Editor:

I am writing this from thousands of miles away, disappointed that I will not be able to participate as an artist in this year’s Salmon Festival.

Staged by a group of dedicated folks with diverse political views, the festival attracts hundreds of visitors from on and off Coast. It does, in fact, provide an excellent avenue for political statement, as evidenced by the annually increasing number of entries voicing concern about our wild salmon and our fishing heritage.

Art has historically been a powerful tool for political change.

The salmon exhibit has the potential to educate, and to spark healthy debate on a critical issue. It seems to me that boycotting the festival is counterproductive.

A more constructive way to get the message out, whatever that message is, might be to decorate one of the salmon forms (available for a nominal fee from one of the Gibsons Landing businesses) and enter it in the exhibit.

In this way, we can support Sunshine Coast artists and their work, support the Gibsons Landing Business Association that does a lot of good things for the whole community and raise awareness about the wild versus farmed fish issue, all at the same time.

Katie Janyk

Gibsons