Last weekend we discussed the short-lived 'end' and subsequent resurrection of the ferry/cargo service central Vancouver Island's Alberni Inlet.
My own personal reminiscences leaned toward that of a tourist with a back pack.
Then our old friend Scotty, who once travelled the ferry regularly, weighed in:
You know what?
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My own personal reminiscences leaned toward that of a tourist with a back pack.
Then our old friend Scotty, who once travelled the ferry regularly, weighed in:
"I loved riding the Lady Rose back in the day. The frail, weathered skipper in elegant white turtleneck and navy reefer patiently instructing his first mate for the cameras (The burly, silent “August” probably needed no instruction about hoisting pallets out of the ship’s hold). Our toddler daughter transfixed by dolphins surfing alongside the prow. The milk run deliveries at the Kildonnan dock as so many tourists flocked to snap photos of crusty old loggers picking up cargo that the Lady Rose listed considerably—and August silently adjusted the block pulleys accordingly. I worked in the woods along the south side of Alberni Inlet. We’d take the Lady Rose down to Bamfield or Ucluelet for vaycay. It was a wonderful time"
You know what?
Sometimes I think that maybe Scotty is the holder of the people's history of everything when it comes to lives lived in the westcoast woods.
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Image at the top of the post...The Kildonan dock, circa 1929, which probably even pre-dates Scotty's first arrival there.
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9 comments:
I remember, as a sixteen year old (early 1960's), riding a bike from South Fraser (49th) to the CPR Ferry in Vancouver's Coal Harbour ..... to Nanaimo and then ... to Port Alberni's Sproat Lake. Bicycles were not permitted on an ACTIVE LOGGING area, and no camping or Campfires permitted either so we rented a cube van from Port Alberni and camped on the West Coast's Long Beach for a week, Cube Van too.
Then we rode to Nanaimo to Mills Bay to Victoria ..... Did I mention that there were 24 of us, the 3rd Riverview Scout Troop.
I've always wondered where the Lady Rose goes to, or comes from. In fact, as I looked at the current advertising, via RossK's, I still couldn't find a map of their routes on their website. Plenty of photos but no links as to where the photos were taken. One other detail, there is a HAGGARD COVE, but its on the east side of Vancouver Island
https://ladyrosemarine.com/schedule-rates (Haggard Cove)
https://ladyrosemarine.com/contacts
NVG--
Nanaimo to Victoria by bike by a pack of kids would have been one thing....
But that ride from Parksville to Alberni must have been really something back then.
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If I remember correctly we camped twice on that route, and everyone carried a can of SPAM. As to that there hill, up to the pass, the scout leader, told us to take it REAL slow, its a long way up. When we reality we were 7/8 of the way up, he told us we were 1/2 way. Smart man.
Very smart man.
And you can never have too much Spam!
(as long as you can fry the crap out of it)
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Scotty has a way with words, awesome.
Great news about the Francis Barkley being saved.
I fished on the Alberni inlet from June until September with my neighbour for years Ross, saw the Lady Rose and the Francis Barkley daily on their trips down the inlet loaded with tourists. If we had a fish on board it was held up, the clicks of the cameras was deafening, lots of cheering and waving which seems a bit lame but they can tell the folks back home the locals are friendly. Although it’s wake was a pain if we had a big fish on. LOL
For tourists to get to Port Alberni a lot of tourist funds were dropped along the way, it isn’t just the ticket on the boats that is affected.
As a working boat up and down the inlet it’s priceless. The Francis Barkley does stuff like towing broken down boats back to Port Alberni
The Bamfield gravel road which I’ve driven part way to China Creek more times than I can remember at times is atrocious and just plain dangerous. Many folks prefer to run their boats to Bamfield than attempt to trailer them along a dust bowl when it’s dry, and water covered cratered potholes when it’s wet. Very much a vehicle wrecker.
Two people killed in 2019 in a bus rollover.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bus-crash-bamfield-vancouver-island-uvic-students-dead-1.5285299
For now the Francis Barkley is the safest and most reliable form of transportation to the outer west coast from Port Alberni.
In your reply to NVG;
“But that ride from Parksville to Alberni must have been really something back then.”
Still is something, around Cameron lake there are spots with no shoulders to speak of, so the trucks etc. get dangerously close, did it once never again. Wouldn’t recommend it for cyclists.
Before I ever rode the Lady Rose or the Frances Barkley, I got an all-day ride on the Seaway Express, and large crew boat that usually ferried woods guys to Kildonan. Out to Bamfield Marine Station, then out towards the wreck of the Vanlene and back through the eastern fringe of the Broken Group, it was a great way to end my first year in Alberni. Nothing stately about the Express, all engined up and a planing hull, a thrill ride in the midst of some of the most fetching scenery imaginable.
Keith--
Camera clicks deafening?
Now that's something I never thought I'd hear.
Agree about the scary parts of the road down near the west end of Cameron lake.
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Danneau--
Thanks - had not heard of the Seaway Express before. Makes sense though - they had to get all those crews in and out somehow.
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Camera clicks deafening?
Now that's something I never thought I'd hear.
My British Humour Ross LOL
Thank you for those kind words!
“Memories are made of these” —Dino Martino
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