The Sidney Sister Cities Association (SSCA) has released their new calendar chock full of images featuring Sidney through the eyes of local photographers.
The calendars, which are made up annually out of photos submitted to a committee within the SSCA, are sold by the association as a fundraiser to help with programming they run in conjunction with the Town’s sister cities of Cairns, Australia, Niimi, Japan and Anacortes, Washington.
“The funds raised go towards projects we run including two $1,000 scholarships to Parkland students who will travel to Cairns as ambassadors of our town,” explained SSCA member and calendar committee chair Bob McLure.
“We’re hoping to foster better relationships with our sister cities because of these types of international exchanges,” he said.
This year, half the funds raised will also go the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula (CACSP) to cover the costs of their participation in this year’s calendar.
“We paired with the Arts Council this year to put up images that were submitted to the calendar project at the Gallery By the Sea which is located on the outside of the Fish Market on the Pier,” explained McLure.
“The images were blown up and put on weather-proof mounts and will remain there until the end of September,” he said, adding that all the prints are for sale.
This year, McLure said, the SSCA received 242 photo submissions from photographers in the community and used 51 of those in the calendar.
The winning photos were selected by a committee of the SSCA and members from the CACSP using a blind selection process. Criteria for selection, he continued, included quality of picture, subject matter and how well each photograph illustrated the charm of Sidney.
“We printed 1,000 copies of the calendar this year and they are for sale at Tanner’s Books,” said McLure, adding that the SSCA estimates about 80 per cent of the calendars are purchased and either taken or sent abroad.
“It’s nice to know a little bit of Sidney goes all over the world,” he said.
For more information visit www.sidneysistercitiesassociation.com.
reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com