Day 27 - Echo Bay to Kwatsi Bay (coastal mainland)

We said good-bye to Echo Bay and started heading up Tribune Channel in the late morning. The sun was shining again, which helped to warm and dry our bones.

Our first stop was at the Burdwood Group of islands. A beautiful mini-archipelago within the bigger Broughton Archipelago, it was inhabited by the Kwakiutl people for about 8,000 years. The area has a very special feel to it – broken shell beaches, evidence of villages, breath-taking natural surroundings. A wonderland teeming with energy, for sure. This group of 17 islands, islets and grassy rocks housed at least 6 village sites, and one island was used for defensive purposes only. Strategically situated and difficult to climb onto (we found out), villagers would bring food and supplies to the warriors who stayed on this small islet on-watch for attacks from other tribes.

Preserved in the trees and marked by a subtle trail, an ancient cedar which was culturally modified hundreds of years ago still stands. Natives would remove long boards from trees, without causing the tree to fall or even die. This particular tree was special, in that boards had been removed from 2 sides.

Aboriginal people lived all along this coast for thousands of years. That is, until the smallpox epidemic, brought by European fur traders, essentially wiped out the native population in all of British Columbia about 150 years ago. This is a very sad chapter of BC history. People who had been living here since before recorded history, in harmony and balance with nature, could not defend themselves against this virulent disease which they had never been exposed to before. One year (ONE year, from 1862-1863) is all it took for this well established population to be drastically reduced, almost to extinction. And with their decline we lost the profound wisdom that can only come from thousands of years of experience. Perhaps we don’t always realize how fragile we all are – our way of life could change forever in the blink of an eye. Natural disaster, man-made disaster, climate change, pollution, nuclear accident, economic Armageddon, famine, disease – all of these things could bring about the end of the world as we know it, and very quickly. It has happened before, in the not too distant past, it can (and, probably will) happen again. Life is precious, but humans are fragile.

Sorry to leave this magical place after only a few hours, we continued on our way up Tribune Channel. There we found the Lacy Waterfalls running down the wall of the rocky mountainside. We dropped our prawn trap just outside of Kwatsi Bay, which houses a very small marina frequented by the cruisers. Again we opted to anchor instead of pay for moorage, and had to get very close to the shore to find a spot shallow enough for us to have the hook catch. With running streams on the shore, we knew bears were close by, so we made sure to close and lock all the hatches before we went to sleep.

Day 26 - Waddington Bay to Echo Bay (Gilford Island)

A grey and foggy morning as we left our anchorage at Waddington Bay. We motored up Retreat Passage and past the Fox Group of islands until we reached Echo Bay.

Echo Bay is a very popular destination for cruisers. Managed by the well known “Pierre”, the marina offers higher-end dinner options. Tonight was a $30 / plate for prime rib, with decorated tables in a covered tent. We were still expected to bring a potluck dish, however. Considering we were the only people in the bay who opted to anchor instead of pay for moorage, we decided that perhaps the prime rib dinner wasn’t for us either, despite Pierre’s excellent reputation. We did take advantage of laundry and showers though, and bought some much needed provisions at their store.

This bay was home to First Nations communities for over 10,000 years. Pictographs, or paintings made from pigmented minerals (ochre), are still visible on the steep rock face at the entrance of the bay. Beginning in 1910, pioneers (including loggers, trappers, and fisherman) lived in the protected bay. A beer parlour, fuel dock & store, shingle mill, fish-buying camp, post-office, and even a school serviced the community of a few hundred people. As the fishing industry declined and the hand-loggers were overtaken by logging companies and their new “clear-cut” practices, the community dwindled. The post-office and the school were still functioning until just a few years ago.

Bill Proctor has lived in this area for more than 60 years. He is reputed to know the Broughtons and their history better than anyone else. We had the pleasure of meeting this charismatic old-timer at his impressive museum, which he built to house the various treasures he has found on beaches and in local garbage dumps since he was 5 years old. In his collection is a hide scraper dated by archaeologists to be 8,000 years old, as well as jade pieces, Chinese coins, bottles from all over the place, glass fishing balls, old trapping devices, and logging equipment, to name just a few of the things he has saved.

A way of life in this part of the province is dying. People are moving to the big cities and leaving the smaller communities behind. People like Bill Proctor are a living reminder of days gone past. But in ways which he may not appreciate, he is also an inspiration to return to the way of life which is less industrialized and more community-based.