50 Year Storm fails to dampen Tahsis Spirit

Erv Spenser and Corky Roth of Tahsis Public Works are served a hot breakfast by Recreation Centre workers

Tahsis Public Works employees, Village Workers, The Tahsis Volunteer Fire Department, and Emergency Services were all out in force in Tahsis during the emergency conditions for what is being called a ’50 year storm’... the worst storm to hit the West Coast of Vancouver Island in 50 years.


Sharon Taprowski (front) and Lucille Collins whip up more eggs for hungry Village employees and Emergency Services workers

Tahsis had it’s power restored Thursday evening after the outage lasting since early Wednesday morning, however the road to Gold River has been washed out in 4 places and it is not expected to be reopened to public traffic for a week.

The Tahsis Recreation Centre and the Village office have remained open with the use of generators, and the Rec Center provided a warm place to hang out for chilled Tahsis residents.

Keith Orr and the Tahsis Christian Church Society volunteer breakfast crew came in Thursday morning to the Rec Centre to cook Pancake breakfast for the community. Keith Orr and crew also serve breakfast every Monday at the Tahsis United Church as a fundraiser for restoring Tahsis’ unique A-frame church along South Maquinna Drive.

Kim Anderson’s Spaghetti Sauce was particularly popular for the Thursday night dinner. So many Tahsis residents turned out the event started to feel like a Tahsis Community Dinner, and was a bright spot for the week.

Emergency workers checked on residents and handed out notices keeping residents informed of events, and provided emergency generator services as needed, such as at the Tahsis Building Supply so residents could get propane refills for furnaces and BBQ’s during the power outage.

Due to the road closure, Mayor Dave McIntosh commandeered all fuel supplies in town so that emergency vehicles could maintain services and assist residents until the road is reopened and new supplies can be brought into town.

The Tahsis Postal Station stayed open even during the power outage. Postmistress Jane Gilmour stayed at her post bundled up in mohair mittens and long underwear and kept track of sales on a piece of paper so residents could come in pay for their postal services when the power returned. Mail left in Gold River after the road closure was delivered this Thursday by Air Nootka; rain, sleet and 50 year storms do not stop Canada Post from servicing her remote Villages!