Ganges (Shiya’hwt/SYOWT) is a vibrant artisan enclave on Salt Spring Island, BC, and a hub for creativity, business, and tourism within the Gulf Islands.
With the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee looking to create a vision for the future of Ganges Village, our communication design team was invited to design a visual identity to support Ahne Studio’s engagement program for the Ganges Village Area Plan.
The island is home to a diverse mix of artists, retirees, local workers, and members of the Hul’q’umi’num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples—all passionate about the village.
To invite shared input and support Ahne’s Studio’s co-creation engagement approach, our goal was to create an identity that made everyone feel represented.
Through a visioning exercise, we asked the Local Trust Committee to share their feelings about Ganges Village and what it means to them and the community. “Togetherness” emerged as a predominant theme, and after a few concept iterations, we introduced Ganges Gathers.
Centred around a 70’s vibe with warm pastel colours and hand drawn illustrations, the identity mimics the feel of the island and the local ecosystems that support it, while the naming system introduces “Shiya’hwt/SYOWT” front and centre to respectfully acknowledge the Hul’q’umi’num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples.
Together, the concept evokes feelings of belonging, community spirit, and local affection, playing into the artistic spirit of the island.
Ganges Gathers acted as a call to action for people to come together and share their ideas for the future of the village—with over 533 people participating in surveys and visioning sessions.
The next phase will see the project team analysing issues of land use development, transportation and mobility, housing, cultural and archeological protection, climate change resiliency, infrastructure servicing, and protection of aquifers and biodiversity.
To learn more, visit the dedicated Ganges Village Area Plan website.
hcma created a poetic and visually compelling identity for our client’s public engagement process, successfully capturing imaginations and input from communities that were both broad and diverse. They were inspiring collaborators, and they adapted to changing project circumstances with grace and professionalism. hcma was essential to our project’s success, and it was a true joy working with this team.