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George Crate
The Leigh Cochrane Visitor Centre: A Celebration of Community
by Chanda Hunnie
I drove for two and a half hours to get there, down a single lane highway that twisted and meandered like a prairie river. Like that Prairie River, I moved north. It was odd how empty and desolate that highway seemed. There was scarcely any traffic and only a few scattered farm homes. Stretching for miles was white-frozen sagebrush and aspens, blanketed in the morning’s hoar frost.
As I entered into the community of Fisher River Cree Nation, I had the sense that the community rested too as if in the frigid grip of the winter day. Though as I walked through the doors of the band office, that feeling quickly dissipated. Inside, the office doors were opened wide, unable to contain the bright voices and laughter that spilled into the hallway. I happened to arrive during the annual open house, and like everyone else, I was joyously welcomed.
George Crate was the man I have come to interview. Mr. Crate grew up in Fisher River. He attended Red River College and then returned to Fisher River where is he now the Director of the Ochekwi-Sipi Economic Development Corp. There is one particular project he is quite fond of, the Leigh Cochrane Memorial Visitor Centre.
The visitor centre, situated along the Fisher River, is a beautiful log structure custom built by local talent. Spanning the river’s length for 317 feet is a boardwalk reminiscent of seaside resort promenades—likely places for meeting and socializing. When asked why this particular spot was chosen Mr. Crate replied, “It wasn’t. A spot was picked up the road.” He grinned. Of course my next question asks how the centre ended up here and not up the road. As it happened, when the builders called to ask where to pour the foundation, Mr. Crate told them on Lot 100. Historically significant, Lot 100 is said to be the spot where the first residents landed when they arrived in Fisher River in 1877. “This is the perfect spot to locate the centre—what better location to exhibit our community’s spirit and history?”
Inside the visitor centre is a large boardroom table that is regularly used for the many meetings that take place here. There is a portrait on the wall of Leigh Cochrane, the woman whose devotion to this project was an inspiration to everyone involved in this undertaking. Next to the portrait is a piece of art. Mr. Crate sensed my curiosity. “We bought this from a local artist.” Hanging in three separate but connected circles are faces formed in leather. Accomplished by forming the leather pieces over porcelain molds, the faces are of a man, a woman, and an eagle.
“I asked the man who sold it to me what the story was behind the piece and he told me it didn’t have one. So I said to him, what if the man and the woman symbolized relationships, and to hold them together and to provide strength is the eagle, a symbol of endurance and power.”
“Yes,” the artist told me. “I like that. He’s been using the story ever since.”
Looking out of the window to the north, Mr. Crate and I behold perhaps the most striking feature of the visitor centre. Reaching to the sky, seven points—one for every one of the seven teachings—rise up from an enlarged tipi-inspired construction. The structure that resides at the other end of the boardwalk, serves as an amphitheatre and stage. It is here where the area explodes into life with the Annual Community Celebration—a source of pride to its creators the OSEDC Board of Directors, Mr. Crate and his co-workers Rob Selkirk and Rhonda Williams, as well as to the entire community of Fisher River.
Believing that it was important to get the community to share in its vision, OSEDC decided that a gathering to celebrate the centre’s completion was necessary. Since that initial gathering of 1200 people that showcased both local and world-renowned talent, including Charlie Major—a country music icon—the Celebration has had continued success. The Third Annual Celebration took place this past summer where the line-up included Pam Tillis, Highway 101, Clint Dutiame, “That Canadian Guy” Glen Foster, Eagle and Hawk, and Shane Yellowbird. The Leigh Cochrane Visitor Centre has since won a regional Business and Community Development Award.
“It just feels good to look around and to see everyone together having a great time. Initially people didn’t believe that these country star legends were coming here, to Fisher River. They didn’t believe it until the tour bus pulled up. But now we have this world class facility that hosts world class talent, and you can feel the sense of pride in the community. An elder approached me after the event and went on to say, “It felt like I was just at the Grand Ol Opry. That was great.”
“…now we have this world class facility that hosts world class talent, and you can feel the sense of pride in the community”
The visitor centre will focalize as a tourist attraction and serve as an informative centre for the Fisher Bay Park Reserve, a conservation area proposed to become a provincial park that will prohibit industrial activities while encouraging eco- and cultural tourism and the preservation of First Nations traditions. Fisher River Cree Nation has been very active in promoting the lasting protection of its ecological resources while stimulating economic growth and development for First Nations people. This dual agenda is needed for a sustainable community that relies on, and intends on maintaining, a healthy relationship with the land. It is the advancement of this objective that makes conservation-minded Fisher River Cree Nation an inspiration and a leader in wilderness protection.
Mr. Crate hopes the centre will continue to provide a place for the community to gather and celebrate their successes. He is already planning the headliners for next year’s celebration. With the likely advent of a provincial park on the horizon, the possibilities for the visitor center are endless. Potential events could include larger celebrations and increased educational programs, building relationships between people and communities. When asked about his future plans, Mr. Crate answered, “I’m hoping to turn this one-day event into a weekend-long festival.” It sounds like a large feat, but not an impossible one for George Crate.
I’m reminded of the eagle and of the story Mr. Crate created in order to articulate the significance of something that he knew was important. Like that story, and like the eagle, the visitor centre is a symbol of the incredible will and strength of the community of Fisher River, a community that is not only proud of its natural and cultural heritage and is committed to its future, but realizes the value in celebrating it.
May 8th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
STOP CIVALIZING !! START CREATING OUR HISTORY