Salmon Stomp at the cannery

Chanel Stasiuk is honest, if nothing else.

Last summer, she performed at country music’s biggest showcase in Western Canada—Merritt Mountain Music Festival—before headliner Kenny Chesney took to the stage. The 15-year-old doesn’t take long to describe the feeling of playing the same venue as some of her country music idols.

“Terrifying,” she says, in an interview outside the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, where she performs Sunday. “But it was also really cool, and I learned so much just by watching them.”

Stasiuk is one of six acts scheduled to perform at the third annual Salmon Stomp festival at the cannery. The festival is returning at a time when Richmond has a reason to celebrate salmon, with sockeye returns in the Fraser River appearing bountiful. This week marked early sockeye openings for the commercial fishing fleet for the first time in four years on the Fraser.

Stasiuk began belting out Shania Twain classics at age two, progressing to the songs of Walt Disney films. The Grade 10 Surrey student and early student of Perry Ehrlich’s Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! musical theatre program has performed at nearly 20 shows and festivals already this year. She continues to develop her talents with voice and guitar lessons, and wants to take music “as far as I can take it.”

“I’d really like to make it a lifestyle and just make it my job when I’m older. I don’t want it just as a hobby,” she says.

On Sunday, she’ll be performing a mix of country cover songs and her own original songs.

“They definitely have that new country feel, because that’s my favourite genre. They’re mostly about my life experiences and from my weird imagination, being a 15-year-old and all. I think they’re songs that a lot of people can relate to.”

Also in store are African and Celtic performances, along with street entertainers and crafts for kids.

Headliner Doghouse takes to the stage at 5 p.m., playing a blend of Celtic folk, jazz and country music. The Delta band—Pete Edwards, George Tyc and Bruce McLelland—performs a couple dozen foot-tapping shows each year in Metro Vancouver.

Admission to Salmon Stomp is free, courtesy of sponsor G&F Financial Group.

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Salmon Stomp

•Sunday, Aug. 8, noon to 6:30 p.m. at Gulf of Georgia Cannery (12138 Fourth Ave.)

•Featuring concerts from Chanel Stasiuk (noon), Skystone (1 p.m.), Kutapira (2 p.m.), Doug Andrew and the Circus in Flames (3 p.m.), Kokoma African Heritage Ensemble (4 p.m.) and Doghouse (5 p.m.)

•Admission is free