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The Opening Ceremonies

Chris Koch and Pat Chan / 23.06.2007

At noon today, racers gathered at the Museum of Northern BC to meet the traditional landowners of the region - the Tsimshian People. A song of peace and welcome brought friendly access to the Queen Charlotte\'s. This was followed by a song of a united heart - the perfect team anthem. The traditional goodbye was an exit song.

Teams then gathered for a sushi meet and greet. There is some nervousness over the gear strategy as all the bins have been packed and sent off at 11am today. How much food to put where and what clothes to leave for unknown future weather conditions were guesses at best.

Prince Rupert has opened its arms to the racers. You can\'t order a coffee without a smiling face asking you if you\'re racing and wishing you the best of luck. Local sponsors have lined up behind teams to help them out in many ways.

For example, Team SSS was sponsored by local business Seaquest Exploration (www.seaquestexplorations.ca). Their sponsor brought them a bag full of freshly baked crabs, homemade granola bars, some literature on the Queen Charlotte\'s, individual first aid kits, custom t-shirts with Team SSS on them, and so on. More than anybody expected.

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