been last night when people hear this.
Emily: And there is one next week as well on Thursday, at the same time.
Jackie: Yeah, that's true. So anybody who missed it can also get on that one. Let's learn a bit about what the money is being used for.
Emily: Yeah, so like the entire purpose of this event is to raise funds and donations for the West Moberly First Nations legal challenge against the Site-C dam. So, as chief Roland Wilson of West Moberly First Nations has written, this dam has had an incredibly negative impact on the local environment. He anticipates there will be over 5000 hectares of flooding, destruction of habitats and the desecration of sacred sites. So it's incredibly impactful for the First Nations in that area. So they're raising funds for the legal challenge against that and every single dollar that goes to ticket sales. And donations will actually be matched up to the first $10,000, which is pretty exciting.
Jackie: That's incredible. Yeah, the group that has organized this is Raven Trust?
Emily: Yeah, so Raven Trust helps Indigenous groups who have these legal defence cases, kind of like providing the backing for them in these campaigns. So they have nine First Nations and eight legal cases that they're supporting right now, which is pretty cool. And through this concert series, they're the ones in Victoria who are funding the defence of the site against the Site-C dam. But there will also be concerts in Toronto and Montreal, and there was already one in Salt Spring Island. All of those will be going to different fundraising for different legal defences for First Nations cases.
Jackie: That's fascinating. So this group is spread out then. This concert, though, how did it come about?
Emily: The person who organized the specific events I spoke to, Kathryn, is the development coordinator for Raven Trust. She really wanted to do something for the legal defence of the site against the Site-C dam. And because we're kind of at a point with COVID, where we can start having these events again and having it on the waterway allows people to be spaced out because you're in your boat, or you're on your own picnic blanket on the green. So she just saw it as a good opportunity to bring people back out and kind of capture that excitement and funnel it towards a good cause.
Jackie: Yeah, I would say it's good news in two different ways. One is enjoying the summer concerts again and then sending that money toward a good cause. So that's two birds and one stone. How do people working with Raven Trust host an event like this?
Emily: So if there are artists, either in BC or elsewhere, who want to host an event, like a part of a festival float, you can actually go to raventrust.com/paddle. And there's a sign-up sheet where you can just put in your information, and Raven Trust will help support you through the process of setting up one of these concerts and helping fund Indigenous-led legal challenges.
Jackie: And then also, you can donate directly to the cause without purchasing a ticket or attending one of these events as well, correct?
Emily: Yeah, absolutely. There's a link to the ticket sales right on the article that will be going up. So far, they've raised nearly $600 at recording time, which is Thursday of their $5,000 goal. It would be really cool to see this number go up in the next couple of days as the event tonight happens and more people hear about this.
Jackie: Yeah, and it's almost sold out for tonight, though, correct?
Emily: I mean, you can't really sell out a waterway, but it's a pretty big sale already for the first event.
Jackie: And I also read as you were saying on their Facebook page that a generous donor matches all ticket and donation purchases.
Emily: Yeah, up to $10,000, which is pretty incredible.
Jackie: And again, as you said, for people who are hearing about this and might be disappointed that they missed the concert on Thursday night, there's good news.
Emily: Yes, there will be a second event next Thursday the 29th, from 6 pm to 8 pm again in the Gorge. And you'll be able to hear from Kara Bateman, a local singer-songwriter, and also hear more stories and information about the Site-C dam and the case against it, which I think will be an informative part of the event for everyone, especially because it's kind of the reason for all of this.
Jackie: Who are some of the artists that are going to be there?
Emily: So, Brianna Dick, a local Songhees artist, is going to be introducing both the first and second events, which is pretty cool. We'll also hear from Answer Drum Group on the first event, which was Thursday and also West Carroll Confabulation on the 22nd. On the 29th, there will be music by Kara Bateman, a local singer-songwriter. And also, you'll be able to find out more about the Site-C dam, including stories and further information about what is going on in this legal defence.
Jackie: There's a lot going on right now regarding indigenous sovereignty and helping First Nations communities achieve their goals for their own communities. And this is a way that people can do that while enjoying themselves.
Emily: Totally. I think this is a tangible and fun way to get involved in helping a local First Nations.
Jackie: Emily, thank you again.
Emily: Yeah, thanks for having me.
Jackie: You can read Emily Fagan's full story at capitaldaily.ca.