Come Together to Celebrate Indigenous Cultures at the Annual Musqueam Canoe Races

Everyone is welcome at Musqueam’s annual weekend of canoe races, which takes place at the mouth of the Fraser River, just behind the Musqueam Cultural Centre. Held around mid-June each year, the Chief Ernie Campbell Memorial Musqueam Canoe Races is an action-packed weekend that welcomes hundreds of participants from Indigenous communities near and far, along with many excited spectators. So get out your binoculars, snacks and sunscreen: this is one weekend you’ll want to join in on.

Named to honour the legacy of former Musqueam Chief Ernest Campbell, a pillar of the community who passed away in 2013, the summer 2025 event marked the fifth annual weekend of races. And ask anyone who has attended before, the event is only growing every year!

From seven-year-olds to thirty-year-olds, participants of all ages take part in this water sports competition. With singles, doubles, six-person, and eleven-person teams, there’s plenty to see on each day of the races. Soak up the sound of cheers echoing over the water, and don’t be shy to add your own voice to the mix.

While the spirit of friendly competition and fun that you might expect from a sporting event fuels this thrilling weekend, it is equally a time of great meaning and significance for the community. As Dick Louis, traditional name Munelth, points out, the event is especially important for Musqueam youth: “it’s really good for our kids.”

The story of how the canoe races were born is rooted in the histories of the water, the land, and the people. As a child growing up with his grandfather, Dick Louis asked him many questions about the history of canoe racing in their traditional waters. Dick Louis’s grandfather told him that when the big fishing companies set up their plants in Steveston, all the Reserves from the north and outlying areas came to fish for BC Packers and Canadian Fishing. After a big fishing run, the fishers used to come together for big feasts, where they would race their canoes and dories. One year, Chief Antone from the Fort Langley Reserve built an eleven-man canoe, brought it down to the water, and raced it. Nobody could beat him, and it wasn’t long before all the Reserves started building canoes and joining in.

As Dick Louis explains, the essence of the weekend can be summed up in a few important words: “anybody’s welcome.” In fact, his uncle Dominic used to tell him to never turn anyone away from the canoe, because “you never know, you might be turning away a star canoe puller!”

With the event sometimes falling on Father’s Day, this family-friendly weekend is the perfect opportunity to spend time with loved ones while celebrating and learning about Indigenous cultures.

Be sure to check the Musqueam Nation's website for the exact dates, since they can change from year-to-year.