2025 Spirit North Festival Photo FEATURE
We (you) did it! Staff, volunteers, and helpers of all kinds geared up for another fantastic festival season in 15 regions this year…and we’ve got the photos to prove it!
A ton of time, energy and focus goes towards planning and pulling together our festivals across the country. It’s a BIG team effort, so let’s recognize and remember that - and give ourselves a little pat on the back - as we celebrate another fantastic winter season.
This year’s festival sponsors helped make these events possible and we would like to thank the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Inter Pipeline and West Fraser Mills for their generous support.
Thanks also to each of our dedicated volunteers who help make these events run smoothly. We couldn’t do it without you. Go team!
NORTHERN BC FESTIVAL
Photos by Thomas Camus.
Sovereign Lake and Nickel Plate
Photos by Gary St Amand.
Canmore Festival
Read all about this year’s Canmore festival in the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
Photos by Erika Mann and Julie Kapuscinski
Metis Crossing Festival
Rocky Lane Festival
Read all about the Rocky Lane festival in the Echo-Pioneer.
Winnipeg FESTIVAL
Photos by Garrett Fache
Each winter, Spirit North hosts Festival Days, collaborating with Indigenous communities across regions to gather and participate in traditional games, winter games, food and cultural activities.
This year, we held 16 festivals from Smithers to Sudbury.
Spirit North’s winter festivals are a celebration of movement, learning, and shared experience in recognizing the skills students develop on cross-country skis. The festivals have evolved over the years, and while skiing remains a core element, the heart of them is now about ensuring every Indigenous youth taking part can find their own way to connect and celebrate.
At this year’s Canmore festival, a tipi was set up where Knowledge Keepers shared stories. This storytelling space offered a meaningful opportunity for youth and community members to gather in a different way.
“It was about bringing the community together, but also about reaching everyone in some capacity, and that’s really awesome,” said Jennifer MacPherson, Spirit North’s Regional Director for Western Canada.
As the festivals grow, so does their ability to welcome everyone. One of Jenn’s favorite moments from this year happened during the Bulkley Valley festival. While the local Hereditary Chiefs were drumming, a few kids stepped forward and started dancing. Soon, others joined in.
“It wasn’t planned,” Jenn says. “The kids just jumped in, and you could see the joy it brought the group of drummers.”
These spontaneous moments of connection are what the festivals are all about; youth leading with joy, and the whole community responding.
Our winter festival celebrations are only possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and donors. Your contributions are critical in ensuring the conditions for these powerful moments of togetherness can happen. As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue nurturing the relationships that make these gatherings possible, and to welcome new partners who want to walk alongside communities in celebration, connection, and joy on the land.
