36th Anniversary of the Baltic Way Commemoration on Jericho Pier

Name: 36th Anniversary of the Baltic Way Commemoration on Jericho Pier
Start: 2025-08-22T18:00:00-07:00
Location: Jericho Pier

Schedule

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025 at 06:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Jericho Pier | Vancouver, BC

The Baltic communities in Vancouver invite you to help us celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Baltic Way! Join us for a brief program followed by an optional picnic social on the beach.
**Come for the commemoration only or stay and socialize with Baltic community friends and supporters.**
Join us for a unanimous display of unity, sovereignty and solidarity as we gather to remember this historic event. We will join hands and sing the “Baltics are Waking Up”, a song written for the "Baltic Way" in 1989. We will fly our flags and sing our anthems. If you plan to stay and socialize – please bring your own refreshments, a picnic supper or a dish to share.
We encourage you to wear your national colours or costumes and to bring your flags. For more information on the Baltic Way and Black Ribbon Day (both commemorated annually on August 23), see "Background" at the bottom.
Location: Jericho Pier on Jericho Beach
Parking is available at the main lot, Jericho East (EasyPark Lot 69). Limited free street parking.
Program
• 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm - Arrival
• 6:30 pm - Anthems & greetings from representatives
• 7:00 pm - Join hands and sing "The Baltics are Waking Up"
• 7:15 pm until dusk - Refreshments, socializing, picnic on the beach
If you have any questions, please contact the following community representatives:
The Vancouver Estonian Society: [email protected]
The Latvian Community in BC: [email protected]
The Lithuanian Community of BC: [email protected]
We hope to see you there!
Näeme varsti!
Tiekamies pavisam drīz!
Iki pasimatymo!
**Background**
On August 23, 1989, 50 years after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia organized the “Baltic Way”. During that historic event, two million citizens joined hands creating a human chain that spanned 700 km across three countries and demonstrated the Baltic peoples' determination to regain independence from the Soviet Union.
Black Ribbon Day, commemorated annually on August 23, is an International Day of Remembrance for the victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, specifically Nazism and Soviet Communism. It has been observed by Canada’s federal political parties since the resolution for a National Day of Remembrance was unanimously adopted in November 2009.