05/25/2026
MAY DAY 2026: Fly Me to the Moon!
What an incredible day! The costumes, the parade, the weather, the community spirit, the May Pole Dancers, ALL of it was a huge success because of so many people. It takes a village to keep this annual tradition going, and we would like to honor all the amazing volunteers who contribute to the magic. THANK YOU!!!!
STAGE: Thanks to Mel & Ross Doak for supplying and setting up the stage! They keep the supplies stored safely year-round and bring it to the spit the night before so the families of the Royal Court can decorate it. Amazing! Also, thanks for donating the Porta Potties each year.
PARADE MARSHALING: Lead by Dee McPhee and her wonderful team of helpers: Sofia McPhee, Derek McPhee, Ishan Dennis McMahon, Donna Nickoloff, Michelle Crosby& Joe Bridle.
MAY POLE DANCERS: Instructors: Mandy Hart Lunabelle Louisea-Tremblay, Hazel Neri and helper Fern James. Thanks also to the staff at the Quadra Elementary. Special thanks to live May Pole music by: Fern Kornelsen and Miray Campbell.
MONARCH AND COURT: Retiring 2025 May Monarch: Aurelia Nammour and Es**rt Eden Shoichate. 2026 May Monarch: Liv Ross and Es**rt Emmett Swanson, Bella Gonzales and Es**rt Lilah Mallis-Tolley, Talia Munn and Es**rt Deklan Gilbert. Special thanks to Robin Beaton, Libby Bawks-Smith and Sofia McPhee for being the May Monarch organizers extraordinaire! Thanks to the parents of the retiring court for their help organizing the decorations.
BOX LUNCH AUCTION: Organizer: Ginny Hunneke. Shoutout to auctioneer team from the CCCU Sarah Bible and Emily Whitfield! Thanks to Heriot Bay Tru Value (for storing lunches in their walk-in cooler overnight) and also to Fern James for transporting lunches to the spit early Saturday am.
BEAUTIFUL BOXED LUNCHES provided by incredible local businesses: Walcan “See Change” Seafoods, The Clove, Yellow Rose, Gowland Harbour Resort, Café Aroma, The Cove Pharmacy, Coveside Seafood Eatery, Island Farm to Table, Fermentations, Heriot Bay Inn, Java Bay Café and Friends, Gas & Go, The Q: Quadra Island Golf Club, Tru Value Foods Heriot Bay, Tru Value Food Q.Cove, Coastal Community Credit Union, “Quadra Goddesses”: Pan Pan Bread, Tantrum No. 1, Fruition Farm, Southend Farm Winery, Little Orchard Market & Heriot Hideaway
*** Huge thanks to everyone who bid on the lunches and helped fundraise for next year’s May Day!!
CONCESSION: Organizer EXTRODINAIRE – Mornay Vanzyl. Helpers: Angela Vanzyl & Jill Ross. Volunteers: Steve Eley, Steve Remedio, Marc Doll, Phil Hawkins, Thom Knutson, Kent Macaulay, Mary Melnechenko, Afton McCauley, Leib & Danielle Ostrow, Jamie Black, Ginny Hunneke, Margrit Johnson, Kathryn Manry, Melanie Circle, The ONION KING: Bruce Classen and the one and only Rome!
RACES: Led by Marni McMahan and helpers: Kaz Jones, Phil Johnston, Maks Andrejczuk, Paige Burton, Jess Nycholat, Darcy and Tallaluna Greenland, Rowan and Mabel Weeks-Smith and Helen Irwin the ribbon master.
FACE PAINTING: Led by Megan Hartley and volunteers: Laurie Hartley, Aquilina Mitchell, Cedar-Rose Zuk, Danielle Turpin, Heidi Ridgeway & Katiyanna D**e.
SHUTTLE: Spirit of the West Adventures
LAND BLESSING: Thank you to Sing for Pure Joy, led by Mary Dennison and Kate Alexandra, for their beautiful rendition of 'Humbly' along with the Quadra Elementary K-1 Class. Special thanks as well to Mary and Kate for leading us in O Canada.
GREASE POLE: Doug and Gretchen Peters
DRIFTWOOD SCULPURE BUILDING: Barb Mindell and helpers
VOLLEYBALL: Katie Field, Brandon Pirie & Family
PARKING: Paul Ryan, Jen Doll and Jamie Black
SET UP AND CLEAN UP: Huge shout out to Mornay Vanzyl. Thankyou as well to many members of the Quadra Island Fire Department…. Too many to keep track of, thank you!
SOUND: Daniel Sutherland for the loan of his sound equipment
CARETAKERS: Jamie Swanson and family…. Thanks for keeping the set up safe overnight!
ENTERTAINMENT: Sarah Sopracolle from Sound Seed Yoga for the beautiful Cosmic Sound Bath!
CLEAN UP and RECYCLING: Waste Management for donating dumpster and recycling bins.
2025 DEDICATION: Thanks to Jeanne Stoppard for presenting the dedication to the DOAK FAMILY: Betty, Mel and Ross.
Gr. 5 PICNIC: Thanks go to parents: Tracy Sinclair, Kirstie Stewart and Lana Tehennepe-Munn for organizing and helping day of. Thanks to CCCU for the event tent.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Photo Club – Anika Tokarchuk, Olivia McCauley, Marjorie Luce-Haddon and Diane Yusko-Fielding
SPECIAL APPRECIATIONS TO:
• Quadra Builders for BBQ drop off/pick up
• Walcan Seafood for the ice
• Michael Kinser for the BBQ’s
• The Discovery Islander for advertising
• Ambulance Crew
• Fire Department
• Campbell River Pipe Band
• RCMP for leading the parade: Corporal Nick Morden, Constable Alex Antonescu and Constable Julie Clelland
• Coffee Donations by Aroma Coffee Rosters
• Kindergarten Teacher Lesley Brown for helping the K class at the ceremony
• Rebecca Spit Park Operators for extra amazing park prep!
• May Day Poster Design by Sarah James Design and name painting by Elke River
• All the “fancy” cars and drivers for the Monarch and Court
• The secret parade judges (you know who you are!)
• The May Day theme selection committee
• And all of YOU who put effort into the AMAZING floats and costumes!
Huge thanks to everyone who helped bring 2026 May Day magic to life!
It all came together beautifully thanks to the incredible support of this community.
If we happened to miss your name on the thank-you list, please know how much we appreciate you!
See you all again next year!
With much appreciation & gratitude,
Jane West ~ Executive Director
& Bradford Vinson ~ Program Co-Ordinator
Quadra Island Community Centre
May Monarch Speech 2026 by Liv Ross
Hi everyone and welcome to our cosmic carnival! My name is Liv Ross and I am over the
moon excited and honored to be your 2026 May Monarch!
We are officially cleared for launch so, without further ado Quadra Island - WHO’S
READY FOR LIFT -OFF?
First, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered here today on the ancestral and
traditional lands of the Laich-kwil-tach people, including the Wei Wai Kai and Wei Wai
K*m nations. I am so grateful that I get to live, learn and celebrate May Day on this
beautiful land.
I would also like to thank our retiring May Monarch Aurelia for passing on the crown to
me. Your wonderful speech last year was so inspiring, and you helped make May Day
shine so brightly - just like a shooting star guiding us across the sky!
Let’s give a round of applause to Aurelia!
And now I would like to introduce some other very special people up here with me - my
space crew for this cosmic celebration! This is my es**rt Emmett, and this is my May
Court, Talia and Bella, with their es**rts Deklan and Lilah.
They’re all totally awesome and out of this world, so let’s give them a round of applause
as well!
May Day has been celebrated on Quadra Island for well over a century. It began as a
simple picnic to welcome spring and included many traditions brought by early
European settlers, such as dancing around the may pole. But just like the moon moves
through its phases (from a tiny crescent to a full glowing moon) our May Day traditions
have also changed and grown over time. This year’s theme,
“Fly Me to the Moon – Join
the Cosmic Carnival,
”Reminds” us of that journey. What started as a small picnic has
become a big, fun celebration FULL of imagination and cosmic magic.
I love so much about May Day, from the foot races to the rootbeer floats and the fun
costumes to riding in the parade. But my very favorite memory was definitely May Pole
dancing! My mom did it too when she was in Grade 3, which made it feel extra special.
We even wore the same color pinafores and now we both have our flower wreaths at
home together.
I feel really lucky that my great grandparents moved to Quadra Island and that I’m now
the fourth generation in my family to enjoy May Day. It makes me proud to be part of
something my family has grown up with, sharing the same traditions and memories
years apart but always connected underneath the same moon. To me, May Day means more than just a celebration. It means kindness and community.
It’s about being part of something bigger than ourselves like we’re all stars in a galaxy
that shine brighter when we’re together!
So I would like to give a big thank you to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make
today possible. And thank you to all of you for being part of it and for bringing your
energy and light. You are what makes May Day shine so bright here in our own special
corner of the universe!
Thank you for letting me be your 2026 May Monarch!
And as you continue your journey through this Cosmic Carnival, remember: you don’t
need a rocket to reach the stars, just dream big, shine bright, and continue to lift each
other up!
Quadra Island, mission complete, we have officially landed!
Thank you!
