The 50th Parallel

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

CAMPBELL RIVER — This is the northernmost point of our journey this year, we have concluded. With four days remaining in our holiday, we would have to spend most of them driving to reach Port Hardy, at the top of Vancouver Island, and then driving back to make the ferry back to the mainland on Friday. So we will save that portion of the trip for another time.
We’re comfortable with that decision. There is plenty to see around Campbell River, and we can start our journey home without pressure. It was a very short drive from our campground just north of Courtenay to the Salmon Point Resort and RV Park, where we will be stationed for the next couple of nights. So we stopped in to register at around two o’clock and then continued into town for a look around.
The resort is right on the water, with a small marina and a restaurant close by, and tall fir trees throughout the campground. There are lots of RV sites, plus cabins, a rec hall, a swimming pool and hot tub. When we arrived, the boats in the marina were near the bottom of a large square enclosure with sloped sides made of large rocks. The high water mark seemed a long way up from where the surface of the water was at that time, but when we returned later, the tide had filled the enclosure right up!
The town of Campbell River (which has a cairn noting the 50th parallel that passes through it) is only a few streets deep, but spread in length along the Georgia Strait for some distance. Lots of the beach area is visible from the highway and accessible to the public, with a long walkway for cyclists and joggers, and plenty of benches and little parks for strollers. There are several marinas along the shore full of boats of all sizes. On the other side of the strait is Quadra Island and, beyond it, the smaller Cortez Island and the mainland.
We made our customary first stop at the visitor centre to see what the highlights would be for the area — and today in particular, we were looking for some indoor activity, because the day was grey and rainy, with a stiff wind that was downright cold to be out in. The tourist advisor suggested a couple of museums and art exhibits and then said, "have you checked your e-mail lately?" At first we didn’t get it, but then realized this was a suggestion for an indoor activity!
We opted for the Museum at Campbell River, as it is called, and were not disappointed. It’s a small one, but beautifully laid out and it provides a comprehensive overview of the area’s early Aboriginal population as well as the fishing and logging activities that came along with the arrival of the Europeans. It was interesting to see some artifacts from the Pacific natives that incorporated white man’s objects, such as a ceremonial jingle dress decorated with rows of thimbles in place of the traditional metal cones.
We saw a slice of a Douglas fir that, at the time of felling, was 1,034 years old! There were reproductions of a logger’s cabin, and the lobby of one of the first hotels in the area, that predated most local buildings and catered to sport fishermen in search of the prized "tyee" salmon which teemed in the waters offshore. There was a black and white photo of a woman named Phyllis who had caught one that she was carrying on her back; its head was resting on her shoulders and the tail was flapping against her ankles!
We headed back to the campground for a rest, and to look around some more, and then returned to town for a restaurant dinner. Campbell River calls itself the salmon capital of Canada, so we felt it important to sample the local catch. It was a nice meal, but not spectacular. As we enjoyed the view over the harbour which our table by the window provided us, we caught sight of a number of small fish, about four inches long, leaping out of the water. Our waitress told us they were baby salmon, and from the wharf further down you could see schools of them through the water! We also watched the ferry crossing to Quadra Island. Tomorrow we’ll be on it, to do some more exploring.