After a 14 hour ferry ride from Prince Rupert through the inner passage we landed at Port Hardy on Vancouver island never was I so pleased to fall into bed. It had been an interesting trip through a landscape of mountainous and heavily wooded islands some inhabited and others showing remnants of abandoned industries. It was a real insight into remote coastal life.

Port Hardy for a port town was quite small and after a stroll along the esplanade and a visit to the local museum. We came away with a sense of it being a peaceful town which we very much liked.

Our next stop was the much larger town of Nanaimo which was the hub for accessing the Gulf Islands by ferry or seaplane. We discovered it had a bird reserve and were lucky enough to spot a Blue Heron. Apparently the town has an annual celebration of Bathtub racing which just happened to be on when we were there so we decided to go and watch the grand finale. Unfortunately despite arriving an hour before the advertised finish we had missed it by an hour due to the wind aiding the competitors to an early finish.

Our final destination was North Saanich at the northern tip of the Victoria peninsula where we visited Butchart gardens created by Jennie Butchart in 1912 from an old quarry.

Our last day was spent having a leisurely stroll around Sidney the nearest coastal town to where we were staying. We watched people crabbing off the pier where we spotted a sea otter, and while Charles whiled away sometime in the nearby coffee bar chatting to a local resident I managed to get my haircut before purchasing some fresh red snapper off the fishmonger on the pier. All in all a very pleasant end to our visit to Vancouver island.

Next the road back to Calgary for our flight home.

Travelling they say opens your eyes, and an interesting exhibition in the Museum of the Caribou-Chilcotin at William’s Lake got us thinking about wildfires.

The news reports throughout late June and July to-date has been dominated by heatwaves, wildfires and mass evacuations back in the UK and across Europe. With areas of France, Spain, Wales, Peak District and Scottish Highlands places we either call home or love as a result of many holidays, seeming to be ablaze at times.

All understandably tragic for wildlife and communities and an example of the firefighting service both full time and volunteers who contain damage to a minimum as best they can.

But then we walk into this local museum in the centre of British Columbia (BC) and are faced by a very informative and visual display of wildlife fires Canadian style! The year was 2017 and in the space of 8 months 1346 wildfires had burned 1.2 MILLION hectares. ( a typical fire season would see 148,000 hectares burned)

Williams Lake where the museum is located is part of BC known as the plateau and this area alone lost 500,000 hectares that year, which for communities whose income comes from cattle, forestry and tourism is devastating.

The insight into the exhibition boards though came from one of the museum staff, called Judy, who came over and gave us an explanation of why 2 halves of a tree trunk were on display covered in badges and signatures. They represented all the personnel from fire and forestry services across Canada along with external support from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and USA who had assisted in trying to defeat these massive fires.

We learned that Judy had put herself through fire fighting training opportunities that allowed her to be a contracted reserve for such situations. She explained about how fires can start through lightning strikes, or human situations which would be not just careless fire lighting when high risk weather is in place but sometimes vehicle issues like overheating lorry brakes or dragging chains.

She spoke of the physical effort required after the fires appear extinguished as every inch of accessible ground requires walking to identify hotspots or smouldering roots buried under ashes and other debris. Too often she explained fires restart in such situations. And whilst walking that might require equipment to be carried so hotspots can be dug out or hoses dragged to allow water to be pumped hundreds of metres into the forest areas.

The following photos from a recent BC wildfires site show the above better than words and were taken in a fire that is causing serious concerns earlier this week.

And as the skills of Firefighting are universal what is shown above is no doubt being replicated throughout the fire areas of the UK and Europe.

Thank you Judy and all Wildfires Fighters wherever you are

Leaving Calgary we got our first glimpse of the Rockies Wow and double Wow we have travelled through the Alps and Pyrenees live next to Eryri and yet nothing compares, stretching as far as the eye can see they are majestic.

Breaking the journey we had a lunch stopover in Banff a tourist heaven restaurants, bars, coffee houses, gift and outdoor pursuit shops, not for us moving on we were pleased to find our accommodation was in the more modest resort town of Revelstoke with its Art Deco style buildings and relaxed atmosphere. Though not as obvious as Banff it is popular for rafting, mountain biking and cross country skiing and is aiming to become the largest ski resort this side of the Alps.

Continuing through the mountains we discovered the area known as Peachland where vineyards and fruit crops were abundant. Stopping for brunch in a small lakeside town.

Leaving we found ourselves traversing one of the three highest passes within the Rockies. Where it plateaued out we found ourselves looking at what appeared to be marble type rock void of vegetation which eventually hollowed out like a huge scar that went for miles and miles later we discovered it was a huge copper mine. Dropping down the air became dry and dusty and we found ourselves in what appeared to be a small empty town reminiscent of the old spaghetti westerns. Speaking to one of the locals we asked why the air was so dusty to be told “you are in a desert” what in the middle of the mountains?

Moving on we went from desert to huge grasslands and cattle ranches where cowboys still existed and stampedes and rodeos are held annually where they can show their prowess as riders.

From cowboys to trappers and traders we ended up at the Hudson Bay trading company’s first post at Fort St James where the original buildings still stood. Its location was strategically placed next to the Stuart river as goods were first transported by boat before the introduction of the packhorse.

Our final cultural visit when heading back to Halifax for our departure West, was delivered by a visit to what had been the family home of Alexander Graham Bell which is now a museum.Most people associate his name with the invention of the telephone but his list of achievements in other fields are seriously underestimated. He pioneered the development of language teaching for the deaf, the invention of a device which we know today as an iron lung, contributed to the development of Canadas first aeroplane flight (the Silver Dart) and much more.

There is a noticeable difference in the landscape of the mainland and the islands.

On the mainland you can drive for miles surrounded by deep forestation of conifers and silver birch with only the tarmac stretching out in front of you. Occasionally there will be a break in the trees allowing you a glimpse of a lake, river or marshland. A welcome relief of colour is added by the massive clumps of wild Lupins that grow alongside the road.

As a contrast to the mainland we found Prince Edward Island to be a more agricultural landscape and Newfoundland appealed to us more with its mountains, coves and moorland

We were not fortunate to see a lot of the bird population although you could hear them and through an app we were able to identify them by their individual calls (photos are from the app).

Our final day on Newfoundland rewarded us with a bountiful array of wildflowers which we discovered en route to a waterfall.

Arrived in Newfoundland after a fleeting visit to Prince Edward Island the home of Lucy Maude Montgomery the author of Anne of Green Gables. The house that inspired the novel was the home of her aunt where she spent a large part of her childhood and is now a museum which highlights her many novels.

After visiting the museum we discovered a lovely seafront restaurant at Point Prim on the south east corner of the island where we enjoyed a very tasty seafood meal.

En route to the most northerly tip of the island we called in at a variety of destinations.

The Insectarium in Deer Lake. For such a small place it had a very impressive display of insects from around the world and a live butterfly house.

The marine research station at Bonne Bay which contained examples of local marine life housed in what would be their normal habitats that had been set up by a post graduate from Memorial university

Lobster Cove lighthouse and its stories made you appreciate the hardships experienced by the family of the lighthouse keeper who lived with him directly below the light.

The further north we travelled we experienced cooler weather and misty days. Our motivation for coming north along the Viking trail was to see the oldest European settlement within the whole of the Americas and Icebergs.

L’Anse aux Meadows was where Leif Ericksson and his Norseman created an outpost settlement (in the year 1000 over 500 years before Columbus) to develop trading opportunities with indigenous natives and harvest food and essential supplies from the sea and land around them.

On a very misty day we set sail in the hope of seeing hump back whales and Icebergs. Disappointed not to see any whales only a lonely seal who popped up to say hello.

According to our guide it is very unusual to see icebergs here at this time of year but the cooler weather meant they were still around. What we were seeing were icebergs that had taken around three years to get this far south and the features of the coastline mean they are trapped and will most likely melt over the next five days.

We were only seeing the tip of the iceberg’s with approximately ninety percent under water the blue lines in the surface of the berg are caused by melt water refreezing. The melting drives out the oxygen content of the ice.

Before our boat trip we visited the Grenfell Historic Society and museum which is dedicated to Wilfred Grenfell a British doctor who came to the island in 1892 and transformed the lives of the people in fishing villages across Labrador and Newfoundland. He saw an underserved area that was in need of hospitals, houses of worship, orphanages, schools and small industries.

To address this need he encouraged other medical professionals to join him in delivering health services across the area. He also set up orphanages and schools, encouraged the people to grow vegetables and take up crafts that could supplement their income.

The hardest thing he achieved was to set up a cooperative that challenged the Truck system (a state of bondage where everyone lived on goods advanced on credit which was paid for by their next catch of cod, but paid in store tokens not cash) This enabled the people to sell their catch and have freedom of choice.

We were lucky enough to find ourselves in Newfoundland on Canada Day (1st July) which celebrates the confederation of independent Provinces into a self governing country and has also become the day when Canada observes Memorial Day to honour the devastating losses during the Battle of the Somme by the Newfoundland Regiment (801 went into battle only 68 survived)

On the day we visited the archeological site at Port aux Choix where we were welcomed with coffee and cup cakes by the staff at the interpretive centre whilst watching the national televised celebrations

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The importance of the site is that the unique environment of a rocky limestone plateau sustains a large number of plant life only found in this part of Canada, as well as providing excellent feeding grounds for a variety of land and sea animals.

The archeological excavations have revealed what is considered a crossroads of settlements by at least four distinct civilisations over thousands of years ( Maritime Archaic, Groswater, Dorset and an early indigenous Indian group) all with the skills to convert the natural resources into food, shelter and clothing.

It was also our first sighting of Canadian wildlife the Caribou.

Two interesting facts about Halifax is that it experienced the world’s most powerful explosion prior to the testing of the atomic bomb known as the Halifax explosion. It occurred in 1917 when a French munitions ship carrying TNT and highly inflammable benzol collided with another vessel, the explosion sunk both vessels and wiped out a nearby residential settlement on the harbour shore, killing in total over 1900 people and injuring 9000. Secondly it responded to the distress call from the Titanic and sent out three rescue ships sadly they returned with few survivors in total over 1500 people lost their lives. The Maritime museum holds some of the items retrieved from the wreck.

We were lucky enough to arrive in Halifax a day before a big boat race “Sail GP” and to witness the Catamarans practising as we walked along the boardwalk.

Having seen the film Maudie which was about the artist Maud Lewis severely disabled with childhood Rheumatoid Arthritis, a visit to the art gallery that was exhibiting some of her work and that had re erected her home within the gallery was a must for us. Maud enjoyed painting and covered every surface of her home including furniture and household items with her art. Originally she sold her paintings for £5 a piece they now sell for thousands.

Leaving Halifax we followed the coast road around the Bay of Fundy which is home to the highest tides in the world stopping off at Hopewell Rocks, which through a natural phenomena of rainwater and ocean tide the rocks have been eroded leaving isolated pillars.

Our final stop was to explore the heartland of Acadian culture which is a region around Caraquet, settled by French farmers and fishermen who were expelled by the British when they gained control of Nova Scotia.

The Village Historique Acadian aims to show a traditional Acadian settlement using historical buildings that have been dismantled and relocated with volunteers playing the roles of the occupants over the ages, as the buildings ranged from 1650 to early 1900.The most impressive part of the day was how the volunteers took you back in time with their role play.

Eglise Sainte-Cecile is a beautifully decorated church on Lameque island on the very north shore of Acadia. Built in 1913 with very small windows, it had an original colour scheme of white pews and the rest of the interior decorated brown and beige.

Over time the use of oil lamps and candles coloured everything a dark brown giving the interior a foreboding dark and dreary effect. In 1968 Gerard D’Astous the new reverend decided to re paint the interior as a wonderland in memory of Cecilia a Roman noblewomen who had been canonised as the patron saint of flowers and music and loved colourful things. And who the church was named after.

His colour choices were contentious with some parishioners but he stood firm and told his decorator, a 21 year old Paul Gauvin, to paint a colour scheme that has in time given the building a name of “ Candy Church”

Tomorrow it is farewell New Brunswick as we head over the bridge to Prince Edward Island.

The only North American walled town, smaller and more interesting than Montreal. Probably due to its attractive historical buildings which are centred within the city walls and the old town running adjacent to the St Lawrence river.

Historically it was the first North American city to be founded as a permanent French settlement, rather than a trading post. Over the next 150 years it went back and forth between French and British control until 1760 when the treaty of Paris gave Canada to Britain, though 12 years later American revolutionaries unsuccessfully tried to capture Quebec. Britain eventually gave Canada its independence in 1867 when Quebec City became the provincial capital. Perversely although part of the British Commonwealth the official language of Quebec is French.

Whilst here we have enjoyed the vibe of the old town, walking through Battlefields park and the Plains of Abraham where the final battle between Britain and the French took place in 1759, this verdant cliff top park was packed with Martello Towers, open green spaces overlooked by fine architecture and park benches that allowed you to sit and enjoy the park and the River below.

We were overawed by the splendour of Le Chateau Frontenac built by the Canadian Pacific railway and opened in 1893 as part of a chain of luxury hotels.

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The highlight of our stay was the permanent collection of Inuit art in the Musee National des Beaux- Arts du Quebec, which also in other galleries had a collection of modern art pieces and a display of hyper realistic figures using techniques created from the late 60’s onwards as a form of pop art that have been perfected up to the modern day producing ever more realistic art.

Next stop Halifax ( Nova Scotia not Yorkshire)

Montréal

After a nineteen hour journey we arrived in Montreal amid a 28degree heatwave grateful to walk into an air conditioned room, hurriedly unpacked and headed out to explore the local area and find a bar for a cool beer!
Not as easy as we thought it might be but we did eventually find a nice little bar tucked away behind a micro brewery.

Our first outing was to the Botanical gardens which was conveniently situated on our doorstep and is reputed to be the third largest in the world. It has twenty themed and three cultural gardens with a large exhibition greenhouse building all set within a large park and arboretum area.

The highlights for us were the exhibition greenhouse collections and the Chinese garden.

We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the rest of the themed and cultural areas of the park land and were captivated by the variety of birdsong captured on an app.

Day2

After a long lie in we took the Metro to an area known as the Quartier Des Spectacles to visit McCord Stewart museum which is Montreals history museum specifically to see the exhibition on the history of Canadas indigenous people.

The exhibition highlighted the ethos of the people, especially their nomadic lifestyle necessitated by the need to follow the source of food dictated by the changing seasons, this dependance on nature is summed up by the phrase “ Nomadism is the common factor of our evolution, a universal principal to which we, Indigenous people, often allude to in our stories, myths and legends” which at times becomes a conflict with other cultures who have become more settled.

Families were close knit and skills were passed from generation to generation. Sadly these skills have been eroded by the colonisation of the people. As recently as the 1960s children were being taken away from families to be “Westernised” many contracted illnesses and died, whilst others were subjected to physical and sexual abuse leaving mental scars resulting in a large number of suicides in later life. Today the people are living in settlements their nomadic lifestyle lost due to heavy deforestation and mining on their lands.

Last Day

For our final day we took a bus ride up to the summit of Parc du Mont Royal known affectionately by the locals as the mountain which was designed as a public space by the same designer of New York Central Park. We walked around the lake and through woodland to reach a viewpoint overlooking the city.

Intrigued by a relocated historical village we visited Shikoku Mura. A collection of historical buildings that had been relocated from across the island of Shikoku to preserve the historical usage and lifestyles. The village exceeded our expectations and successfully educated you on how village life existed. The variety of the buildings provided an insight into various traditional country crafts ie: soy sauce production, sugar cane pressing, bark steaming for the production of paper, rice flour production by watermill.

If you read about famous Japanese gardens Ritsurin garden does not get a mention in the top ten yet for us it epitomised everything we love about Japan and it was one of the highlights of our trip. It is split into two halves old and new, the original garden was developed four hundred years ago the new one a hundred years ago. The original four hundred year old garden is in a very traditional style especially the marriage of trees, water and view points whilst the newer garden has less obvious water areas and the viewpoints are less dramatic. It should be noted that within the garden there are approximately 1400 pine trees that had been planted to create dramatic views through their density and traditional shaping.