Aug 31 2025 - BC Adventure - Art and Goodbyes.

Calvin Hunt. 

Our visit to the workshop of Calvin Hunt was the perfect finishing touch to our week. He is smart, funny, humble and a highly respected artist, mentor, dancer and knowledge keeper. 

As he spoke, the twinkle in his eyes glittered. His gift of storytelling was enhanced with his ever present movement, he danced while he spoke, perhaps not even knowing he was moving but his body responded to his words. 

He is an expert carver, often commissioned by a government or a wealthy collector to create a unique piece. His work can be found all over the world and yet his workshop is quaint and rustic. 

He is worldly and local, an elder and yet with the energy of a teacher on the first day of school. We loved being with him to deepen our understanding of the stories we had started to know. 

We left with the story of the eclipse and an appreciation beyond any we could have gained elsewhere. 

Saying goodbye to this adventure is both sad and energizing. We all have had moments of ROSES in full bloom, we have all had to deal with some THORNS, but most of all there are so many BUDS in all our hearts and minds to bring forward and celebrate. 

Thank you to our old friends and our new friends for making this a magical adventure. 

Homeward bound, leaving some of my heart with the Kwakwaka'wakw people, and the wildlife of beautiful British Columbia. 

Aug 30 2025 - BC Adventure - Alert Bay

Showers. We all needed them. And they felt good! 

Back at the Kwa'lilas Hotel. And a new guide to share more knowledge. Dani Dawson. 

Dani takes us back to Port McNeill for a foggy trip on a BC Ferry. Yes it is still Fog-ust. 

Alert Bay is a small island between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Home to about 1,200 residents and the U'mista Cultural Center. Rain doesn't hamper our walk of the village. 

And we make our way up Smitty's hill to the Nawalakw Garden. Here we meet Verna, who has tended to this garden for several years. She is a most charming host, with energy and wisdom, and a deep love for her community. She talks of the youth volunteers and the hope the garden provides. The jobs it has created and the availability of fresh produce it supplies. An impressive story, continuously being written as she is a lifelong learner and a humble leader.  

She greets us with snacks and drinks and stories as we wait out a downpour under the shelter of the waiting area. 

Nawalakw, meaning supernatural, is an organization supporting Food Security (grow with love), Language and Cultural Camps, Immersive Language Programs, and more.

We enjoy a tour of the garden and a taste of the strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Nature's candy. 

From here we walk the hilly island community to the cultural centre for a special lunch and learn. 

The cultural center stands on the land of the former residential school, St. Michaels.  It was demolished in 2015, an act celebrated by most. An act allowing the community to focus on the future and heal. 

We have a guided tour of the art and treasures slowly being returned to their rightful owners after traveling to many foreign places. Many treasures were taken from the indigenous people here, when the potlach was banned. Museums and private collections are now returning these special items back home. No photos were to be taken in the climate controlled museum and display area. The pieces were stunning. 

Lunch was prepared for us. 

Homemade bannock and delicious fish soup. 

A feast enjoyed by all of us, even a super chatty traveller from New Jersey who took our group photos above. 

We ate, we learned and we enjoyed. 

A short walk from the Cultural Centre we found the tallest totem pole in the world, and the Big House of Alert Bay. 

The Kwakwaka'wakw tribal totem pole stands 53 meters high, although a portion at the top came down in a strong wind, and is now at the Cultural Centre. This pole represents 18 of the factions of this community, and includes the Sun Man, the Thunderbird and a whale. 

The sense of community is deep here. Our guide Dani waves at every car passing, and calls out to an auntie and uncle and a cousin. We enjoy her stories and wander back to the Ferry dock. 

Along the boardwalk these little shelters were built to allow for gatherings and discussions (photo above). 

The old fish processing plant remains, but the business is closed. 

A small church. 

Beautiful views. 

 

And once again, an eagle watching over us. 

Back at the hotel we are treated to a very special song and drum ceremony and a final dinner with Dani joining us to continue the conversation about truth, reconciliation and growth. 

Aug 29 2015: BC Adventure - Bears

We pack up our wet and salty clothes.

We say goodbye to our wonderful guides. 

We await the arrival of Sea Wolf Adventures.

And we shuttle from the island to the big boat.

Andrew and Hannah are waiting for us on Mayumi 2.0. This is their new boat, named after the oldest daughter, meaning truth and beauty.  And she is a beauty. 

We climb aboard to find coffee and (second) breakfast. This is my kind of day! 

And we head towards Thompson Sound and the Great Bear Rainforest. 

With twin 450 engines - we are practically flying. 

We are on Day 4 and having a blast. Fun people, travelling with purpose.  While we didn't all know each other a week ago, we are close friends now.

It was fun to see so much more of the geography. The mountains, the trees and the ocean. Our otter came to wave goodbye, and the dolphins did too. 

The boat was carefully crafted with important Kwakwaka'wakw messages.

While the bear watching tour can be done entirely on the boat, our choice was to go ashore. We headed to Thompson Sound. Pulling into the dock, we found the "side by sides", basically an ATV with 6 seats (3+3). Great. Two vehicles = 12 seats. 

Oops, did I mention the other couple on this outing? A couple from The Netherlands, here to see the bears too. 

Hmmm how does this math work? 14 of us, 12 seats. 

The "very back" (as we said in the Smith family) was when we got to ride behind the back seats. Yes! I volunteered for that seat immediately. Talk about a view! 

And Arnold volunteered too

The one lane road took us to a small hiking path. 

We hike to the next crossing, feeling energized and a bit cautious. We are after all, hiking in bear territory. 

Down a mud slick creek bank to a small Zodiak, all 14 of us climb aboard for a very short ride to another trail. 

And then another hike. Shhhhh we are asked to be silent as we come closer to the river and bear viewing spot. Mind the bear poop in the path 😳

The owner of Sea Wolf Adventures is a member of the people whose land we are on. He has the privilege to have his tours stop at a perfect location for viewing. We stop. Andrew points. I squint. I see nothing. I am stuck to Andrew's side as he says "there she is beside the big rock" ....

And then my eyes land on her, and I am frozen. Frozen with excitement. Frozen with disbelief. Frozen with joy. This is my moment. I am watching a Mumma grizzly bear fish the salmon running upstream to spawn. 

And she catches one. 

Another moment. Never to be forgotten. I could stay all day. 

We all watch, in silence and wonder. 

After about 90 minutes (of pure joy), Andrew and Hannah quietly gather us and lead us back up the path. We visit the fish ladder and old cabin and take in the splendid views. 

And back we go - hike - Zodiak - hike - ATV - boat.  Marc got the "very bacl" on the way back.

Our guides now radio other boats to gain intel about bear and whale sightings. First stop, Mumma black bear and two cubs, turning the shoreline rocks to feast on the hiding crabs.

Off again to another bay. 

And a grizzly is spotted. He gives us quite a show as we silently float in the bay and he wanders the shoreline and stops to sniff and stare more than once. 

He even gave us a laugh as he walked into the woods, but stopped to poop, back to us, basically as his own little special good bye to us. 

We do note a couple of fish farms. We are told they used to number more than 20. Farming Atlantic salmon because they grow faster, brought infection and sea lice to the area, causing the Pacific, local salmon to die off. After much data gathering and protesting, the local activists have succeeded in lowering the number of active fish farms in this area down to three. The Pacific salmon are back to health and back in record numbers. A very good environmental story. 

Back to full throttle on Mayumi 2.0 we were thrilled to see more Orcas, more humpbacks, and even one minky whale (not close enough to photograph). 

Back to land we were headed. Another extraordinary day on the ocean.