One of the tourists is taking a souvenir photo in front of the Victoria sign against the backdrop of the harbour and the BC Parliament. Nearby, a smiling man is skillfully juggling balls, poking at the sky. A sky-and-sea-coloured tent of the BC Cancer Foundation catches the eye. One of the foundation's volunteers is staring off somewhere ahead. I follow his gaze and my eyes land on a stage surrounded by spectators. Chinese dancers in red-and-white costumes are performing dance steps full of sacred meaning. 
 A few metres away from the stage, in Ship Point Park, a group of athletes dressed in matching uniforms is doing synchronous exercises. Another group in a different coloured uniform is also warming up on the lawn opposite. Right here, a section of the parking lot is fenced off for a bustling crowd of multi-coloured teams. According to the schedule, some of them, after their warm-up, head over to the coordinators' tent at the beginning of the pier. Nearby, a flip scoreboard shows the heat number. 
 Crowds of fans are making their way toward the head of the pier. They are intercepted by organizers offering free Canada Dry beverages on this sunny day. This is another annual Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival at the Inner Harbour in Victoria, BC. A water sports festival that unites tradition and community. A festival without which it is hard to imagine the summer solstice weekend in our beautiful capital of beautiful British Columbia.