Cultural Campus Update
After several months of preparation, staff training, and careful setup, ʔəms ʔayɛ (Our House) Cultural Centre and ʔɛɬtanmot ʔayɛ (the Traditional Food House) are ready to welcome community use.
ʔəms ʔayɛ is a cultural gathering place designed for ceremonies, cultural events, meetings, and learning activities. It includes the main feast hall, museum, language lab, and offices for the Culture, Heritage, and Language teams.
ʔɛɬtanmot ʔayɛ is a purpose-built Traditional Food House where community members can learn, teach, and practice the procuring, processing, and preservation of traditional foods.
Cultural Campus Manager Leslie Louie emphasized the care that went into preparing the buildings for long-term community use. “This was about doing things properly,” said Louie. “We wanted to make sure the spaces are safe, functional, and ready to be used in good ways for many years to come. These buildings were built for the community, and now they’re ready for community use.”
Requirements, Registration & Open House
Family bookings are available to ɬaʔamɩn qayɛmɩxʷ (Tla’amin citizens) who are adults and in good standing. Citizens are required to complete an orientation, hold a current Food Safe Level 1 certification, and agree to respectful use guidelines before their first booking.
To help introduce the space, the Traditional Food House team (Leslie Louie, Avi Sternberg and Lawrence Dingwall) will host an Open House on February 6. Community members are invited to come by, see the facility, learn about available equipment, and ask questions about food processing, workshops, and future programming. More details will be shared closer to the date.
All bookings are managed through Xplor (PerfectMind). Community members can create an account and request a space at:
https://tlaamin.perfectmind.com/SocialSite/MemberRegistration/MemberSignIn
Once a booking request is approved, users will receive a booking agreement, provide a refundable damage deposit, and complete any required orientations or certifications.
Thank you to the community for your patience as we crossed our t’s and dotted our i’s. Together, these spaces are intended to support cultural practices, ceremonies, community gatherings, education, and food security for Tla’amin citizens. We look forward to seeing the Cultural Campus become an active, well-used hub for gathering, learning, and sharing.