Road Trip for a Cause: Paul and Celine Vukson's 22-Hour Mission to Deliver Musical Instruments
Last month, dedicated volunteers, retired airline pilot Paul Vukson and residential school survivor Celine Vukson, undertook a remarkable journey, driving over 22 hours to deliver donated musical instruments to the remote Indigenous communities of Big Trout Lake and Pikangikum in northwestern Ontario.
They transported a U-Haul from Brantford to Sioux Lookout, where they deposited two crates filled with instruments at a hangar, preparing for the next stage of its journey to Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, which serves 240 students.
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, commonly known as Big Trout Lake, is an Oji-Cree community in northwestern Ontario with a population of over 1,000. Located approximately 580 km north of Thunder Bay, the community is situated on the north shore of Big Trout Lake. It is accessible only by air or by winter road from Pickle Lake.
Following this, Paul and Celine continued their journey to Winnipeg to deliver the remaining instruments for Pikangikum. This marks the second significant road trip for the duo; two years prior, they transported pianos from Toronto to Pikangikum. Mahsi Cho!
Artscan Circle would also like to extend our gratitude to our generous funders and the Canadians who participated in our instrument drives, donating their instruments to support Indigenous children and youth living in remote communities across Canada.
