LIGHT THE PATH: BC PLACE TO FEATURE SPECIAL ILLUMINATION INSPIRED BY DEBRA SPARROW’S ORANGE SHIRT DESIGN
June 29th, 2022
215 stars will light up Vancouver skyline for Hope and Health camp at BC Place on July 25
VANCOUVER, BC – BC Place will illuminate the summer sky with a special Northern Lights Display inspired by the “Light the Path” Orange Shirt, designed by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Debra Sparrow along with her grandsons Isaiah and Cyler for Hope and Health, an organization that maximizes the power of sport to engage, educate, and empower Indigenous youth to improve long-term health and life outcomes.
Similar to the “Light the Path” Orange Shirt, the illumination will feature 215 stars against an orange background. The nighttime display around the stadium’s exterior will run on July 24 and July 25.
“Finding the 215 children buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School touched everyone so deeply. Speaking with my two grandchildren, it seemed to have sparked something deep within us,” said Sparrow, whose artwork was also previously featured on the Northern Lights Display last February. “It’s as if the children shone a light, the earth opened up, and instead of darkness, the light came through. The stars that each of them have become are shining on us, and they are going to light the path for us.”
The stadium light show coincides with the Hope and Health Community Camp at BC Place on July 25, which is now open for registration for two options on HopeandHealth.org. Featuring enhanced cultural teachings as well as training sessions with coaches, mentors, and traditional knowledge carriers, the Hope and Health Community Camp is the latest addition to the stadium’s community-building programming for 2022.
Next month’s illumination schedule also includes a Maple Leaf show for Canada Day weekend, a rainbow illumination for the Vancouver Pride Festival, and a Summer show featuring the province’s vibrant colours of the season from July 10 to 14.
BC Place is recognized around the world as a landmark of Vancouver’s skyline and a place of pride for all British Columbians. Besides enhancing the overall guest experience during events, the stadium’s Northern Lights Display is used for causes that have a positive impact in our community.
Below is the complete Northern Lights Display schedule for July (subject to change).
July 1-3: Maple Leaf show for Canada Day
July 5: green for National Injury Prevention Day
July 10-14: Summer show
July 15: blue for BC Blueberry Day
July 16-17: red for Vancouver Chinatown Festival
July 20: red for Special Olympics Global Week of Inclusion
July 22: teal for World Fragile X Day
July 24-25: “Light the Path” show for Hope & Health
July 28: red for Food Day Canada (July 31)
July 29-31: rainbow for Vancouver Pride Festival
Follow the stadium’s social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram for the latest on the Northern Lights display.