The past weekend, June 10th and 11th, the Indigenous Friendship Centre (IFC) in North Bay held its 15th annual powwow at Lee Park. The event “couldn’t have been better,” said Sandra Thorkelson, the communications director for the IFC.
“It was well-attended, and we had good weather, so everything fell into place and it all came together,” she added. The event is free, so it’s difficult to get accurate numbers, but last year’s estimate was around 5,000 attendees, and organizers and vendors felt that number was surpassed this year.
The event is getting bigger every year, and overall, “it was incredible,” Thorkelson said. "Vendors did well, and all of the dancers and musicians had a wonderful weekend."
All of the IFC staff came out to help operate the event, along with about 25 volunteers. Plus, everyone there was really helpful, Thorkelson noted, and she thanked “the community for supporting us.”
“Everyone seemed really pleased with the event.”
“Thanks to everyone for coming and sharing this special event,” Thorkelson said, “and I hope that everyone walked away feeling good. We’ll see you again next year.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
