Barefoot Caravan from B.C.’s Okanagan was one of the bands on stage at the first annual Likely Music Festival this weekend. Their lively global music, sung in several languages, touched on the theme of the festival, which was promoting healing and resilience in the Likely community after the Mount Polley mine breach last summer.

Barefoot Caravan from B.C.’s Okanagan was one of the bands on stage at the first annual Likely Music Festival this weekend. Their lively global music, sung in several languages, touched on the theme of the festival, which was promoting healing and resilience in the Likely community after the Mount Polley mine breach last summer.

Likely Music Festival: helping a community heal

Bands from across B.C., local vendors and festival guests enjoyed the first annual Likely Music Festival.

Bands from across B.C., local vendors and festival guests enjoyed the first annual Likely Music Festival at Cedar Point Campground over the B.C. Day long weekend.

Set up on the ball field at the park, the festival featured lively tunes in a wide genre of music including global indie dance, gospel, country/rock classics and original songs and more.

The bands included Barefoot Caravan, Perfect Match, Country Calibre, Folky Strum Strum, Richie and the Poor Boys, Chicken Like Bird, Flannel Roots, Sara Towle, Jeff Windborne and MystryCwby.

There was a children’s music workshop, fresh local food and camping — great summer fun with a heart-felt underlying meaning, festival co-ordinator Lawna Bourassa said.

She explained that the festival’s theme, ‘Pull up your dam breaches’ was chosen to help heal the community after the Mt. Polley Mine breach last summer.

Likely is a perfect place for a festival because it’s unique – not only its beauty but because of its people, she said.

“It’s peaceful and gorgeous; its own little world. ‘Only in Likely,’ we say, and we all work together,” Bourassa added.

“We don’t know the future, but we will keep this festival going. Every year we continue to heal.

“For me, this has been great — just what we needed, and next year will be bigger and better,” she said.

“The feedback has been positive: everyone loved all the bands and we want every single one back next year.”

Williams Lake Tribune