Hands Across the Water

September 19–21, 2025
Salt Spring Island & the Orcas Island + Surrounding Islands

Hands Across the Water is coming this fall —and you’re invited to be part of it.

From September 19–21, Salt Spring Island will welcome over 100 visiting boats and their crews from Orcas and the surrounding San Juan Islands for a weekend of connection, culture, and community. This cross-border flotilla kicks off with a symbolic mid-channel handshake, followed by a guided arrival into Ganges and a weekend full of shared celebration.

Now’s the time to get involved and help showcase the best of Salt Spring.

Taking place the weekend of September 19–21, this unique event kicks off with a mid-channel meeting at the international border near Bedwell Harbour—where Canadian and U.S. vessels will raft up and share a symbolic handshake of friendship, unity, and neighbourly goodwill. Media will be there to capture this historic moment.

From there, the flotilla will travel together into Ganges Harbour, where Salt Spring will warmly welcome over 100 visiting boats from Orcas Island for a weekend of connection, collaboration, and celebration.

Weekend Highlights:

Friday, September 19 – Arrival & Opening Events

•  Meet-up at Bedwell Harbour and ceremonial crossing into Canada
•  Guided arrival into Ganges (with a festive flotilla atmosphere)
• Cocktail reception ( saltspring alcohol and wine manufacturers showcase) and opening ceremonies
• Land acknowledgment, opening remarks, gift exchange, and weekend orientation
• Fireside stories with local historians and Indigenous community leaders

Saturday, September 20 – Community Connection

• Salt Spring’s famous Saturday Market
• Yacht club events and a regatta
•  Youth vs. adults soccer game
• ·Sistering events connecting island organizations (schools, farms, libraries, museums, land trusts, governments, and more)
• ·Wine tours, bike tours, and live music
•  Evening concert in the harbour
• “Taste of Salt Spring” Restaurants featuring local farms and producers

Sunday, September 21 – Farewell

•  Pancake breakfast send-off
• Island sistering ceremony 
• Closing ceremony
• 1:00pm: Departure for Orcas-bound boats
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Whether by land or sea, Hands Across the Water is a joyful celebration of islander spirit, cross-border friendship, and late-season local vitality. All are welcome—come be a part of this first-of-its-kind gathering!