For one night, the canoes returned to kʷikʷəƛ̓əm.
Nearly a dozen canoes and about 200 people stopped by slakəyánc last week as part of the Pulling Together Canoe Journey, an annual event that sees Indigenous people, police and other public service organizations paddle together to different Indigenous communities within the Fraser River Watershed.
It was a terrific event that wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of many staff and members, who welcomed the paddlers to spend an evening at kʷikʷəƛ̓əm.
This year’s route started at Sts’Ailes Nation and ended at Tsawwassen First Nation. The four-day journey began on August 17, 2026.
The journey is organized by the Pulling Together Canoe Society, a non-profit based in Vancouver that aims to “bring people together, foster cultural exchange, and promote outdoor activities.”
Participants share a meal with Host Nations and camp overnight in some communities, where they share some cultural protocols.
Pulling Together has been hosted by dozens of Nations and held annually since 2001. This year, which marked the 25th anniversary of the first journey, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm was asked to serve as one of the Host Nations, joining Matsqui, Katzie, Qayqayt, Tsawwassen and Musqueam First Nations.
kʷikʷəƛ̓əm last hosted a Canoe Journey in the mid-2000s.
The stop was a special moment for many kʷikʷəƛ̓əm members and staff, with dozens coming out to welcome other Indigenous people and allies to the shores of slakəyánc.
The Royal Canadian Navy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Indigenous Policing Services, among many others, also participated in this year’s Canoe Journey.
Scroll through the images below to check out highlights from Pulling Together’s stop in slakəyánc.
After paddling from Matsqui Regional Park, and spending an afternoon with Katzie First Nation, the canoes made their way down the Fraser River to the mouth of the Coquitlam River, where they were greeted by Chief Ron Giesbrecht.
Upon entering the Coquitlam River with blessing from the Chief, those on the journey raised their paddles in the air—a sign of peace as they entered kʷikʷəƛ̓əm’s core territory.
At shore, they were welcomed by family, friends and dozens of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm members. Each boat came into slakəyánc one at time. Following the theme of ‘pulling together,’ kʷikʷəƛ̓əm members and staff helped each canoe onto shore. Some sang to welcome the canoes on shore, while others jumped in to help carry each canoe to ensure they safely made it on land.
Once on land, the paddlers made their way to the grassy area near the Community Gardens in ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park. The paddlers set up tents and enjoyed a meal served by kʷikʷəƛ̓əm.
Before calling it a night, the group gathered to take part in cultural protocols. kʷikʷəƛ̓əm members also discussed the importance of this kind of event, highlighting how it’s a true act of reconciliation—bringing Indigenous people and other members of the public together—and credited everyone for coming out.
The next morning, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm performed a Celebration Song and presented the paddlers with bandanas and other gifts for the rest of their journey.
“I didn’t want them to leave,” one kʷikʷəƛ̓əm member said as they prepared to leave slakəyánc and head to their next stop: Qayqayt First Nation.