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Labour Day programs

The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is offering programs every day on the Labour Day weekend at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows.
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The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is offering programs every day on the Labour Day weekend.

The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is offering programs every day on the Labour Day weekend at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows.

• This Saturday at 8 a.m., William Wright of the Comox District Mountaineering Club will be the volunteer guide for a 10- to 12-hour hike to Amphitheatre Lake. The route will go via Croteau Lake and return via Hairtrigger Lake with a stop at a point of historical interest: Sid Williams' cabin.

This is a very demanding route for a day trip: 28 kilometres long and 900 metres of accumulated elevation gain, and includes some off-trail terrain. Some of the trip will be on snow where trails will not be visible.

Bring bug dope, hiking poles and water sandals for crossing creeks. This outing is restricted to age 16 and older. Pre-register at 250-650-4304.

• An Art and Nature Talk and Walk, Image Hunting with Pencils and Brushes, happens this Sunday at 1 p.m. with watercolour artist Clive Powsey.

Clive will give an indoor presentation on how artists treat the landscape to create dramatic images; advise on basic technical considerations for working ‘en plein air’; then take the group into the meadows looking for subject matter. Bring the media of your choice. Pre-register at 250-650-4304.

• To complete the Labour Day weekend, Mandy Vaughan of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society will guide a four-hour hike Monday at 10 a.m. to Lake Helen Mackenzie. Dogs on leash are OK for this hike, which is suitable for all ages.

For all activities: Dress for the weather, wear proper footwear, bring lunch or snacks, plenty of water, bug spray and sun protection. No pets on SWI guided nature walks and hikes unless otherwise noted.

Programs are free, although a donation of $5 to 10 is appreciated to help with the Institute’s ongoing activities. All SWI activities start at the Wilderness Centre.

The Centre is located at the Paradise Meadows trailhead to Strathcona Park, and is operated by the Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI), a non-profit society.

Thanks to funding from the Comox Valley Regional District, the Centre will be staffed for visitor information on most days up to Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information, visit the blog at http://strathconapark.blogspot.com.

— Strathcona Wilderness Institute