Ghosting of Sumas Lake

The first production of the 2022–23 Theatre season at UFV was an innovative workshop performance, Ghosting of Sumas Lake, directed by Dr. Michelle La Flamme. This was devised theatre in which La Flamme developed the script based on the actors’ lived experiences of the catastrophic November 2021 Sumas Prairie floods. The final script spoke of the numerous and diverse communities affected by the flooding from farmers to animals, to the plants, to the Indigenous communities, students, staff, and community members alike.

In addition, Dr. LaFlamme, with the support of her research assistant Kai Pollock, created a vital overview on the historical and cultural context of the Fraser Valley floods to help actors understand the context in preparation for the performance. This turned into a much larger project documenting communities affected by flooding in the region, Indigenous perspectives on the Sumas Lake and surrounding area, the historical context for the draining of the lake, and images of the original flora and fauna in the area with their Indigenous names featured wherever possible. Panels from the book were featured in the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery on the Abbotsford campus. Associate Professor Parjad Sharifi edited a video featuring photos from the book for a looped video installation and guests were invited to write their reflections in a guest book. This gallery installation supported the performance of the play which had a two-week run of sold-out shows.