Go Nanaimo Blog

During a recent visit to Drumbeg Provincial Park on Gabriola Island I happened to meet local sculptor Elias Wakan and his wife, author Naomi Wakan.  The CTV news clip above introduces Elias’ work. Naomi recently read from her latest book, A Roller-coaster Ride: Thoughts on aging, at the Nanaimo Harbourfront Library.

Hamilton Marsh, the largest wetland between Nanaimo and Cumberland, is worth a drive by visit or a stop on your next Oceanside weekend tour. It’s near the junction of highways 19 and 4, where the road from Qualicum Beach to Port Alberni crosses the Island Highway. Turn off Highway 19 toward Port Alberni and drive just over a kilometer south to Hilliers Road. Turn right and proceed 1.4 km to the second parking area on the left. A broad trail leads straight down to the marsh where you’ll find a long wooden pier. If the sun is shining, bring along a folding chair and enjoy the afternoon.

Many of the 130 species of birds observed here nest locally. Salmon ply these waters and unique species of dragonflies and amphibians dwell among the reeds. Hamilton Marsh is owned by Island Timberlands which has rejected attempts by the Regional District of Nanaimo and others to preserve it as a park. The strategic location near the corner of two important highways makes this a valuable development property and mammon rules in corporate boardrooms. Nearly three-quarters of the wetlands in British Columbia have already been lost to logging or development, which makes saving the Hamilton Marshes which remain all the more important. Save Hamilton Marsh!

Happy New Year! May 2012 be your best year yet. I’ve been rather lax about posting on this blog recently as I’ve been away on trips to Holland, Britain, Turmenistan, Antigua, Montserrat, Bali, Timor-Leste, Turkey, and Iraq in 2011. I took the photo above in Genclik Park, Ankara, in November, 2011. My lifestyle is unlikely to change much in 2012 as I’ve already booked trips to Morocco and Uzbekistan and several more are in the pipeline. Blogging about Nanaimo events is way down my list of priorities. On the other hand, if you’d care to keep up with me on social media, I tweet as @gonanaimo and you’ll also find me on Facebook and Google Plus. Here’s hoping our paths cross in 2012, whether physically or electronically.

Becoming Santa is the story of one man entering the culture and character of Santa Claus for a single season. It’s another great film from Cinema Libre Studio.

trawler Grey Goose

A group of eight adventurers are planning a four-month voyage through the Northwest Passage from Greenland to Alaska in the summer of 2012. The 17-meter trawler Grey Goose will power out of Mobile, Alabama, in May 2012, calling at Halifax in June, a half dozen Greenland and Nunavut ports in July, and Alaska in August, before finishing at Astoria, Oregon, in mid-September.

This trip is being organized by Captain Douglas Pohl with the assistance of Admiral Michelle in the galley. BlueBelle, their 12-year-old blue-eyed rag doll cat, is going along for the ride, as are crew members Dan, Howard, Jay, Kate, and Rob. At the time of writing, one or two crew positions are still available. Says Doug, “This is not a cruise for tourists – several companies offer summer Arctic cruises – but likewise you do not need to be a professional mariner or adventurer to join us. We are all people who love cruising and boating. I am planning an epic home voyage through the Arctic to celebrate retirement after 26 years of professional maritime service as a ship’s master. This voyage will take the time to stop and enjoy bays, anchorages, villages, and wildlife along a road less traveled. It’s the prelude for a snowbird retirement – Alaska during the summer and Southern California and Mexico during the winters. Its a new chapter in our book of life for the Admiral and Captain.”

The Northwest Passage is in the process of changing forever from the polar ice field we have always known into an open water navigational shortcut between Europe and the Orient. The Grey Goose crew are all keen on experiencing “The Last Arctic Voyage” aboard a private power yacht. Doug Pohl has driven ships around the world three times. Now it’s his turn to celebrate retirement with this 10,000-nautical-mile expedition along a route that has consumed mariners for hundreds of years. Says he, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not planning to attempt to push through pack ice but rather I am planning to anchor often and enjoy going ashore while waiting for winds to move advancing drift ice in a more favorable direction.”

Pohl estimates that food and fuel expenses will be around US$88,000 for the trip, to be divided equally between the eight persons on board. Costs could fluctuate based upon supply and demand, in which case additional contributions from the paying crew may be required as the voyage progresses. But this is not a for-profit trip and those aboard will be welcome to use their personal skills as writers, photographers, scientists, or environmentalists as they see fit. Anything is possible at this stage of planning. For more information contact Captain Douglas Pohl through the Northwest Passage Website.

UPDATE: On September 1, 2011, Douglas Pohl sent me this news: “The deadline for firm commitments to join as crew is December 1, 2011.  Without a good crew I cannot consider a 10,000 nautical-mile voyage “over the top”. Waiting until May 2012 to see if interested crew materializes is not feasible.”

Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway

The Malahat Coalition (TMC) is a group of South Island residents and organizations promoting sustainable solutions for southern Vancouver Island, Canada. They believe that the public wants 1) safer, flexible, less costly and less polluting transportation options and 2) land use that limits the need for transportation and protects the natural environment. The coalition welcomes Premier Christy Clark’s recent announcement of $7.5 million in essential funding to ensure safe passenger travel over the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (E&N).

While this investment is welcome, TMC notes that the funding is dependent upon a $500,000 bridge and trestle review and the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) securing an additional $7.5 million in track repair funding from the federal government. Transportation investment on Vancouver Island, with its 750,000 population, pales in comparison to the billions of dollars spent on transportation infrastructure in the Lower Mainland around Vancouver.

It is estimated that complete modernization of the E&N Railway (neglected for 30 years by CP Rail) would require some $200 million. This investment, staggered over ten years, is much cheaper than building a new highway over the Malahat and a fraction of what has been lavished on the Lower Mainland. Modernization of the 125-year old Vancouver Island rail corridor from Victoria to Courtenay and Port Alberni would provide much-needed jobs and revitalization of communities along the entire line. The resultant substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions comes at a time when the vast majority of British Columbians are concerned about climate change and supportive of a carbon tax.

Regardless of accidents that regularly paralyze the highway, the rejuvenated rail would allow for intelligent land use design, reduction of suburban sprawl, and protection of agricultural lands. With the dependable night-time movement of freight, plus day-time service for commuters and tourists, the rail corridor would once again become the dynamic spine for sustainable growth on Vancouver Island.

TMC calls upon all Vancouver Island MPs, MLAs, mayors, and supporters of mass transit and rational land use planning to inform the British Columbia government of the essential role that a modernized E&N Railway will fulfill for the sustainable future of Vancouver Island. The coalition expects all levels of government to make a firm financial commitment to this vital island asset.