With Britain's King Charles III's upcoming visit to Canada this month, I recalled this photo of his younger brother, Prince Edward, visiting Victoria in 1994 when we were working on the XV Commonwealth Games. This view shows the prince beside me with Carole Sabiston alongside, as we introduced the prince to the Commonwealth Cape of Many Hands. This event took place at the Crystal Gardens in August 1994.
Way back in 1991, when Victoria began preparing for their turn at hosting the Commonwealth Games, the organization’s president, George Heller, and his crew asked Carole Sabiston and me to put together this spectacular international cultural project. Sabiston, the renowned fabric artist, was wonderful to work with, and I was thrilled to get to know her while we worked with the area’s First Nations and hundreds of volunteers to create this symbolic showpiece blending sports with art. First Nations designs were by Coast Salish, Nuu-cha-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw artists.
The two hands selected for the hand tracings belonged to Sooke sports icons Noreen Sullivan and Finn Kennedy, joined with the myriad of hands from all the Commonwealth countries, provinces of Canada, and our local municipalities.
Many women from the Sooke area helped stitch the project together. A stitching headquarters was set up for us in downtown Victoria, in what was then called the Eaton Centre, between Douglas Street and Broad Street. Each of the participating stitching ladies was invited to take part in the colourful closing ceremonies of the Games, where we all wore white outfits.
1994 was a pretty exciting year for Victoria. While the prince was here for the opening of the Games, it was the closing ceremonies that brought his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, to Government House. It was during this occasion when then-MLA Rick Kasper, his wife Doni Eve, my husband Jim and I were invited to dine with the Queen’s party, an honour that remains warm in our memories.
We understand that Prince Edward and his wife, Princess Sophie, are still involved in cultural endeavours but live quietly in Britain today.
Elida Peers is a historian with Sooke Region Museum
