Alert Bay 360 race
back again this August
By Robin Quirk, North Island Eagle, March 6 2026
Alert Bay 360 is on for this summer! It will be held Sunday, Aug. 2 on the BC Day long weekend.
To prepare for the event, Luke Lessard, Christy Taylor and their daughter Holly Lessard were set up at ShopRite grocery store selling kayak raffle tickets on Sunday, Feb. 22. “This year the 360 crew has decided on a sea kayak raffle. $10 per ticket for your chance to win an 18.5-foot fiberglass sea kayak,” said Luke.
The kayak is hanging up on display at the Alert Bay local ShopRite store for all to see.
The draw is going to be held Aug. 1, 2026, at the Alert Bay Legion barbecue.
They will continue to sell tickets until that date.
“We are also selling Alert Bay 360 stickers.”
The 360 begins on Saturday, Aug. 1 from noon to 4 p.m. with a paddler meet and greet barbecue at the Legion. The kayak raffle ticket will be drawn then. Sunday at 11 a.m. is when the race starts followed by the prize ceremony at 3 p.m. and a cultural sharing dinner and dance at 5:30 p.m.
Participants can register online at www.alertbay360.com
A registration table will also be set up at the Saturday barbecue and on race day. For more information be sure to visit the Alert Bay 360 website.
“We will be celebrating British Columbia Day weekend, community, people coming together and enjoying the outdoors,” said Luke.
Photo — Luke Lessard
Luke Lessard, Christy Taylor and their daughter Holly Lessard were set up at ShopRite General Store on Cormorant Island selling kayak raffle tickets on Sunday, Feb. 22 to launch the news that the Alert Bay 360 is back this year.
Wonton workshop brings community, confidence, connection
By Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society, North Island Eagle, March 6 2026
A wonton workshop on Feb. 13 was so popular it is being brought back this month. The February event was a full house… and a full table! About 20 people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds gathered in Port Hardy to learn, connect, and create together.
For some, it was their first time cooking.
For others, it was a chance to share skills and stories. By the end of the session, the room was filled with laughter, teamwork, and the comforting aroma of homemade soup.
Participants learned how to prepare and fold wontons from scratch, guided by Rikki Clarke, Child and Family Development Worker at Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre.
The learning happened naturally around the table: in the folding, the helping hands, and the shared learning.
Once the wontons were made, everyone enjoyed them two ways for lunch: served in a rich, from-scratch broth and air fried for a crispy alternative. Each participant went home with the remaining wontons to feed their families, extending the learning and connection beyond the workshop.
One participant, who shared that she had never cooked before, carefully folded some of the most beautiful wontons of the day.
She left feeling proud and confident, saying, “This was easier than I thought… and so delicious! I’ll definitely make these again at home.”
“Moments like these remind us that literacy happens in many forms,” said Jeanne James-Hory, adult literacy coordinator at MWFLS, “reading recipes, following instructions, measuring ingredients, and building the confidence to try something new.”
The second Wonton Workshop will be offered March 20 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre.
Spaces are limited to 15 participants, so registration is required.
Contact Jeanne to register at: adult.literacy@mwfamilyliteracy.org
These workshops are made possible through the generous support of United Way and Decoda Literacy Solutions and offered in partnership with Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre and the Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society.
Photo —Submitted​​
A Wonton Workshop on Feb. 13, guided by Rikki Clarke, Child and Family Development Worker at Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre, was so popular it is being brought back March 20.