I went up last Friday for their craft sale on the weekend. I was fortunate to stay with a very good friend who is not only a superb cook but an excellent companion and helper in my booth. I do love Fort St. James for its indigenous heritage, interesting history with the Hudson's Bay Company, the beautiful site on Stuart Lake, and the great people.
I arrived in the last of Friday's daylight and took a walk along Stuart Lake.
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| Stuart Lake with Mount Pope off to the right in the low cloud |
On Saturday we had a little surprise at breakfast: the power went out. Texts to others confirmed it was a widespread power outage but we decided to head in to the high school and see what was happening. My props were already at my booth so it was just a matter of carrying in bags and baskets. People were setting up in the dark!
However, by about 11:00 am, we knew the outage was expected to last until 6 pm, and were told that the day's event was cancelled. Later, I received an email saying that Sunday's hours were extended from 9-5 to make up for Saturday.
With some welcome light, here's our booth almost ready to go on Sunday:
And then we had a super day with some introductions and re-introductions for me; major interest in Cariboo Handwoven blankets, towels and scarves; and very good sales. Thank you all!
Fort St. James not only has a very good craft fair, but amazing people who are not deterred by their apparently regular power outages. They're ready both logistically and mentally. They carry on and don't grumble, which is a really good example for the rest of us.
Thank you, Fort St. James!
