The Squamish Days community festival is organized and operated by a huge family of volunteers – over 450 individuals. Six local service clubs are longstanding partners with the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Committee in managing various festival programs and operations, and in recruiting and organizing many of our community volunteers.
The Howe Sound Curling Club was established in 1964, when the first curling rink facility was completed. The present facility, adjacent the Squamish Valley Golf & Country Club on Mamquam Road, was opened in 1983. The Squamish curling rink is the only such facility between North Vancouver and Lillooet. It is used for curling league play for seniors, women, men, mixed teams and juniors, as well as for charity and social league programs.
In addition to league play, the club hosts bonspiels, and company and charity events on weekends throughout the curling season, and makes facilities available for groups meetings and other uses, like roller derby training, during summer months. The facility’s ice plant equipment is aging, and needs replacement – an expensive undertaking. With the help of Green Building grants and membership fundraising, an equipment upgrade program has begun that hopefully will sustain the club for many years to come. Howe Sound Curling Club volunteers have managed site security and ticket sales for Loggers Sports weekend for many years. Squamish Days Committee donations to the Club have been very important to its fundraising efforts.
To learn more, visit www.howesoundcurl.com
The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) has been a part of Squamish since 1931 when a local branch was established to serve veterans and the community, and they have been a part of the Squamish Days Festival since 1972. Today its mission remains that of service to Military and RCMP members and their families, and Remembrance of those who gave their lives for peace and freedom.
In addition to organizing the Squamish Days Bed Races since 2015 (previously they hosted the Squamish Days Giant Bingo), the Diamond Head RCL Branch #277 raises funds through BC Gaming, the Saturday afternoon Meat Draw and the Poppy Fund. Over the last 10 years, RCL #277 has donated over $90,000 back into the Squamish Community from fundraising activities. Beneficiaries include local elementary schools, Hilltop House, Black Tusk Caledonia Pipe Band, 835 Griffin Air Cadet Squadron, Squamish Community Care, Sea to Sky Youth Centre, Squamish Food Bank, Junior Curling, the Historical Society, a bursary program for graduating Howe Sound Secondary students. As the years take their toll on Canada’s veteran population, the Legion needs more members to maintain the many services provided to the community. You don’t need to be a veteran or a member of a veteran family to become a member.
To learn more, visit www.squamishlegion.ca
The Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Station 04 is the newest service club member of the Squamish Days family, taking on the organizing of the annual Sunday morning Festival Parade. RCMSAR Station 04 at Squamish was formed in 2008 to provide rescue support for the boating community in local waters, which are getting busier with expanding marinas and growing recreational vessel traffic.The Society started out with a hand full of members and little equipment for training or services. Today, the squadron has over 20 dedicated volunteers and provides 24 hour marine search and rescue support with two rescue vessels: a Titan T-Top, the main response vessel; and a Tornado (Delta 3 configuration), the secondary training vessel.
The Society raises funds for the station by hosting fundraising events and applying for grants. Funds raised are used for the ongoing maintenance of the rescue vessels, to upgrade equipment, and to continue to build community rescue support and water safety programs. This spring, a first-ever local program directed to training Youth of Squamish in safety at sea was delivered.
To learn more, email station4@rcmsar.com
The Rotary Club of Squamish was founded in 1966, and has been a part of the Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival since the early 1970s. Each year the Rotary Club runs the Rotary Beef BBQ at the Logger Sports Shows. Rotary’s commitment to “Service above Self” is channeled through the Avenues of Service which include: Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service and New Generations Service. Squamish Rotary is and has always been very active in the local community with numerous and diverse projects completed. The Club also provides funding and volunteer support within the community. Just to name a few: student scholarships, elementary schools breakfast programs, Community Christmas Care, Helping Hands Society, Squamish Food Bank, Howe Sound Women’s Centre, Squamish Hospice Society, Squamish General Hospital, international student exchanges, Youth Camp and Youth Leadership programs.
To learn more, visit www.squamishrotary.com
The Squamish Elks Lodge #119 is one of the oldest continuously operating organizations of any kind in the Squamish area, having received its charter in 1926. During its 88-year history the club has been engaged in many community projects and services. The Elks played a key role in British Columbia’s first community tree planting project, from 1939 to 1941 in the area just north of Brackendale. Involvement in loggers’ sports days began in the 1930s and 1940s, when contests for spectators were held behind the Elks Hall on 2nd Avenue. The Elks Fund for Children is a primary cause for the local lodge today. The fund offers medical support (including eye care and dental work) for those who cannot afford it, equipment (e.g., computer) for special needs children, and support in case of emergency needs (due to house fire or other loss). The Loggers’ Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Elks for the past 57 years is the lodge’s biggest and most important fundraiser, for providing these community services.
To learn more, email elks119@gmail.com
The Squamish Valley Equestrian Association (SVEA) is one of the oldest recreational clubs in Squamish, celebrating a 62nd anniversary this year – and 57 years of involvement with Squamish Loggers Sports. SVEA “Horsecapades” events shared venues and volunteers with Loggers Sports in the very early years; and the two organizations have been close collaborators managing neighbouring facilities during many years since. SVEA sponsors and organizes the concessions for the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Show each year. This is the main fundraiser for the society, which promotes multi-discipline equine sport and recreation in Squamish and throughout the Sea to Sky corridor. Society fundraising supports its educational clinics, the Equi-Fair community event, recreational activities and multi-discipline competitive events hosted throughout the year. In addition, SVEA supports local charities, such as the SPCA, Food Bank, Helping Hands and BC Children’s Hospital.
To learn more, visit www.svea.ca