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Celebration of artists and food returns to Lund

Chowder challenge one of the highlights of seafood festival in the qathet region
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RETURN OF FESTIVAL: Although the Lund Seafood Festival has been around for more than 14 years, last year's festival was cancelled. The seafood celebration is back this year, May 25 and May 26, in the village of Lund in support of the Northside Fire Department Association.

Lund Seafood Festival is back this year, along the shores of Lund Harbour, to celebrate seafood, local businesses and restaurants, arts and music in support of Northside Fire Department Association. This will be the 15th year celebrating seafood in Lund.

"This year, for the first time, we're going to have a live band and have a little dance afterwards," said Ann Snow, arts and crafts vendor organizer for the festival. "This [fundraiser] takes place at the Lund fire hall on Friday evening, May 24."

The fire hall is home to Northside Volunteer Fire Department and was built in 2020.

Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, arts/ craft vendors will be set up around the hotel, on the grass and along the oceanfront. Local vendors will also have fresh-cooked seafood samples available for patrons to try. Tickets will be sold for the samples.

In past years the festival had live shellfish sales and raw oysters on the half-shell for sampling by patrons. However, this year raw-oyster lovers will have to wait for that to be announced, at a later date, said Snow. 

Snow will play with Clansman Pipe Band on May 25 to open up the festivities with other musicians who will play on the waterfront stage throughout the day.

"I've been involved for 14 years," said Snow. "We wanted to put Lund on the map because it has so much to offer; there are so many artists living in the Lund area and fishermen as well."

One fun way to enjoy local recipes is by signing up to a chowder challenge. Folks will have a chance to sample locally made chowders and vote for their favourite.

To sample locally made chowders, and a whole bowl, at the chowder challenge, tickets are available at the Stock Pile Market, Nancy's Bakery and Tourism Powell River.

Swedish immigrants named the gateway to Desolation Sound (Lund) in 1889, but Tla'amin Nation, along with Klahoose and Homalco First Nations, shared the territory, named ƛaʔamɛn (Klah ah men), for a millenia. According to a place names database created in partnership with Tla'amin and qathet Museum and Archives, ƛaʔamɛn means: "A place to head towards. A place of refuge."

Lund is a sleepy but popular coastal village in qathet Regional District, and is identified as “the end of the road,” or Mile 0 of Highway 101, which stretches from the south coast of Chile to the Northern Sunshine Coast.

By the 1960s, Lund became a sanctuary for draft dodgers and free spirits escaping the city, and continues to attract creatives to the area. The area also attracts fishers and oyster and clam harvesters, as long as it's the right time of year, and they have a licence.

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