Float Homes in Cowichan Bay Village
Commentary originally published December 12 2011
The other day I was on foot in Cowichan Bay Village, on my way to visit friends in a neighboring marina, when I passed an older gentleman in front of the village cheese shop. He was there with his bicycle, which he had outfitted with large carrier bags. I had never seen him about before and he didn’t notice me as I approached, so intent was he on his work of that moment. He was busy emptying the recycling bin located in front of the cheese shop as rapidly as possible, adding the aluminum cans he found there to the collection he had already stuffed into his bike’s bags.
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Proposed Centre
Commentary: Originally published Jan 30 2012
Have you ever received a gift out of the blue? You know, that well intentioned present from someone you know, a present you didn’t expect and aren’t sure you want, but will accept with polite kindness your mother taught you to show in these circumstances? Well that’s how quite a few Cowichan Bay Village residents are feeling after work began this week on the new Cowichan Bay Estuary Nature Centre at Hecate Park.
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Bob’s Mill
Originally published October 20 2011
Somewhere in the Cowichan Valley, not too far from Cowichan Bay, there is a magical place. It is a place of iron, steel and wood. Of diesel fuel, kerosene and welding rod. Of leather belting, copper rivets and oily engine parts. To the uninformed the piles of steel appear to be scrap. To the uninitiated, the machinery appears to have seen better days, not worth the space it takes up amongst the weeds. There are an awful lot of weeds.
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Waffles at One, First Sitting
Originally published July 24 2011
An individual’s personal hobbies and enjoyable pastimes have a habit of affecting more than one’s immediate surroundings here in Cowichan Bay. If one is a dab hand at catching dungeoness crabs, one shares a few now and again with one’s neighbors.
Those with skill at rebuilding outboard motors volunteer a bit of time at the Maritime Center now and again to help keep the community collection of antique Seagull, Johnson, Mercury and other engines in more or less running order.
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Colleen Underwood – Potter
Originally published July 20 2011
I’ll bet there were few people who, in the year 2000 would have guessed that local resident Colleen Underwood’s new hobby would one day lead to a thriving little pottery shop here in Cowichan Bay. Especially if you consider that she began learning the Potter’s craft while on assignment with the US Department of Fish and Game in Alaska.
Born in Duncan, Colleen made her way back from Alaska and after much practice, bought the local pottery shop. Many improvements followed. Christened The Mud Room, the shop features all manner of crockery from cups and bowls to vases, teapots and decorative serving platters. Everything on offer is either made in-house, or by artisans who live and work in the area.
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Train Journey Souvenirs
This story was originally presented in March of 2011. We had just completed a three month leave of absence from work.
Every now and again for one reason or another, we leave Cowichan Bay and travel from Vancouver Island to the mainland by ferry.
These then are stories from “Overseas.“
“And so I have to travel from Vancouver Island to Saskatoon. I should probably leave tomorrow.”
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Rosa May
Name: Rosa May
Type: Combination Cod Boat and Salmon Troller. (Retired)
Length: 32 feet (19.75m)
Weight: 5.63 tons (11,260 lbs)
Hull: Fir and cedar planking over oak frames, fir keel.
Owner: Rob Hokanson
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