Organizer of a city-wide treasure hunt, Nicolette Dawn is excited for people solve her riddles and to search around Lethbridge trying to find her hidden treasure.
It’s not every day that you hear about buried treasure somewhere in Lethbridge, but for one local woman, she has started a city-wide treasure hunt to kick off the year.
Nicolette Dawn has been planning the treasure hunt for a few months for the whole community to enjoy. After being temporarily laid off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dawn began brainstorming different ideas that include having fun, while also staying safe.
“I saw the effects COVID-19 has had on the community and I wanted to get people more focused on something a little bit more positive. When [some people] have lost their jobs and stuff like that, I just wanted to give back to the community and spread some positivity,” said Dawn.
The hunt for The Lost Treasure of Captain Nicolette Dawn began on Jan. 1, with a new clue being released every Friday on Facebook. The clues are written in a riddle form, so treasure seekers have to solve the riddles before setting sail to find the buried treasure. Dawn has also created bonus clues for treasure seekers to get ahead of their opponents.
“Only three people had access to the bonus clue, which includes the bonus clue, the fourth clue and then a video introduction with a bunch of pictures I have taken from around the area where the treasure is buried.”
The treasure is believed to be buried 30 centimetres underground, so people are advised to bring a small shovel to help uncover the treasure. Dawn encourages individuals and families to seek out the treasure, keeping COVID-19 safety precautions in mind and respecting nature as they search.
Krystal Eves and Shantal Eves-Wolskyj have been looking for the treasure since the event started. Eves says it has been fun trying to decipher the clues while being able to enjoy the warm January weather.
“It’s something to do with the kids, it gets us outdoors and we’ve done one dig so far that wasn’t successful because after that one there was another clue that kind of threw me off from where I was leaning, but we’re still looking for more.”
As for Blake and Jenna Briscoe, when asked if they hope another treasure hunt comes along, they say the hunt is fun and exciting, but they are more curious as to where the treasure may be hidden.
“Yes and no, mainly because we really want to find it, but we also don’t care if we find it, we just really want to know where it was [buried].”
Dawn says the treasure hunt is affiliated with The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, an organization that stands for the freedom of expression, individuality and religion. The organization is the first official registered church of its kind in Alberta.
“[The organization] did a small clothing drive in December and January, next month we are going to be doing a drive for the food bank,” said Dawn. “The organization is also planning a coulee cleanup in the spring because I noticed how much garbage is down around Indian Battle Park and it’s disgusting. I’m really big into respecting nature so during this whole treasure hunt I’ve been asking people to be super respectful of nature and to not leave a whole bunch of garbage behind.”
Dawn says if all goes well and if the treasure is found within the next couple months, she hopes to do another event next year. Dawn says for people participating in the hunt to respect nature while they look for it.
If you’re interested in finding the treasure, you can read all the clues on The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s Facebook page.