June 21st - The Mysterious Creature of the Sointula Docks!

I heard strange little foot steps scampering across the dock late in the evening. There were weird sounds resembling soft growls and muted barks. When I rushed up to the cockpit to see what was lurking about there was only an apparition of a small chocolate colored creature darting out of sight beneath planks of the dock. I waited patiently with my camera to try and capture an image of this elusive mystery!

ALAS! SUCCESS! BUSTED!

IT IS THE INFAMOUS "STINKY MINKY" as he has been named by the locals or sometimes known as a "Gucci Rat". This stealth little mink roams the docks looking for fish, crab or the occasional unsuspecting small mammals !


This most famous of fur-bearing animals is a common resident in British Columbia. It is almost always associated with water, and is an excellent swimmer. It feeds on aquatic animals and amphibians, birds and small mammals. On the BC coast, where it is commonly seen, its diet is full of crabs and other marine life. It is a fierce hunter; and has been reported holding the head of a large gull underwater until it drowned.

"Pierre's Echo Bay" and Pig Roast

Pierre has transformed Echo Bay into a wonderful marina with all new docks, upgraded store and fuel station. He erected the large tent on a piece of floating bridge from Seattle to accomodate the Pig Roast Extravaganza.

He moved the float houses down from his old site.

He and his wife host the Pig Roasts. They supply the pig, baked potatoes and dessert and the guests bring a side dish.

The pig is cooked on the huge bar-b-que.

The variety makes for a grand feast!

"The Pig will live on through a lot of happy boaters.

Kathleen and Jim happily await our table to be called.

We fill our plates with the great vaiety of food and the delicious tender pork.

We really enjoyed the food, new and old friends and to know that Pierre and partner have saved an important landmark in the Broughtons!

June 19th - Exploring the Broughtons

We departed Sointula and headed around Donegal Head. "Eagle Wing" Jim and Kathleen's boat is on it's Maiden Voyage into the Broughtons.

We anchored with Eagle Wing rafted to us in Viner Inlet. A badly needed rain storm came in during the night.

"Zorba the Dog" is Kathleen and Jim's Schipperke. It was his Maiden Voyage to shore for a walk when he decided to jump in. Jim's quick reaction plucked him out immediately. He was cold and wet. We considered it his "Baptism"!

In the morning we headed for Echo Bay.

I prepared a fresh Apple and Raspberry pastry with Cinnamon and Splenda.

I had a lot of apples so I also baked a no sugar Apple Pie.


Kathleen and I felt like little girls playing with the scraps of dough. With some Cinnamon and sugar we baked them and were catapulted back to our childhoods.

Louie cleaned and cooked his catch of crab at Echo Bay while we went exploring.

We hiked a rather strenuous trail from Echo Bay to Billy Proctor's Museum. At several points on the wet and slippery trail we had to use ropes to repell up and down embankments. It looks like Billy will have enough wood to get him through the chilly nights.

We passed this log cabin that is being built by a young couple living off the land. They scavenged the logs adrift in the water. They are doing it like in the days of old without modern equipment of any kind. There are so many interesting people here!


We visited "Yvonne Maximchuk" a famous northwest artist, painter, teacher, potter, quilter and author.

She has a divine garden looking over Proctor Bay. It brings visions of Monet's Garden in Giverny.

Her Peonies are magnificent!

We ventured to the Burdwood Island Group and ancient summer village site. You can see the thousands of years of shelling clams, oysters and barnicles in the form of a "Midden". The Kwakwakawakw First Nations have inhabited this area for thousand of years.

The white shells shine through the clear water.

This dog followed us as we explored the island.

The pristine white shell beach almost looks tropical.

We had a very WET ride home in the afternoon winds and bumpy seas. Kathleen and Jim are soaked by the spray!

June 18th - A Visit to Quatse River Hatchery

The Hatchery is located near Port Hardy on the Quatse River. The northern Vancouver Island Salmonid Enhancement Assoc. is non-profit and was founded in 1983


The Hatchery has produced and released over 62.5 million juvenile salmonids since 1983.

This is a container of eggs waiting to be fertilized.


Here are the different stages of Salmonid growth.

When the Salmon Frye are ready to be released into the river they are transported by this truck. There is also a Salmon Interpretive Center for residents and tourists in development to provide much needed education on the importance of restocking the dwindling supplies of fish in the surrounding rivers.
The association can be contacted at: nvisea@island.net

June 17th - Return to Sointula

It is always a good feeling to return to Sointula. The sign says: Population 800, but residency has dropped to the 600's. There is a calming peace in the atmosphere.
We enjoy visiting with our friends Kathleen and Jim Blohm.


Just at the entrance to the harbor there is a memorial: "To Those of Malcom Island that have lost their lives at sea". It is a sobering thought and is deeply felt by all in this small community.

There is a new restaurant in the village and they serve wonderful Lattes!

It only seems right that I got to ride around the island in Kathleen and Jim's 1972 original Mini Cooper. It is the perfect car for this land lost in time!

The Sointula Co-operative Store is the longest continuously running co-op in Canada and is a left over from the Utopian Finnish Socialist Community that settled here in the early 1900s.

Many of the old net sheds are still along the waterfront.

We picked fresh Salmon Berries along the roadside as we explored the island. I mixed them with Saskatoon Berries (darker berries loaded with anti-oxidants from the Prairie Provinces of Canada)

They are the perfect adornment for this Sherry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. We will be taking this to a feast at Joyce and Wayne's owners of "Choyces" a local art gallery.

A wonderful time was had by all by all. We enjoyed hearing the story of how they built their home out of one huge cedar tree which they cut from their land and milled at their own saw mill.

There is a huge organic garden full of vegetables and flowers in the back yard.

We attended another feast on the deck of Kathleen and Jim's deck overlooking the water. The main course was Lou's fresh Dungeness Crab!

In the Mini-Cooper we explored the island. This person lives along the shore and obviously loves to collect driftwood.

A lone Blue Heron feeds during the ebbing tide.

This inviting pathway to the beach is along the road.

Some naughty goats and cows escaped and were caught in a neighbors garden.

They scurry home along the roadside with their owner herding them in his car.

Sointula translates from the Finnish Language as: "A place of harmony" and it is!

Gillnet Rugs of Sointula - "The Tidal Zone Studio"

Wendy Davis of the Tidal Zone Studio graciously invited us into her world of making Gillnet Rugs which are unique to Sointula. They are "fur like" to the touch yet extremely durable. The colors vary depending on the age of the net and how long it was used.

In 1952 Helmi Pakkalen immigrated to Sointula from Finland and noticed the many discarded fishing nets lying about. Net regulations and fibers change making the nets obsolete. She knew there had to be a use for them and thus Sointula Gillnet Rugs were invented. She was before her time as far as "Recycling".

The nets are washed to remove salt and debris and then cut into manageable lengths.

They are then cut into lines with tails every 5 to 6 inches.


The thread is then layered into empty coffee cans with a hole cut into the lid. The individual "coffee can bobbins" can then be easily managed when the strands are crocheted into the rug.


The leftover ends are rolled into balls to be used for other projects such as these beautiful scarves.

Depending on the desired density 4 to 5 strands are crocheted together.
The underside shows the pattern of increases at each corner
.

The end product is a beautiful, soft, durable rug that will last many lifetimes!
Wendy from "The Tidal Zone Gallery" can be contacted at: wendavis@telus.net