Welcoming NIFCS to Gitga’at Territory: A Day of Community, Culture, and Celebration on July 29, 2025

This July, Northwest Inter-Nation Family and Community Services (NIFCS) is honoured to be returning to Gitga’at territory for a day of meaningful connection, celebration, and fun with the community of Hartley Bay. This visit reflects a growing relationship between Gitga’at and NIFCS, and offers a chance for community members of all ages to come together for a summer gathering grounded in friendship, fun, and meaningful support for youth and families.

Arrival & Preparations

On Monday, July 28, twelve NIFCS staff members will arrive in the community aboard a NIFCS vessel. Along with food and supplies for the event, they will be bringing kayaks and paddle boards, which are being gifted to Gitga’at and will be housed with the Cultural Programming Coordinator for ongoing community use.

The following day, Tuesday, July 29, an additional 16 team members will arrive around 11:00 a.m. via Kitimat Lodge vessels. Upon arrival, the group will head to the Cultural Centre, where they will offer a brief introduction about NIFCS, who they are, what they do, and how they support children, youth, and families across the region.

BBQ & Afternoon Activities

Lunch will be served at 12:00 p.m., with Gitga’at community members Cam and Stan leading the BBQ at the upper level of the Cultural Centre. Beginning around 12:45 p.m., a variety of fun activities will take place in the gym and basketball court. These may include:

• Potato sack races

• Water relays

• Skipping rope and marble spoon races

• Ball-between-the-knee races

• Free throw toss

• Fishing derby judging

• And more!
  

Activities will wrap up by 4:00 p.m., followed by clean-up and farewells. The NIFCS team is scheduled to depart around 5:00 p.m. for their return trip to Prince Rupert and Kitimat.

GFN is currently looking to see if any local groups or individuals fundraising in the community would be interested in assisting with event clean-up (with compensation provided). If no volunteers are identified, the NIFCS team will manage the clean-up themselves. Pre-Event Fishing Derby & Family Fun In the days leading up to the BBQ, Gitga’at families are invited to participate in a community fishing derby, a fun and creative way to engage youth and encourage time on the land and water with family.

From Wednesday to Friday, youth can work with a responsible adult to build their own fishing rods. The fishing derby itself will take place over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Participants are encouraged to take photos with the fish they catch—measuring tape included—and submit their entries to Alice.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

• First fish caught

• Biggest fish

• Most fish

• Most creative homemade fishing rod

All derby participants will receive a prize, and all homemade rods must be submitted to Alice on Monday for anonymous judging by the NIFCS team on Tuesday. Families are also encouraged to send in a fun family photo from the event to be entered into a draw for an extra grand prize ticket.