Arts & Culture
The District of Sechelt takes pride in supporting a vibrant arts community. Each year participants enjoy an Arts & Culture Open House and a
Sechelt Arts Festival with the help of the
Arts, Culture & Heritage Advisory Committee. This Committee also manages the selection of Public Art. In August of each year the
Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is much appreciated by all who attend. This event draws authors, illustrators and bibliofiles from across Canada.
These events bring together local talent and showcase their endeavours. Local media will advertise for submissions and keep the public informed of the dates and times of programs and workshops.
Heritage
Sechelt's oldest heritage is the native history of the Sechelt Nation, part of which is displayed at the Tems Swiya Museum at 5555 Sunshine Coast Highway. A key piece in the museum is the Sechelt Image, a stone sculpture of a women with her face turned up to the sky, her child cradled in her arms. The piece, estimated to be up to 3,000 years old, is considered one of the finest pieces of prehistoric sculpture in Canada.
Development of the current town of Sechelt started in the 1890's. The recent history of Sechelt and the Sunshine Coast is displayed at at the Sunshine Coast Museum in Gibsons. This museum is located in Gibsons at 716 Winn Rd and has two floors of exhibits to explore as well as a resource room, reference library, and extensive archives with over 9,000 photographs & documents.
The Sechelt Community Archives offer extensive resources about recent history of Sechelt. It is located in the Sechelt Library at 5797 Cowrie Street. Archivist Ann Watson is available on Thursdays. Local bestseller Helen Dawe’s Sechelt was published using material from this archive. Genealogists, history researchers, college and school students will find a wealth of information about:
• biographical data
• First Nations history
• pioneer family histories
• photographs
• local newspapers (clippings and microfilms)
• neighborhood histories