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In 1787, the first explorers came ashore at what is now known as Tofino. The site was named as such in 1792 by Spanish Captains Galiano and Valdez, but European settlers didn’t make their way to the area until somewhere in the middle of the 19th Century [source]. Fast forward 100 years to the decade that brought you A Clockwork Orange, disco music and the echo of the sexual revolution. Tofino was mostly populated by long-time locals and descendents of many of the community’s earliest families. The shores were dotted with lovingly-built beach shacks. It was a sustainable and affordable community. Care to take a slice of the pie in today’s market?

Photo: Chesterman Beach Realty

“This beautifully maintained 2 bedroom beachside rancher is situated on a forested, private .4 acre property across the road from spectacular Chesterman Beach in Tofino. Features include wood flooring throughout, Regency wood burning stove, large private 480 sq. ft. cedar deck, detached double garage and easy beach access. [With a square footage of 1,092] this home is ideal for a small family or as a vacation cottage. Furnishings and art are included in purchase price.”

It can be all yours for only $721,000.

Keep in mind that this is only what’s considered to be a small family home. Beaches that were once home to generations of true locals are now peppered with palatial mansions of the wealthy and affluent. Being that the Island has become a much sought-after and desirable place to live, it’s no surprise that Tofino is one of the top spots for those with cash. What’s most unfortunate about this is that the new developments have kicked long-time residents to the curb – literally. Sky-high prices have in turn caused property values and taxes to also skyrocket, making “home” no longer an affordable place to live for so many.

Tofino is only one drop in the bucket of Vancouver Island’s communities. Due to the Island’s diverse economy, different areas of the island are driven by numerous resources. Forestry is no doubt British Columbia’s largest industry, as is the case with Vancouver Island. It’s a vital source for so many of the Island’s residents, followed closely by tourism and fishing. In addition, recent years have seen vast expansions in the areas of wine-production, information technology and a growth in post-secondary educational institutions. All of these combined with the Island’s natural beauty has transformed it into a mecca for the masses. In fact, the Island’s overall population swelled by 34% between 1981 and 2001 [source].

Photo: palestrina55 on Flickr

Given the growth trends over the last two and a half decades, it seems like recession is a thing of the past for all points between Port Hardy and Oak Bay. Stephen Rowe, economics major at the University of Victoria, points to some possible reasons: “If you look at B.C.’s economy in general and then what exactly attracts people to the Island, I can’t really see it going anywhere but up,” adding that the attractions are endless. “The lifestyle, climate, town size and retirement.”

I am personally no stranger to how the face of the Island has changed. I had been raised in the Comox Valley from the time I was two-years-old. When I was little, the house I grew up in had one house behind it, and behind that, more forest than my child’s mind could imagine. Today that forest is just another sea of boxed houses wound around countless cul-de-sacs. Being that British Columbia’s population has come close to doubling over the past 25 years [source], it should come as no surprise that the population of the Valley has since risen to more than 62,000 residents in the same time period [source].

Gone is the day when Saturday’s big shopping trip comprised of a stop at Zellers before returning home again. Now “The Big Z” has been overshadowed by no less than Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, London Drugs, Winners and Future Shop to name a few. What was once the small town I grew up in has since become the first few glimmers of a fledgling city. There are so many new neighbourhoods that have sprung up over the last decade that I can no longer confidently navigate my way through all parts of the Valley. To do so would undoubtedly disorient me.

Photo: bchow on Flickr

The old saying dictates that there are two sides to every coin, so when examining the gentrification of Vancouver Island, one will be forced to choose a side in the battle of growth versus recession. While it’s true that property taxes are being forced upwards, big box stores are growing like weeds and small towns are being transformed into cities, a growing population and a booming wealth of resources are driving forces at the forefront. This economic growth is creating the need for more jobs and thus more housing. And while in a perfect world, it would be ideal to drive outsiders out and back into the mainland metropolis to preserve the resources we have, most locales across the Island desperately rely on the financial influx of tourism dollars to sustain themselves.

Surely government-imposed regulations would allow for tighter controls on the thickening population and depletion of the Island’s assets that are most certainly not going to last forever. So what’s the answer then? Do we really want to see a cap on growth, and if so, is that even a possibility?

Hundreds of years ago when the earliest explorers first discovered Vancouver Island, I doubt they could have imagined Vancouver Island as it stands in 2008. Then again, as a little girl, neither could I.

In August, I made mention of a fast-growing oil slick in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. The protected waterway, which is banned even to kayakers and other recreational activities, was home to a toxic spill that spanned more than 14 kilometres after an overturned barge dumped a gross amount of diesel fuel.

The damage caused by the spill was, undoubtedly, devastating, but just as tragic was the lack of action taken by the Provincial Government to have the spill immediately cleaned up.

Photo courtesy of makeupanid on Flickr

Only now, nearly four months after the spill, is a submersible being lowered into the waters of Robson Bight to evaluate the scope of the destruction. Victoria-based A-Channel news reported on current activities in the Bight:

A manned submersible aboard the Aurora Explorer freight vessel is lowered into the water above five targets that have been identified as possible wreckage. Pilot Jeff Heaton will descend 370 metres and document what’s left of the logging equipment with a high-definition camera…and hopefully provide answers.

Jim Borrowman, a volunteer Warden of the reserve believes the best possible scenario is the fuel truck at the bottom of the ocean is empty now, with no diesel left in it to do any more damage. On the other hand, points out Dorthea Hangaard of the Living Oceans Society, if there is still a substantial amount of fuel involved, it could also be sucked out without lifting the equipment to the surface.

Hopefully this will initiate a more thorough and formal investigation into what actually happened in the killer whale sanctuary. I will keep you updated if and when more information becomes available.

A-Channel News Story

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Looking for a way to get into the Christmas spirit and do something charitable?

Play Santa for the animals!

Photo courtesy of ChromaticRat on Flickr

“Shelter animals are prone to depression from loneliness and boredom. Toys very much help stimulate the mind and provide moments of joy and comfort,” said Rhonda Sherwood, volunteer co-ordinator for the Vancouver shelter.

Sherwood acknowledges that while toys may seem like a luxury for shelter animals, they offer necessary enrichment, without which behavioural problems could develop.”

The wish list is a full one, with a need for balls, squeaky toys, Frisbees, blankets, towels, food, treats and whatever else may encourage healthy growth in needy animals.

If you’d like to help out and donate, please visit the Vancouver shelter this Sunday, December 16, 2007 between noon and 4:00 p.m. The shelter is located at 1205 East 7th Avenue. [Map]

Please be reminded that shelters around British Columbia house and care for injured, neglected, lost or abandoned animals 365 days a year, so feel free to help out whenever you can.

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And on a light end-note, my hunt for a new and fantastic mascara has come to an end. I’ve long been a user of Maybelline’s Full N’ Soft mascara, but it has of late been M.I.A. from the shelves at my local Shopper’s Drug Mart.

Last night I bit the bullet and shelled out for a pricier mascara, and after using it for the first time this morning, I’ve got to say that Smashbox’s Focal Point mascara is well worth the dough. Formulated with a special blend of waxes and polymers, it coats each lash individually, not as clumps. Yay!

One of my favourite aspects to regularly blogging is all the networking opportunities you find, and better than that, the fantastic people you meet through said networking.

It goes without saying that blogging has certainly brought Rebecca and I into each others’ realms a little deeper, and through her I’ve met others who are passionate about many of the same things.

A couple months ago, I met her and John’s friend Dave at their place, and I was excited to learn that not only does he care about many of the same global issues that I do, but he’s part of a group that is actively doing something about it. Enter happyfrog:

“happyfrog is a fresh and fun interactive web site designed to leverage the collective knowledge of our community to create an indispensable new resource for bringing about change – in our personal lives and across the planet.

…

Our vision for happyfrog is that it will become a home for a community of values-aligned members who happily enrich each other’s lives simply by sharing information about their favorite things.

For many, there is still a gap between our growing knowledge of the challenges that our planet faces and our ability to act on our concerns each day. happyfrog was created to help us close that gap.”

- From www.happyfrog.ca

What makes this initiative so exciting for me is that I have, in recent months, been supporting the ideas of shopping locally and also trying to stick to the 100-mile diet. I find that there are many, many people out there who genuinely desire to make changes in their day-to-day lives to better benefit this beautiful planet we live on, but often have no clue where to start or what they can do. This is what’s so great about happyfrog.

It’s a comprehensive online resource chalked full of B.C. companies and products “that make our corner of the world a little kinder, smarter, healthier, greener and more interesting.”

Since this little tadpole has recently only grown its webbed feet to start hopping, Dave thought it would be a great idea to get two local ladies (that being Rebecca and myself) on board to help show you, our readers, just how fantastic this project is and how easy it can be to use products and services that you’ll truly feel good about employing.

Armed with $100 each, over the coming weeks you’ll see Rebecca and I sharing with you products and services we’ve found through happyfrog as we explore eco-friendly ways to spend the cold hard cash. Since “Miss604″ has a good corner on the Vancouver market, it’s my endeavour to support Island-based businesses over the Christmas holidays. In the meantime, head on over to happyfrog’s website and check it out - you never know what frogilicious business might be right in your neighbourhood.

Snow!

At least that’s what’s in Vancouver’s tentative forecast.

Photo courtesy of Duane Storey on Flickr

Vancouver’s residents know that snow is one of the most elusive substances in this city, so when it’s in the forecast, everything seems to turn upside down. As I crossed Hornby along Robson on my lunch break today, a salting truck went by and it perplexed me. Vancouverites have long been made fun of by our eastern counterparts. The seeming inability to deal when the winter skies rip open make us a target for merciless teasing. Though I know that snow is a rarity for us on the “Wet Coast,” I still don’t understand why everyone seems to lose their mind about it.

1) Snow is beautiful and there’s nothing quite so elegant looking as untouched flakes that have fallen on the ground.

2) Snow in the city means a copious amount of snow on the mountains.

3) If it gets really bad (which in Vancouver apparently means about 2″), a snow day equates to a day at home!

With our impending snowcast, are you a lover of the white stuff or do you go looney until it’s melted?

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Being that my birthday is a mere 6 days away, I’m amazed at the level of excitement I feel about it. Not since I was a little girl have I been so excited to celebrate the one day where I can get away with being a little bit of a princess and not be chastised for it.

Photo courtesy of tempest kat on Flickr

I plan on kick-starting Saturday with a luscious peppermint mocha from Starbucks followed by an equisite culinary safari at Urban Fare with my co-chef. After a little bit of food prep, I’m whisking Becky off to have my hair styled before manicures and pedicures at Element Spa For Nails. I haven’t gone “en Français” in far too long, so I made sure to book this appointment weeks in advance. What girl doesn’t deserve a little pampering? Following the royal treatment, I’m donning a fabulous party girl dress before enjoying the evening with fine folks.

Sure it was a little narcissistic and pointless of me to share that with you (ie. “look at me! look at me!”) but hey, who isn’t entitled to get a little excited one day of the year?

You’d had to have been living under a rock over the last 24 hours if you were in southwestern British Columbia and didn’t know that our first massive windstorm of the season passed overhead. My only real concern was whether the ferries would be running or not today because, as always, my boss really needs me in tomorrow. Little did I know the damage done overnight…

My truck was missed by just inches. It’s now 9:28 p.m. and BC Hyrdo has yet to pay a visit to my aunt and mom’s home. They have been without heat, electricity or running water for over 16 hours now.

Our neighbourhood wasn’t the only part of Courtenay affected by the storm. The Puntledge river shared a little love with Lewis Park:

Park photos courtesy of B. Pearce (personal)
I can’t say that the storm was an entire write-off…

Photo courtesy of B. Pearce (personal)

A rant and a rave and then goodnight…

I never thought I’d see the day where I’d write anything negative about Vancouver Island, but here it is. As much as I don’t condone generalizing, drivers on Vancouver Island are some of the worst on a whole.

Between parking, merging, cutting off and following the basic and unwritten code of conduct with regards to driving, my experiences behind the wheel on the Island often incite colourful language that doesn’t normally pass through my strawberry-flavoured lips.

Photo courtesy of Bob_2006 on Flickr

Metro Vancouver drivers are notoriously aggressive and offensive; Vancouver Island drivers are seemingly the opposite. The lax attitude translates to a sense of oblivion on the roads. Nights like tonight make me wish I was commuting in Highway 1 traffic to the Fraser Valley on a Friday afternoon in the alternative.

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I did, however, have a positive travel experience today - one which brought on a case of the giggles for nearly every passenger on the 4:15 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.

Shortly after leaving the terminal, the captain made a very unique announcement:

“For those of you detecting the scent of marijuana on the outer decks, contrary to popular belief, it is not due to BC Ferries’ staff. Those passengers wishing to smoke marijuana, I suggest you move to the rear decks as there will be less wind resistence at the back of the vessel.“

Shit you not. Only in B.C.

To the surprise of no one (yes, folks…”no one” is two words, not one word), BC Ferries Corporation is once again digging their hands into our pockets and fishing for more cha-ching. As of November 1, 2007, fares will increase an average of 2.8 percent on major routes connecting the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island, and a whopping 4.4 percent on all other routes.

Perhaps this won’t dissuade tourists, but it’s certainly discouraging to people such as myself who travel between the Island and Mainland at least twice a month. This news must be even more painful for people using the ferry system as a means of daily transport, such as those living on gulf islands. At a total disadvantage to the residents of B.C.’s coast, BC Ferries holds a complete monopoly on oceanic travel, so a sufficient and less expensive alternative isn’t available.

Since the company was privatized years ago, the overall level of service has plummeted. Since I don’t see wait times at terminals being reduced anytime soon, this only leads me to question: “why the subsequent fare hikes?”

I can only conclude that the price of marijuana within the Province must be on the rise.

If there’s one thing I’ve heard over and over again during my day today it’s constant rumblings and grumblings about the excess rain Vancouver’s experienced as of late. It poured last week, it poured all weekend and it rained again today. I’ve made a very simple and clear point about this city to others and I’ll repeat myself here.

If you were raised in the Metro Vancouver area or have spent most of your life here, you know that rain is a very prominent part of our fall/winter season, so you really should be used to it now. For those of you who have transplanted to British Columbia, it is a RAIN FOREST. It was raining long before you came to B.C. and it’ll rain long after you leave, so if you really hate all this rain that much, feel free to pack up and go home.

Photo courtesy of Mar+i on Flickr
Is it inhospitable of me to say that? Perhaps. But you know what? I love the rain. It’s a part of life in British Columbia, it always has been and it always will be. It’s part of what makes living in B.C. such a rounded, diverse way of life. Here in Vancouver we have seasons…we get snow and sun and rain and wind and warmth and cold. The rain in this city is fresh and beautiful and cleansing. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Before you call me crazy, let me point out that a handful of West End balconies are already adorned with colouful lights, and my neighbour directly across the street keeps a Christmas tree up and decorated 365 days a year.

Michael Bublé’s holiday record, “Let It Snow,” was released in stores today, and my combined love for both Bublé and Christmas equated to a necessary purchase. My dinner is in the oven and while preparing said dinner, I broke my cardinal Christmas music rule by listening to the EP. Normally I don’t allow myself to break out holiday tunes until Starbucks has done the same in their stores, but I couldn’t very well let the cellophane go unwrapped for another three weeks. I will say that the 6 songs contained on the disc (which is available for only $6.99 plus tax at HMV) is a blissful 20 minutes and well worth breaking rules for.

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“Let It Snow” has rather appropriately been released today to coincide with the fact that the first traces of snow were seen falling on Mt. Washington this afternoon! As a lover of the outdoors and snowboarding, I can’t tell you how much this excites me! It’s hard to believe that the days of longjohns, lunchtime beer in the lodge, cool and crisp afternoons in the sunshine and the swooshing sound of my board slicing through powder are almost here.

Webcam photo courtesy of Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Need to keep an eye on things for yourself? Head over to Mt. Washington’s website to view the 24/7 webcam. As well, a variety of day passes, season passes and specific passes are available through the website and at various locations across Vancouver Island. The ever-popular 6IXPAK is yours for the taking starting November 1st, so click here for more details. I’ll see you on the hill.

I can’t believe it’s taken me more than two decades to do so, but as of late, my level of environmental awareness has shot through the roof. Perhaps it started with the realization of my near-kindred relationship with killer whales, but taking care of the world around me is something I’m starting to incorporate in my life more and more each day.

As I stood in the line-up at the English Bay Safeway this evening, I surveyed the dozens of customers at the overloaded tills and was shocked at the endless stream of plastic bags being used. So, I loaded up my three reusable bags and hiked home in the rain, hellbent on sharing with you all some easy ways we can start being less ecological jackasses and more educated nature lovers.

Photo courtesy of fightinjoe on Flickr
- Ditch the plastic bags and grab some reusable cloth bags. They’re usually ridiculously cheap, and many are actually made out of recycled plastic bags. They’re super tough too, so you can stop double-bagging it.

- Not in the room? Shut off the light.

- Unplug any adapters or electronic items you’re not using at any given moment.

- Leaving the water running while brushing your teeth can cause up to 3 gallons of water to go to waste. That’s more than people in some third world countries use in a week, let alone two minutes of brushing your teeth. Shut the tap off.

- Cold? Grab a blanket.

- If it’s possible where you live, compost your organic waste. Those apple peels and egg shells can count for up to 40% of what fills your garbage can. (As I mentioned last week, I recently wrote to the City of Vancouver regarding composting initiatives for those of us living downtown but have yet to get a response.)

- Much of your so-called garbage is recyclable…make sure you throw your soda cans, bottles, cardboard, and newspaper in the blue bins. Some grocery stores have plastic bag recycling bins, so if you insist on being an idiot and not switching to reuseable bags, at least recycle your plastic ones.

YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY

For more information on ways in which you can better do your part, visit some of the following links:

Changes Recycling Centre
Metro Vancouver Garbage & Recycling
Recycling Council of British Columbia
Return-It

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*Post Edit: In the comments section, many of you have been contributing great ideas of your own so THANK YOU! With Christmas just around the corner, please be reminded that wrapping paper is not recyclable. As another smart-thinking solution, I’ve decided to wrap all my gifts in recycled paper or plain stock paper that I can decorate myself and then recycle. Also, all gifts will be given in reusable bags to spread the green cheer!