The Valley Youth Fiddlers began performing as a group in 1997 in the Bulkley Valley and the music is going strong nearly 25 years later. 

This group from northern British Columbia features fiddlers who play with their friends and family as backup on instruments, from accordion to drums. Members range in age from 6-60 and with diverse levels of skills, they create a sense of community among the valley’s musicians.

The group’s influences and tunes range from French to Scandinavian to African and they also feature a lot of Canadian songs, naturally.

But just because it’s a community group, don’t think for a second they’re lacking in professionalism or polish.

Here’s the director of the Valley Youth Fiddlers, Leslie-Jean MacMillan, speaking with CICK about the history of the group and the lessons learned from COVID-19: