The Story of Sointula

The morning rain seemed like a good excuse for a short cruise, so we made our way eastward from Port Hardy along Queen Charlotte Strait to the community of Sointula on Malcolm Island.  

The Peaceful Town of Sointula

 



Colorful homes and flower gardens at Sointula

Sointula was settled by Finnish immigrants, evident by the colorful homes, flower gardens, and unique wood fences and old barns in the area.  Everyone seems to be on island time, no one’s in a hurry and people wave as they pass by; you might even see chickens crossing the road.  

Chickens crossing the road in Sointula

Most of the activity takes place at the docks, the marine ways, and in the village at the Co-op Grocery Store and town cafes.  

Malcolm Island Docks and Harbour Office

While checking in at the Harbour Office for our stay at the Malcolm Island docks, we made special note of the new office, clean showers, and nice laundry facilities, and of course the lovely flower beds.  Located next to the office is the cute red ‘Burger Barn,’ open noon to 7pm, which seems quite popular.  A stop at Sointula, however, isn’t complete without a ride into town; if you don’t have bicycles aboard your boat, the Harbour Office has loaner bicycles for guests.  Learning about the history of Sointula made our visit all that more interesting.  Finnish immigrants who were tired of working the coal mines in the Nanaimo area, organized the Kalevan Kansa Colonization Company and the AIKA Newspaper.  

Archive Photo, Sointula

The immigrants, under the leadership of Matti Kurikka, negotiated with the B.C. government for land, and in 1901 the Company took possession of Malcolm Island (28,000 acres).  The name Sointula, meaning place of harmony, was chosen to match the life style of communal ownership, equal rights, and decision making by consensus.  

Yesteryear buildings at Sointula

This idealistic utopia didn’t last; and by late 1904, much of the colony deteriorated and the founder left, along with half the colony.  The remaining pioneers, under the direction of Austin Makela, tried to make the best of it but were saddled with debt.  As a consequence, the Colonization Company sold the assets to the bank and returned the Island to the Government of British Columbia.  

The Sointula Co-op Grocery Store, established 1909

The pioneers who stayed were allowed to keep their homes and continue their efforts to create new businesses including the 1909 Co-operative Grocery Store.  The Co-op Grocery Store is still in business today and is the oldest running cooperative in British Columbia.  After shopping at this historic grocery store, we road our bikes back towards the docks, stopping at the Tarkanen Marine Ways to check out their new buildings.  A fire in 2016 destroyed the workshop and sheds which were quickly rebuilt and then re-opened for business this spring.  

Tarkanen Marine Ways and Work Sheds

Tarkanen has three marine ways with varying size cradles which can accommodate power vessels up to 60 feet and accommodate some sailboats.  Tarkanen (250-973-6710) is the only marine ways between Campbell River or Lund, and shearwater.  Services at Tarkanen include welding, fiberglass repairs, and bottom painting for both commercial and pleasure boats.  Folks at Tarkanen are friendly and were hard at work, perhaps inherited from the Finnish can do attitude.  

Exploring the Streets of Sointula

After depositing our groceries at the boat, we biked west of town and enjoyed more peaceful residential streets and country-style houses along the seashore; the sea breeze and warm afternoon sun melted away the concerns of the world for Sointula, ‘the place of harmony.’

Malcolm Island Lions Harbour Authority Docks

Native Culture, the Modern Way

The winds were howling around Cape Caution during our stay at Duncanby in Rivers Inlet.  Gale force winds were so strong that they reached into Rivers Inlet where we clocked 50-knot winds; the wind blew water from the surface of the waves, sending spray sideways like rain clouds.  The weather synopsis indicated that winds and seas would subside over Friday but more gale force winds would be arriving Saturday afternoon.  

A Fishing Boat Rounding Cape Caution

We chose to depart Duncanby on Friday around 9am.  The seas had not completely subsided and we were on an ebb tide exiting Rivers Inlet; sea swell was 6-7 feet but with a period of 12 seconds so conditions were manageable.  As we continued out to sea and around Cape Caution, the seas subsided to 5-foot swells between 8 and 9 second intervals.  By the time we reached Queen Charlotte Strait, the seas had eased to a 4-foot swell.  

Scarlett Point Lighthouse on Balaklava Island

Entering Gordon Channel, we were once again in protected waters and passed the attractive Scarlett Point Lighthouse before entering Christie Passage and Goletas Channel.  Located in Christie Passage is a cute little cove called God’s Pocket, the site of God’s Pocket Resort, an established diving resort with space for three or four boats.  

God's Pocket Resort

Visiting boaters can call ahead regarding available moorage space and join guests for breakfast, lunch, or dinner as space allows with prior notice.  Anchorage is possible near the entrance to the resort.  After a short stop at God’s Pocket Resort, we continued south from Goletas Channel into Hardy Bay, arriving at Port Hardy around 4:30pm with three different options for moorage:  the downtown Harbour Authority Seagate T-Floats, best utilized in settled weather; the Harbour Authority Fisherman’s Wharf, primarily used by the fishing fleet; and the Quarterdeck Inn & Marina Resort docks who also welcome visiting boaters.  

Downtown Port Hardy and the Seagate T-Floats

Quarterdeck Inn and Marina, Port Hardy

Downtown Port Hardy has a lovely promenade along the waterfront and several nice cafes and coffee shops.  A recent new addition to Port Hardy is the beautiful Kwa’Lilas Hotel, formerly the Port Hardy Inn.  Three First Nations tribes:  the Nakwaxda’xw People, the Gwa’sala People, and the Kwakiutle People came together to completely rebuild the structure, making extensive use of local cedar.  The Kwa’Lilas Hotel houses the fine-dining Ha’me’ Restaurant offering a quality menu.  

Native owned Kwa'Lilas Hotel

We enjoyed a wonderful strawberry, beet salad and a beautifully prepared halibut dish along with a seafood pasta dish, all with nice presentation, served by gracious staff.  A Native motif of wood carved masks, headdresses, and Native blankets are used throughout the building in both the lovely hotel rooms and in the restaurant.  

The Ha'me' Restaurant at Kwa'Lilas Hotel

The Ha’me’ Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, for reservations call (250) 949-8884.  The K’awat’si Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) was formed in 2014 to create future opportunities for the tribes.  

Quality Meals at Ha'me' Restaurant, a unique dining experience

The Nakwaxda’xw People who once lived in Blunden Harbour, and the Gwa’sala People who once lived in Smith Inlet were moved by the Canadian Government in 1964 from their traditional land to the current location in Tsulquate-Port Hardy, home of the Kwakiutle People.  

Native motif found throughout Kwa'Lilas Hotel

The three tribes formed the KED Corporation and purchased the former Port Hardy Inn to create the new Kwa’Lilas Hotel which recently opened in March of 2017.  The hotel and restaurant are a welcome addition for the town of Port Hardy.               

Gone Fishing



Duncanby Lodge & Marina, Rivers Inlet

After finishing our northern circuit, the time had arrived to turn south and continue our research in The Broughtons, Johnston Strait, and Desolation Sound.  Rounding Cape Caution, however, would have to wait for a couple of days due to Gale Force conditions with winds between 35 and 45 knots, creating 16 foot seas.  While waiting out the weather, we visited the classy sport fishing lodge and marina of Duncanby, located on the southeast shore of Rivers Inlet. 

This marina is primarily for sport fishermen, but cruisers often stop here to spend the night and enjoy dinner at the excellent restaurant and nice facilities of Duncanby.  Breakfast and lunch is also open to the public and is a special treat when out cruising for the summer.  Breakfast begins at 4:30am, too early for us, but thankfully breakfast runs until 11am. 

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner served at Duncanby

We found everyone to be friendly and gracious at Duncanby’s and the meals are great.  Reservations for moorage space is recommended during the peak summer season.  The lodge has expanded their fleet of fishing boats which occupy the north docks and the inside of the south docks; visiting boats are assigned moorage on the outside of the south dock, be sure to fender well.  Power is no longer available at the docks. 


Our boat on the inside south dock by special permission

Duncanby, once called Duncanby Landing, began as a logging community in 1936 and later became an all-inclusive fishing resort.  Today, Duncanby continues as a high-end fishing lodge offering meals, laundry services, boat rentals, and a fuel dock.  Fishing guides and tours are also available. 

Early Times at Duncanby

Despite the choppy seas, fishing boats were coming and going all day long, mustn’t let those big fish slip away!

Welcome Surprises

We departed beautiful Fury Cove on the southwest side of Penrose Island and headed south to circle around the Island and back north again into Klaquaek Channel, an area we had not explored in previous years.  Klaquaek has several well-protected anchorage areas, serving as nice alternatives if Fury Cove and neighboring ‘Secure Cove’ are full.  This route is also an interesting way to reach ‘Dawsons Landing’ located further north at the end of Darby Channel.  

Floating Home Community, Sunshine Bay off Klaquaek Channel

We found three good anchorage areas within Klaquaek, the first being Sunshine Bay on the east side of the Channel on Ripon Island.  

Narrow Entrance to Sunshine Bay

The entrance is narrow with a couple of bends but is easily doable; the charted shoal on the south shore at the neck of the entrance is not as extensive as charted.  Anchoring depths in Sunshine Bay are 25-30 feet over a flat mud bottom.  This intriguing bay contains a floating home community hidden from the Channel.  The homes seemed in good condition and some of the houses appeared to be quite new.  As we exited the bay, a boat was entering the narrow entrance, perhaps returning home after a day of fishing.  

Big Frypan Anchorage off Klaquaek Channel

Next, we explored Big Frypan Bay on the west side of the Channel located on southeast Penrose Island.  This large bay has ample room for a good number of boats with anchoring depths of 68 feet on a sand-mud bottom, shallower depths can be found in a couple of coves within the bay.  The short, narrow entrance to Big Frypan Bay is easy to transit.  

Frypan Anchorage off Klaquaek Channel

Just north of Big Frypan Bay is smaller Frypan Bay, nearly landlocked by a short, narrow entrance with a shoal on the port side - the shoal is not charted so stay to starboard.  Smaller Frypan Bay is lovely and has ample room for several boats to anchor, depths are as charted, around 45 feet over a mixed bottom of mud and rock.  We found Klaquaek to be an interesting area to explore and worth including in the Waggoner Cruising Guide.  If Fitz Hugh Sound is giving you fits, Klaquaek may be a nice alternative.  Continuing our journey north, we exited Klaquaek Channel meeting up with Darby Channel near Fleming Point.  

Rivers Lodge in the back cove of Sleepy Bay off Darby Channel

As we turned northeast, we spotted a sign along the shore pointing to ‘Rivers Lodge,’ another unexpected surprise to check out.  The Lodge is completely hidden from view along Darby Channel, tucked inside Sleepy Bay on the southwest finger of Walbran Island; the last couple hundred feet is accessible only by smaller boats; however, a log-boom tied to shore in the outer cove may provide an option for larger boats for tie.  

Darby Channel

After discovering the seasonal fishing lodge, we continued up Darby Channel, arriving at Dawsons Landing around 4:30pm and checked in at the adorable general store which doubles as a Post Office.  We found three other cruisers at the docks and enjoyed an impromptu potluck 'happy hour.'

Dawsons Landing, General Store and Cabins

Dawsons Landing is run by a husband-wife team, who maintain the docks and buildings adorned with lovely potted shrubs and flowers, they also offer two fishing cabins for rent as well as storage for local fishing camps during the winter months.  

Nice Views from Dawsons Landing

Loop Ties on the docks at Dawsons Landing

The docks are in good shape and have ‘loop ties’ rather than ‘bull rails,’ keeping your lines clean and easy to remove.  Water is available at the dock, no power; satellite-based Wifi is available for a fee, payable at the store.  

The adorable General Store at Dawsons Landing

The well-stocked general store is a fun place to shop and includes housewares, parts, and fishing supplies; don’t miss the freezers stocked with meats, smoked salmon, and ice cream.  While at Dawsons Landing, the Grumman Goose, an amphibious plane used extensively during the early to mid-1930’s, arrived at the dock to unload mail and pick up passengers.  

The Grumman Goose delivering the mail

If for no other reason, visiting Dawsons Landing to see this unique aircraft up close is worth the trip, ask at the store for the next scheduled arrival.  

Helicopter fueling at Dawsons

A few hours later, a pilot who works for the logging industry landed his helicopter at Dawsons to top off with JetA fuel.  The helicopter landed within a few feet of our boat.  What an exciting two days we had at Dawsons with our own private air show, including two' de Havilland' Beaver aircraft with floats!


A front-row seat at Dawsons

 

Shadows of Time



Edna and Anne Islands

We left our secure, isolated anchorage on Hurricane Island and explored southward around Edna, Anne, and Triquet Islands.  

Old Cabin site, Triquet Island

We stopped at a sandy beach on the north shore of Triquet Island, the site of an old A-frame cabin.  The site is marked with a pole and orange buoys but we didn't see the small cabin which most likely collapsed into the shadows of time.  

Heading out to Sea, Fulton Passage

Finding that the seas were calm and that the weather forecast was favorable, we exited Fulton Passage out to sea and headed north for the southwest side of Spider Island in the hope that we might be able to see some buildings or ruins from the WWII Radar Station.  The seas in Queens Sound were easily manageable with 2-3 foot swells at 11 seconds.  We got as close as we dared to the rocky shore of the island but could see nothing but trees and rock outcroppings.  

Ruins (top of building) WWII Radar Station 

As we moved further away from the island, we could make out the skeleton of a roof and then the outline of a building that appeared intact.  Camouflaged among the windswept trees and rocks, these buildings could only be seen with binoculars.  Unfortunately the distance and grey colors on shore were not conducive for good picture taking, another one of those places that has been forgotten and hidden in the shadows of another time.  We headed back south along the coast, rounding Triquet Island to head across Kildidt Sound.  

Blenheim Island, west entrance to Kildidt Sound

The seas were much better than our previous attempt to cross Kildidt Sound a week earlier.  Blenheim Island, named after the WWII British aircraft bomber, marks the west entrance to Kildidt Sound.  

Haiki Passage

On the east side of the Sound, we passed Stirling Island and headed south across Haiki Passage, arriving in Pruth Bay for our afternoon anchorage.  After a short respite and lunch, we crossed the channel of Fitz Hugh Sound to the east side to check out the anchorage in Pierce Bay.  We found that Pierce Bay is susceptible to winds and the west side of the bay has poor holding.  

Beautiful Fury Cove

Fury Cove Beach

With evening approaching, we made our way a few miles south and anchored in the popular but protected bay of Fury Cove.  Fury Cove located between Fury Island and Penrose Island has lovely sandy, midden beaches and beautiful views, an ideal anchorage.  There were five other boats with us that evening in Fury Cove and still room for others.

Consolation Prize




Passage between Gow, Piddington, and Campbell Islands

We said our goodbye’s to Ocean Falls and departed Cousins Inlet, turning west through Gunboat Pass and continuing once again towards sea via Seaforth Channel.  Turning south through Raymond Passage, we entered the outer islands of the ‘Spider Anchorage’ Area.  This group of islands and islets encompasses the waters between Queens Sound and Kildidt Sound and is part of the Hakai Conservancy Area.  The area is exposed to the ocean (Queen charlotte) but has several well-protected anchorages tucked in among the islands – Hunter Island, Spitfire Island, Hurricane Island, and Manley Island to name a few.  

Pictograph Passage

Exiting Raymond Passage, we skirted between Gow, Piddington, and Campbell Islands into Pictograph Passage, aptly named for the interesting pictograph found about halfway along the eastern shore on Campbell Island.  

Petroglyph along the eastern shore of Petroglyph Passage, Campbell Island

Our interpretation of the painting is a row of individuals wearing head-dresses with a hand held high, as if asking the procession to stop; what else might this pictograph be telling us?  

Looking southwest from Cultus Sound

From Pictograph Passage we entered Queens Sound with 2-foot seas, passed the McNaughton Group, and then entered Cultus Sound with 2-3 foot swells at 9 seconds.  

Spider Channel

Ducking into Spider Channel, between Spider Island and Spitfire Island, we peered through the binoculars to see if we could find any remains of the ‘plank road’ on the northeast side of Spider Island.  The road was made from logs and wood planks which led from a dock (now gone) and extended across the island to the southwest side, the site of a Radar Station established by the Canadian military in WWII, complete with barracks and other buildings.  The wood plank road, which covered a boggy terrain, unfortunately has all but rotted away.  

Bonsai-type Trees in Spider Channel 

We would have to be content with having seen this beautiful area, our consolation prize being the pictograph and the numerous pretty islets.  Some of the islets have stunted trees that look like bonsai, creating an intricate water-way, garden-like setting.  

Hurricane Anchorage

Maneuvering around these islets, we entered ‘Hurricane Anchorage’ located on the peninsula of southwest Hurricane Island and spent a very quiet evening in this isolated area.