Stories are the fabric of any community, and the tales we wish to tell suggest what we value most in this world. In a real sense, stories make people.
The 樱桃视频Writers Group acknowledges the value of stories with Story of Mine, an experiment to collect stories from the larger community. The goal is to capture personal perspectives on Squamish's transformation from an industrial town to a tourism hub.
"I was at a downtown forum last year and I encountered so many different people from our community. I thought all of these people have stories that are worth telling," said project creator Riun Blackwell.
The idea turned into a community anthology dubbed Story of Mine, which is published six times a year. The 樱桃视频Writer's Group is preparing for a second edition and wants to know what brought you to 樱桃视频and what keeps you here, said Blackwell.
"History is important and Story of Mine collects snapshots from this moment in time. We are going to change rapidly in the next few yeas," said Jude Goodwin, 樱桃视频Writer's Group spokesperson.
The rapid transformation of the Sea to Sky Corridor is most evident in Squamish, said Goodwin, and the elimination of the industrial base and the subsequent transition has created some interesting personal experiences.
"We have all these stories from the railway and logging industry, and those stories are colourful. They are also part of our history and culture, which is important to record," she said.
The Writer's Group will also visit Hilltop House residential care facility to record the stories from pioneers in the community. Some of the residents will be given an opportunity to dictate their stories.
"The idea is to target different groups in the community," Goodwin said.
The 樱桃视频Writer's Group is looking for submissions between 250 to 300 words, and anyone is welcome to participate. Goodwin said the writer's group takes care of the editing and polishing so contributors don't have to be expert writers.
"We print about 1,000 copies and the idea is to collect stories from members of the community we wouldn't normally hear from," Goodwin said. "
The 樱桃视频Writer's Group is accepting stories that tell what brought you to the community and what keeps you here. Send your story to [email protected] or post to Box 812, Garibaldi Highlands, BC, V0N 1T0.
For more information on the 樱桃视频Writer's Group, check out www.squamishartscouncil.org/pages/squamish-writers-group.php.
