14.8°C Sunny 
One of Whistler’s greatest community assets just got better.
The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) is launching brand new outdoor exhibits and an interpretive forest walk on July 9. Everyone is invited to come to the SLCC open house from noon to 3 p.m. for the official opening celebrations. Plus, admission is free all day.
The open house includes traditional First Nations food sampling stations, gift shop specials and the chance to check out the centre’s new outdoor Istken and Longhouse, plus take an interpretive forest walk. The Istken was the traditional dwelling of the Lil’wat people, while the Longhouse was the traditional communal dwelling of the Squamish people.
The forest walk should be particularly interesting, as to the Squamish and Lil'wat people, the forest was as much a church as a provider of things like clothing, food, medicines, and raw materials for housing and daily implements.
If you’ve not had the chance to visit the impressive First Nations cultural centre, you’re really missing out. Along with these new exhibits, admission to the centre also includes drumming performances, traditional welcomes, guided tours of the museum, a multi-media experience, interactive exhibits and craft workshops.
The SLCC open house celebrating the new outdoor exhibits runs noon to 3 p.m. on July 9, and admission is free all day. For more info go to slcc.ca.
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FREE LUNA SCREENING: Who says nothing’s free anymore?
The seventh annual Lunafliks outdoor film series continues on Wednesday (July 8) with a free screening of the documentary feature called Home.
Narrated by Glenn Close, Home is made up of breathtaking aerial images filmed in 54 countries and 120 locations around the world. The film offers “constructive insight into the major environmental and social challenges facing our world.”
The free screening of Home starts at sundown (about 9:30 p.m.) at Lost Lake on July 8. Free shuttles will run from the gondolas from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and again after the film. In case of rain, the screening will move indoors to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, and start at 7:30 p.m.
Call the LUNA hotline at (604) 966-4800 for more info or go to lunawhistler.com.
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PUNK NIGHT AT GARF’S: Wanna see a hot, up-and-coming punk/thrash band that’s B.C. born and bred?
Then mark Sunday (July 5) on your calendars and make sure you’re at Garfinkel’s Punk Night featuring Bison B.C. The Vancouver head bangers were named one of the Top 10 Breakout Acts of CMJ 2008 by none other than Rolling Stone.
The seminal rock mag also said of the band, “Heavy, man. Real heavy. Jean-jacket heavy... If Mastodon had spent more time listening to Anthrax, they might sound like Vancouver's Bison B.C….
“Southern-fried boogie metal, switching from half-time quarter-note thumps to dead sprints without warning, but always with a certain joyful bounce.” Sounds great!
Bison B.C. plays Garf’s Punk Night on Sunday with opening acts Barn Burner and Jaws. Admission is $10 and the doors open at 9:30 p.m.
