About the Festival
The Gathering for Life on Earth is a Pagan spiritual retreat, hosted each year by the Greater Vancouver Pagan community. The purpose of this 4-day event is to build community, to foster religious discussion, and to celebrate life on the Pagan path. We pride ourselves on welcoming and being inclusive of all paths whether you’re an animist, ceremonialist, druid, heathen, shaman, witch, or other. The Gathering is intended by its organizers to be a meeting place where Pagans can be exposed to new ideas, be spiritually challenged, grow, meet new people, and above all — have fun!
The Gathering for Life on Earth is a registered non-profit society run by a members-elected board of volunteers who are re-elected each year at an annual general meeting which takes place during the festival. This means the festival does not make money, but is instead here solely for the benefit of the community and is completely run by unpaid volunteers who work hard to organize a new festival each year.
For information specific to this year, please visit the Current Year page.
Newcomers
The Gathering is committed to growth and inclusivity. Veteran Gathering participants and other long-time members of the local Pagan communities are encouraged to contact people who are new to the community and invite them to attend. If this is your first Gathering, please let us know by checking off the “First Gathering?” box on your registration form so we can include some helpful advice and recommendations in your confirmation package. The Gathering is a great chance to explore a variety of Pagan spiritual paths in respectful and supportive surroundings.
If you haven’t already, we recommend joining our Yahoo! and Facebook groups. There you will receive the latest news on the upcoming festival, have the ability to download important files (registration packages, site maps, volunteer info, etc) and be able to talk about Gatherings past and forthcoming with other members. It is also a way to share your ideas with the Board and to learn more about the ever-evolving focus of the GFLOE Festival.
Photo Joe Perri
The Site
The festival is hosted on the shores of a beautiful lake just an hour East of downtown Vancouver. This secluded site features a private sandy beach and a swimming dock, a marsh, a creek, and forested areas. Trails are accessible from the camp which will take you around the lake in about two hours time. The camp features a main lodge with 2-storey vaulted ceilings, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, and a large covered deck. All meals and snacks are served in the main lodge. It also features washroom and shower facilities.
Accessibility
This site is wheelchair accessible. Parking is limited, so we encourage people to carpool.
The site is accessible by public transit, but there’s still a bit of a trek up the long dirt driveway from the bus stop, so pack light! You can catch the C26 from Port Moody Station and get off at Bedwell Bay Road at Senkler Road (stop #53250). Turn right onto the forested dirt driveway (marked by a sign) to get to the site.
Accommodation
Sleeping accommodations include four cottages, seven cabins, and two yurts. The cottages overlook the lake. Each cottage has three semi-private rooms furnished with bunk beds. These are ideally suited for use as family accommodations. The cabins are nestled in the woods, are more private, and are furnished with six single beds. The yurts are near the parking lot and are furnished with five sets of bunk beds. Accommodations are fully winterized and equipped with electric light and heat. Campers need only supply their own sleeping bags and pillows.
For the more self-reliant persons, limited camping spaces are also available for tents, but are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is no registration fee discount for tenting.
Catering
Photo Joe Perri
The Gathering is a fully catered event. Three solid nutritious meals, featuring a variety of comfort food, are served daily. There’s plenty of good eating here for omnivores and vegetarians alike. The kitchen staff are well-trained food service professionals who are more than capable of providing reasonable and cheerful attention to ordinary dietary requirements.
We will strive to offer non-dairy and wheat-free meals for those who require it; however, please know that it is not possible for the kitchen staff, nor is it within our budget to meet every dietary requirement. For severely restricted diets, please consider bringing supplements to camp meals and act accordingly. Please complete the Food Section on the registration form. There are no cooking facilities available to campers aside from a communal microwave, toaster, and electric tea kettle.
