Easter has long been a time of celebration in northern British Columbia as Salvationists from across the north gathered for a regional congress. Revisiting the tradition of joining together to remember Christ's sacrificial death and Resurrection, residents of the Skeena and Nass Valley region welcomed two brigades of cadets from the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg as they met to celebrate the significance of this most precious of Christian seasons.

Cadet David Dale rings the bell to call the village of Gitwinksihlkw to worship

The brigade deployed to the Upper Skeena Circuit, to the communities of Hazelton, Sik-e-Dakh and Gitsegukla, included Cadets Matthew and Whitney Reid, Cadet Stephanie Sawchuck and Cadet Kaitlin Adlam. The cadets provided leadership to the Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, and participated in the community sunrise service and a gospel rally. In addition, they shared in the annual Good Friday band concert that featured a 60-piece band made up of members of community bands from all over the region, including Gitwinksihlkw, Hazelton and Sik-e-dakh. More than 300 people attended the concert this year.

The second brigade, with Cadet Kath Walker and Cadets David and Lorenda Dale, visited the communities of Terrace, Prince Rupert and Gitwinksihlkw. Though there was a significant amount of travel for this group, they were treated to some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. This brigade toured the various ministries in Terrace and then proceeded to Prince Rupert where they participated in an ecumenical Good Friday celebration, hosted an outreach movie for the community and served a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning for those in need. From there they travelled to Gitwinksihlkw to prepare for Easter Sunday, when they took part in a resurrection march throughout the village, singing and announcing the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead. A community breakfast and a rousing celebration attended by a capacity crowd brought the campaign to a close.

From left, Major David Allen, CFOT principal; Cadets Matthew and Whitney Reid, Cadet Stephanie Sawchuck and Cadet Kaitlin Adlam enjoy the scenery in northern B.C.

 

Salvationist Alex Stoney snaps a selfie with the 60-piece band during Upper Skeena Circuit's massed-band concert