Tahsis by Moonlight

A bright moon on a clear nighttime sky lights up Rugged Mountain

Jim Pook was travelling back to Tahsis on Saturday March 31st, and took this shot in the early hours of April 1st. A clear sky and a brilliant moon & stars made for a wonderful night time photo of the head of Tahsis Inlet with Rugged Mountain above the valley section of Tahsis.

Unusual weather continues, snow blankets Tahsis

Fluffy snow blankets Tahsis overnight, Tahsis residents wake up to a winter wonderland

I woke up on January 11th and saw trees coated with fluffy white snow on a crystal clear sunny day... anunusual sight in Tahsis. It was the heaviest and most beautiful snowfall I had seen since I moved to Tahsis 4 and a half years ago.


Alder branches along the Tahsis River

The snow muffled my footsteps on past the Village Works Yard to the Tahsis River, and I was instantly transported back to my years living in the East Kootenay winters of British Columbia.. the sights, smells and sounds of a sunny morning after a fresh snowfall. Everything looked fresh and new under it's blanket of white, and I realized that even though I liked Tahsis' mild year round climate, there was something wonderful about a cold crisp snowy morning under brilliant sunshine such as you experience every winter in the BC Interior.



I walked along the Tahsis River to the bridge, and took some more photos of Rugged Mountain and the Tahsis River before returning home. When I walked into the house, I had to knock my shoes against the doorsill to drop off the snow, and I realized this was something I hadn't had to do for many years...

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!

Bear Season again in Tahsis

Roger looks at the bear, the bear looks at Roger

I was showing a house on Alpine View to a couple (Anne and Roger), when we surprised a bear in the back yard gorging on the fallen plums.

He took off across the fence, and ran to the front of the neighbouring house... Anne had a camera in her purse & I had my digital camera, so we dashed to the front yard to photograph the bear (not actually a very good idea, but in the heat of the moment…).

When we went to the front of the house, the bear ran back to the garden again. So we asked Roger to go back to the garden, so hopefully the bear would come to the front again. We hid behind the hedge until the bear trotted back our way, but as soon as we popped out to take a picture, he went back again, and this time went through the bushes to head back towards the river.

Even though the photos we got weren’t that close up, we did get a close look at him when he was leaving the garden in the first place, and he (or she) was a very handsome looking bear with very thick healthy looking fur.. really a beautiful creature.

Just some of the adventures of being a Realtor in Tahsis…

Mike Bryan Photographs of Tahsis

Tahsis local Mike Bryan was kind enough to send me these photos of Tahsis to post in the Blog. After each photo I have included his comments and notes on the photos.

If you have any comment or question about his photographs, Mike will be happy to correspond with you be e-mail:

mb407@telus.net


Rugged Mountain at Sunrise
"I (Mike Bryan) took it on December 21st around 8:15 in the morning. I happened to look out the front window and noticed it was pink up around Rugged. That's all it took to get me outside with my new camera (a Canon Powershot S1IS). I caught that view of the mountain somewhere along the 300 block of North Maquinna Drive beside the river."

Eagle flying over Tahsis River


A good catch on the Tahsis Inlet!

This was taken about a mile south of West Bay Park beach.


McKelvie Mountain with blossoming apple trees

This was taken in front of the village office on South Maquinna.

28th Annual Great Walk in Tahsis

Christel Eadie walker #243 from Shawnigan Lake accepts soup from Josie Fletcher of the Tahsis Hospital Auxillary

After crossing the finish line for the Great Walk, entrants pick up their medal, t-shirt and certificate at the Captain Meares Elementary Secondary School gym and hobble a half block to the Tahsis Recreation Centre where the Communty Kitchen and the First Aid Station is located. The weather this year was overcast with occasional sprinkles of rain.


Jenna Dennison age 10 from Shawnigan Lake is the youngest walker to complete the Great Walk since 1992, finishing the walk in 15 hours and 8 minutes


Perry Crossley Walker #312 (13 hours and 20 minutes) from Maple Ridge displays her medal and certificate while resting after suffering from dehydration during the walk.

Perry walked the Great Walk for the first in honor of her mother who turned 81 this year, and in memory of her sister Lorna Kramer who walked it in 2000. With the cool weather during the Great Walk, Perry didn't realize she wasn't drinking enough water on the last half of the walk and ended up getting dehyrated and exhausted. Undeterred, Perry hopes to come out for the 30th Great Walk in 2007 and complete it again.


Great Walk volunteer Maureen Roth (from left) takes a break and sips some soup behind the scenes with Hospital Auxillary volunteers Judy Ellis, Paul Fletcher and Josie Fletcher.
The Tahsis Hospital Auxillary provides the perfect end to a grueling day of walking: a light meal of soup, salad, bun and a rice crispy square. This year the home made soups included Tomato Macaroni, Ministrone, Chicken and Rice, Potato Corn Chowder and Mushroom Soup.


First aid volunteer Mary Ann Rolf (affiliated with Comox Valley search and rescue) bandages the foot of Rose Kramer from Black Creek, who completed the walk in 15 hours+. This was Rose's 2nd Great Walk and the first one she completed to the end

No story of the Great Walk is complete without a picture of someone having their foot bandaged!

I caught up with Tahsis Lion's organizer Mike Nicolaye at the CMESS gym at the end of the day. These were his comments:

"We've had another successful year for the volunteers and walkers of the Tahsis Lion's Great Walk. The cool weather was great for the walkers--just the right temperature"

Mike went on the praise the volunteers from Tahsis and other BC communities such as Victoria, Maple Ridge, Shawnigan Lake, Gold River, and Campbell River.

I got a few statistics--out of the 324 registrants 275 walkers started the walk and 252 finished, 21 brought in by vehicle and with 2 more late walkers expecting. At the time I checked, $45,000 plus had been raised for charity. For more statistics and final figures, check the offical Great Walk website over the coming week:

www.greatwalk.com

April 27th 2005 - Forming the Aquaculture Co-operative

Local Tahsis residents gather at the 2nd Public Aquaculture meeting

Local Tahsis residents and member of the Village Administration and Council met with Roberta Stevenson of the Nuu-Chah-nulth Shellfish Development Corporation to go over the business plan prepared for the Village and to discuss forming a Co-operative. While there were not the same numbers attending as at the January meeting, all those present were very interested in either becoming part of the co-operative or in being supportive of the project.


Roberta Stevenson explains aspects of the Aquaculture Business Plan

In discussions about the proposed business plan, Colleen Hopkins ventured the opinion that many people had been 'scared off' of the proposed co-operative after hearing of the $60,000 investment required. A lively discussion then ensued of how to start up oyster farming with less of an investment, and various options such as raft sharing and starting up a smaller slower growing string operations were discussed.

Roberta had very informative background information and statistics on various options, and stressed that the larger investment would lead to a quicker one year harvest time frame and stronger financial returns. She stressed that the British Columbia was attaining an international reputation for it's clean waters and quality aquaculture products, and that Tahsis was in a very good position to develop a premium brand of product. Roberta passed out sample tins of Nootka brand smoked oysters, which are developing market and brand recognition in Europe.

Mayor Sylvia McNeil also emphasized that many Federal and Provincial programs were available to assist Tahsis residents in getting financing and to assist with startup and ongoing operation. She stated that the Village was very committed to helping locals set up a co-operative to provide local entrepreneurial employment. Mayor McNeil stated that the Province was very interested in our Aquaculture project, and Tahsis was beginning to be seen as a Pilot project for other coastal Vancouver Island villages.

By the end of the meeting several locals were discussing forming the co-operative, and Colleen Hopkins offered to organize the field trip to the Gold River Band's Oyster Farm on May 15th. Dan Dahling volunteered the use of Head Bay Station's van for the trip.

Colleen Hopkins is starting the process of forming the c-operative, and locals or individuals interested in relocating to Tahsis to participate in the Co-operative can contact her at (250) 934-5539 or by e-mail:

colleen_26374@hotmail.com


Several of the Tahsis locals interested in joining the Co-operative with consultant Roberta Stevenson. Left to right James and Rita Johnson, Dan Dahling of Head Bay Station, Roberta Stevenson, Colleen Hopkins and Martin Davis

Spring has Sprung in Tahsis

The trees across the street have a full set of blossoms

After a few false starts followed by cooler weather, the sun is out, the buds and flowers are emerging and spring has sprung in Tahsis! The weather is fabulous this week... yesterday going down to the post office I definately felt that 'Spring' feeling in the sun and breeze. The hummingbirds started to arrive in March, but this last week there has been a profusion of chickadees and other birds, and last night the frogs started croaking. It looks like they found that little waterfall pond my neighbour put in last summer, because I swear it sounded like two of those frogs were just outside my window. After the silence of winter, it felt like nature was abuzz and creating quite a racket this last week!


The berry bushes down the street from my house are showing flowers

Early Spring snowfall in Tahsis

Jim stopped on one of the bridges on the way home and took this picture at twilight

Jim and I were driving home from Gold River on Sunday night, in a snowfall that had started that afternoon when I was teaching a Digital Editing class for North Island College in Gold River. Driving conditions were still very good as twilight approached, and the forest along the Tree to Sea Drive between Gold River and Tahsis was utterly beautiful in the snowfall.. it was one of those snowfalls with big slowly drifting snowflakes. We stopped on one of the bridges and took this picture down the creek.


The next morning in Tahsis, my view from my office window at our house.

After the beautiful springlike weather Tahsis experienced last week, it is nice to see one more snowfall in town and on the mountains.

Emergency Preparedness Seminar in Tahsis

Tahsis volunteers attend a morning seminar on Emergency Preparedness

Local Emergency Preparedness volunteers attended a seminar and workshop on March 5th 2005 as part of MEP (Municipal Emergency Preparedness) planning for the Village.


The Emergency Preparedness Instructor covers basics in the morning class

Instructor Russel Roy of Earthquake Search and Rescue instructs Tahsis Emergency Workers in the morning, followed by a practical workshop in the afternoon. The workshop involves simulating a serious earthquake along the West Coast of BC, with speakers roaring out the sounds of an actual earthquake and volunteers playing the role of injured civilians.


Emergency workers search the Tahsis Recreation Centre for injured people after a simulated earthquake


Duck and Cover-- while emergency workers search the building, a recording of an earthquake signals a simulated aftershock, and the emergency workers crouch and cover the backs of their necks

The workshop simulated real emergency scenarios such as fires, injured residents, gas leaks, and frequent aftershocks.


Volunteer Russ Nickerson finds an injured teen in the Tahsis Recreation Centre lobby (volunteer Sean Arsenault)


Volunteer Batista Bertoia and assistant aids injured volunteers in the First Aid Station set up in the Recreation Centre Gym


Group leaders report to the Instant Commander Keith Moeskau. Keith is one of three volunteer Emergency Coordinators for Tahsis


An injured volunteer waits in the kitchen for assistance.. the kitchen is a hazardous place during an earthquake.


Emergency workers carefully transfer a badly wounded volunteer onto a stretcher

Currently, Telly Weisman of Emergex (a company offering emergency preparedness seminars /www.emergexplanning.com ) is in town Easter week giving EOC (Emergence Operations Center) training and ICS (Instant Command Systems) training over the week to the Tahsis Emergency Prepardness.

Leiner River Estuary Trail already a popular spot with locals and visitors

Locals D.E. Conibear and Ray Robbins walk along the Leiner River Estuary Trail in early February with dogs Paige and Molly

I took these photos in early February, and when our spring greenery comes out more I will take more.. this is truly a spectacular spot to view the Estuary and our local forest. This trail is close to Tahsis and is already a popular spot for visitors and locals to walk... the Village of Tahsis has already had to expand the parking lot


Paige--a black lab-- takes a little too long on a side excursion into the forest, and Ray goes and retrieves her


One of the View Platforms along the Leiner Estuary for birdlife and wildlife viewing


What a spectacular view from the platform! 3 platforms from the first phase will be ready for this summer.

The Leiner River Estuary Trail is a project of the Tahsis Economic Development Society, working in conjunction with the Village of Tahsis, and has been 3 years in development. Construction started in the fall of 2004. The project hires local workers, and is being constructed in accordance with environmental guidelines for protection of the Estuary, fish habitat and wildlife habitat.


Ferns, moss and forest surround the Estuary.. a very peaceful and beautiful place


Martin Davis hurries to finish a line of concrete pillars.

Project Manager Martin Davis hurries to finish a line of concrete pillars before the tide comes in. On February 9th Martin and another trail worker were building the support for another viewing platform , one day before the highest tides of the year. It was around noon, and already water was starting to flow into the work area.


The work on the pillars is finished for the day, and Martin takes a breather and poses for a picture.

Martin is a local cave and bat expert-- find out more about our local bats at his website: pacificcoast.net/~iskar/

First hummingbirds of the year spotted in Tahsis

Chris Fincati is the first person to spot a hummingbird this spring. On Friday afternoon March 11th Chris Fincati (local scroll work artist and president of the Tahsis Hummingbird Society) put out a new hummingbird feeder. On the 12th at 4:45 PM a hummingbird came to the feeder, and returned 3 times that day. It was a male Roufus hummingbird.

For more information about hummingbirds in Tahsis see the website for the Tahsis Hummingbird Society at www.hummingbirdnorth.com

Sharon Armella of Nootka Mist Guest House spotted a hummingbird at her hummingbird feeder on Sunday march 13th in the afternoon. Sharon had put her feeder out on Saturday -- Sharon used the glass tube feeder with red flowers and little perches for the birds so they can feed while perched. Sharon put them out because her spouse noticed some migrating geese, and Sharon finds that hummingbirds tend to show up shortly after the geese. She also has noticed that the hummingbirds show up shortly after the little flower buds appear on the salmonberry bushes.

Halloween a Hoot in Tahsis

This fiendish crew gave a good scare to Tahsis villagers on Halloween
This ghastly crew made each persons trip through the Haunted Castle a frightful and delightful experience
The big hit this Halloween was the Haunted House at the Recreation Centre. A community effort, the haunted house used the castle theme from last years Grad Dance to create a Haunted Castle inside the Rec Centre gym.

Gravestones line the front of the Haunted Castle in the Tahsis Rec Centre
Danny from the Cook Shack was the host, who escorted victims to the entrance to the Castle entrance. Inside the castle (we won't give away all the secrets) were an assortment of grisly scenes, demented fiends and a crooked labyrinth of passageways, including a spider infested tunnel that you had to go through to escape. Apparently, more adults lost their cool and screamed in fright in the castle than kids...
Here are a few pics of the frights inside. To see more you have to come out to Tahsis on Halloween!

A bone dinosaur by sculptor Doug Edward comes alive and rips the arm off a hapless villager
After the Haunted Castle, the Village of Tahsis put on a spectacular fireworks display outside the Rec Centre.

Fireworks display Halloween night in Tahsis

A fabulous day in Tahsis at the Cook Shack

View of the inlet from the Cook Shack deck

I was at the Cook Shack & took a picture from the deck... the wind was quite high today but with the sun sparkling on the water it was one of those fabulous fall days we have in Tahsis.

While I was taking the picture a couple having breakfast on the deck asked me if I did the newsletter on the web, meaning the tahsisbc.com blog.


Angela & Mick Scribens, having breakfast at the Cook Shack

We chatted a while and I asked if they wanted their pics on the blog, and they thought it would be a great idea to say hi to their friend Darren, who they said checks out the blog every other day and will probably be visiting Tahsis in October.

Angela and Mick and their daughter Samantha relocated to Tahsis on September 1st, and they are very much enjoying the Tahsis ambiance & Samantha is enjoying the local school. The Scribens are 'regulars' at Danny's (The Cook Shack) already, and were even out watching the Salmon egg collection at the Tahsis River last Sunday.

Mick says Hi to Darren in Calgary and adds:

"Hope you're enjoying the 9 to 5, Darren!"


Cook Shack interior