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Join the City of Orillia on Sept. 11 as we welcome the Brûlé-Wendats Expedition who are visiting the area to mark the 400th anniversary of the 1615 expedition through the Narrows of Lake Couchiching.
These modern-day voyageurs will arrive by canoe at Couchiching Beach Park at 2 p.m., followed by a welcome ceremony and the City’s official dedication of the Biindigen Pavilion.
“Four hundred years ago, Champlain himself experienced the welcoming nature of this area, which residents and visitors continue to enjoy to this day,” said Jacqueline Sockza, Manager of Culture for the City of Orillia. “Couchiching Beach Park and the pavilion both stand as testaments to this longstanding history; serving as central gathering places for business and trade, transportation services, recreation and culture.”
With the Champlain monument and Chippewas of Rama First Nation in the background, the Biindigen Pavilion, located in the Terry Fox Circle at Couchiching Beach Park, was chosen as the site to honour the cordial relationship between Champlain and the First Nations that greeted him upon his arrival 400 years ago. Currently referred to as Pavilion 1, Orillia City Council chose the name Biindigen, which is the closest word in the Ojibwe language for “welcome”.
Media and members of the public are invited to take in the activities, which will include:
- Brûlé-Wendats Expedition welcomed offshore by Anishnaabeg hand drummers. Paddlers can join the voyageurs en route for the ceremonial landing at Couchiching Beach.
- Theatrical presentation of “Champlain’s Compass,” a play written by Bridget Gole for the 400th anniversary of Champlain’s arrival.
- Official dedication of the Biindigen Pavilion.
- Meet the Brûlé-Wendats Expedition voyageurs.
- Food, entertainment and displays.
Continue the celebration at 7 p.m. at the Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH) where Christian Bode, leader of the expedition from la Societé d’histoire de Toronto, and Glenn Turner, author of Toronto's Carrying Place, will be making presentations. OMAH’s Touch: Champlain at 400 exhibit, which explores Champlain’s cultural legacy, will be open to the public. The Ontario Museum Association will also have its #mON400 photo booth on-site for visitors to dress up in traditional voyageur, lumberjack and other period costumes.
These activities are part of a series of events honouring the French and First Nation cultures on the 400th anniversary of Champlain’s arrival in the area. For a complete list of events, visit orillia.ca/champlain400.
The City of Orillia is a city of 31,000 people in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca.
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Jacqueline Soczka
Manager of Culture
705-325-4530
jsoczka@orillia.ca
Jennifer Ruff
Manager of Communications
705-325-8929
705-238-9209 (cell)
jruff@orillia.ca
