In 2016 Quilchena celebrate their 40th anniversary.  This special event provides motivation and opportunity to reflect on and investigate the human condition as experienced through time and place. Quilchena school was given its name by the Richmond School Board, in order to honour the First Nations People who lived here for generations before us.  Throughout their Vancouver Biennale BIG IDEAS project, the students explored their school community’s connection to First Nations’ ancestors and to the land, while also learning about their own connection to place.  This sense of place includes the land on which Quilchena sits as well as any land that holds meaning for their families and their ancestors.
Through inquiry, students investigated personal identity, family history and their connection to the land.  They expressed their understandings through the vehicles of story-telling and visual arts, in the tradition of indigenous peoples.
With the help of Stephen Both, the students create an art project located at the entrance of the school leaving a legacy for the Quilchena community now and for the years to come.