After Smithers we were off to Kitimat. It had started snowing the night before our departure and continued to do so as we packed into the vans the next morning. The drive through snow covered mountains and trees was stunning!
In Kitimat we stayed at the Minnet Lodge run by Ruth and Howard who are the loveliest people I have ever meet. I can’t even begin to explain how special this place was. Hidden in the trees, view of the lake, cozy beds and a beautiful breakfast each morning. We were in heaven. Amber kept saying that it felt like we were at a retreat. We didn’t want to leave.
On the flip side of things, Kitimat was hit with some rough news this past week. An announcement was made that a mill is going to close in the next few months. This means at least 500 people are losing their jobs, if not more. This devastating news came in a few days before our arrival but you would never have known it by the beautiful spirits of the people that welcomed us in Kitimat. Michael the presenter, Anna-Marie and the many other people that had a part in bringing us to Kitimat were so warmhearted and welcoming. Their kindness and grace at such a time is a true testament to the kind of quality people that live in Kitimat.
This performance was a particularly special one in my books. We truly danced from the bottom of our hearts hoping to offer the audience a little relief from the harsh news they had received. We were reminded that this is why we do what we do; to offer people a moment of relief, maybe a laugh and a chance to leave all of the other things in life behind, even just for an hour or two.
After the show we were invited to a party! Again the warmth and care that was shown to us was remarkable. We had the opportunity to chat with people who had seen the show and were also fed some amazing dishes they had brought. It felt like we really had the chance to be a part of their community and it was a nice experience to build connections with people instead of just popping in, performing and leaving. Thank you Kitimat for your hospitality and warm hearts!
The next morning we had a mega early wake up to eat breakfast and drive back to Terrace to catch our flight to Vancouver. I have to say I still haven’t become used to the early wake ups after a show day but that might be because it takes so long energetically to come down after a show that my sleeping schedule becomes incredibly wacky and out of sorts. But regardless of the lack of sleep all of our bodies have been holding up and managing the touring/traveling/performing schedule quite well. Thank you dancing gods for taking care of us!
Merde tonight on Salt Spring everyone!
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