15 Seconds at Kitty Coleman

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but sometimes 15 seconds of video tells the story in a manner that words just could not come close to.

waves,Kitty Coleman,Provincial Park,Vancouver Island,Georgia Strait,British Columbia

A set of still images and video clips from an afternoon at Kitty Coleman Provincial Park.

waves,Kitty Coleman,Provincial Park,Vancouver Island,Georgia Strait,British Columbia

waves,Kitty Coleman,Provincial Park,Vancouver Island,Georgia Strait,British Columbia

Posted in Georgia Strait, nature, ocean, Provincial Park, time lapse, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island Images, video, waves | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fall at Filberg

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

Pretty – I’ll have to visit here in the spring to see what it looks like with emerging flowers, but for now, I enjoyed the tranquility and the views of the harbour, Comox valley, and the beautiful mountains.

Filberg Centre,Comox,Vancouver Island,Comox Valley

This will likely be high on my list of set locations for portraits and all that stuff…

Filberg Centre,Comox,Vancouver Island,Comox Valley

Filberg Centre,Comox,Vancouver Island,Comox Valley

Filberg Centre,Comox,Vancouver Island,Comox Valley

Filberg Centre,Comox,Vancouver Island,Comox Valley

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M/V Quinitsa

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

The 50 car Quinitsa was originally built for the Britsh Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways.  Quinitsa began service in 1977 on the Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island ferry route, replacing the 30 car Kahloke. The Quinitsa soon became too small and in June 1982, she was replaced by the 70 car MV Quinsam. For the rest of 1982 and for most of 1983, she was loaned to BC Ferries, operating on a variety of routes, including Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island, Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour.

time lapse,BC Ferries,Quinitsa,Buckley Bay,Baynes Sound

Upon returning to the Ministry of Transportation and Highways she was placed on the Buckley Bay to Denman Island route. She was transferred to the BC Ferries in October 1985 when the corporation assumed control of 13 vessels from the Ministry of Transportation and Highways Marine Branch saltwater ferry fleet.

In 2007, Quinitsa received a Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) at the Deas Pacific Marine site in Richmond BC. She received new engines and generators, as well as a rebuilt bridge structure and a refurbished passenger cabin. Work also included safety equipment recertification, installation of new RADAR and a fire pump upgrade. The MLU is expected to extend the service life of the vessel approximately 20 years.

Quinitsa is scheduled to be replaced by a cable ferry in 2014, freeing her to be used on other routes.

  • Year Built: 1977 Vancouver Shipyards, Vancouver, BC
  • Vehicle Capacity: 50
  • Passenger Capacity: 394 (+ 6 crew)
  • Length: 74.52 m
  • Breadth: 19.51 m
  • Ship Depth: 3.29 m
  • Gross Tonnage: 1,107
  • Net Tonnage: 1061.05
  • Service Speed: 12 knots
  • Horsepower: 1,440
  • Propulsion four diesel engines, twin screws
  • Generators: two 80 kWe generators sets powered by John Deere 6068TFM76 Tier II

Posted in Georgia Strait, Gulf Islands, history, ships, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island Images, video | Leave a comment

Stotan Falls

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

A few moments at Stotan Falls, on the Puntledge River – such a beautiful spot.

Stotan Falls,Courtenay,Browns,Puntledge River

Stotan Falls,Courtenay,Browns,Puntledge River

Stotan Falls,Courtenay,Browns,Puntledge River

Stotan Falls,Courtenay,Browns,Puntledge River

Posted in Puntledge, river, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island Images, video, waterfall | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

M/V Island Sky

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

I think that every person living on Vancouver Island has some sort of love/hate relationship with BC Ferries – I rather like the ferries but am not a fan of the food onboard or the high fare that I have to pay to even walk onto one of them. Anyhow, a lot of people are more than annoyed that the terminals at Little River near Comox and Westview in Powell River will be closed for some much needed repairs and improvements – both at the same time. This means that Powell River can only be accessed from Vancouver Island if you drive to Departure Bay in Nanaimo, take a ferry to Saltery Bay and then drive to Powell River.

At the same time, the Queen of Burnaby (the regular ferry) is in refit and the smaller Island Sky is filling in for her.

The Island Sky is the last of the three Intermediate Class (I Class) ferries. The other two ships in this class are the Queen of Capilano , built in 1992 by Vancouver Shipyards, and the Queen of Cumberland, built in 1992 by Vancouver Shipyards.  Unique to the intermediate sized vessels, the Island Sky has a main car deck as well as gallery decks on either side to increase vehicle capacity.

The passenger section of the Island Sky was built at the Washington Marine Group (WMG) shipyards in Esquimalt, while the engines and hull were assembled at WMG’s North Vancouver facility. On 8 December 2008, BC Ferries formally accepted the vessel.

 

  • Built: 2008, Washington Marine Group, Vancouver
  • Entered Service: 19 February 2009
  • Overall Length: 102.4 metres
  • Maximum Displacement: 3,420 tonnes
  • Gross Tonnage: 4,313 tonnes
  • Car Capacity: 125
  • Passenger & Crew Capacity: 462
  • Engines: four matched sets of Niigata medium speed diesel engines, with an output of 1,323 kilowatts (1,800 horsepower), operating at 750 rpm
  • Propulsion: Niigata Z-peller right-angle drive propellers
  • Maximum Speed: 16 knots

The Queen of Capilano and the Queen of Cumberland are slightly smaller and slower than the Island Sky:

  • Overall Length: 96.0 m
  • Car Capacity Queen of Capilano: 85, Queen of Cumberland: 127
  • Gross Tonnage: Queen of Capilano: 2,500, Queen of Cumberland: 2,662
  • Crew: 10-14
  • Passenger & Crew Capacity: 451
  • Horsepower: 7,302
  • Maximum Speed: 12.6 knots

In the spring of 2007, the Queen of Capilano was upgraded to “Baltic ice class” to better deal with the large amounts of debris often found in Howe Sound.

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Inside, outside – Mount Washington

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

Coffee – some days that’s all that keeps me going, and other days it’s one of the things that keep me going back somewhere. In this case, it was a bit of both as I was at Mount Washington enjoying the snow and the coffee.

Mount Washington,Strathcona

As nice as it was outside in the snow, I’m quite happy to sit inside and enjoy the views of Strathcona and my coffee…

Mount Washington,Strathcona Mount Washington,Strathcona Mount Washington,Strathcona

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Oyster River – Regent Road Bridge

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

I found this lovely wooden bridge by accident as I was trying to get back to the North Island Highway (19A) after visiting Saratoga Beach and I had turned right at Regent Road instead of left – such the way that many wonderful life events begin.

Oyster River,Saratoga Beach,Sakmon,Vancouver Island,Arthur Mayes Side Channel,regent Road,Salmon

This bridge is one of two that span the Oyster River near Saratoga Beach; the other being one that I would normally not bother taking a picture of as it’s fairly standard bridge on the highway. While the highway bridge is not as pretty as this wood bridge, I will at some point go back and take a few pictures of it for comparison.

Anyhow – I park, grab a camera and walk up to take a few pictures of the bridge.

Oyster River,Saratoga Beach,Sakmon,Vancouver Island,Arthur Mayes Side Channel,regent Road,Salmon

That’s when I notice that this bridge is not the only interesting thing here – the river itself is interesting, as is the 600m Arthur Mayes Side Channel. The side channel has a pond for natural spawning of Coho, Chinook, Pink and Chum salmon, Trout, Steelhead and overwintering habitat for rearing juveniles. The channels have been built with structures that salmonides use as habitat, including include deep pools and ponds, shallow bubbling riffles, undercut banks, boulders and large woody debris.

Oyster River,Saratoga Beach,Sakmon,Vancouver Island,Arthur Mayes Side Channel,regent Road,Salmon

I’ll explore the trails through the side channel the next time I am in the area as on this visit I had no idea that the channel or the trail existed. That’s typical of how many of my trips begin – I see something interesting, research it and then head back armed with a map, a compass, safety equipment and some appropriate clothes and boots.

And a camera and soup…

Oyster River,Saratoga Beach,Sakmon,Vancouver Island,Arthur Mayes Side Channel,regent Road,Salmon

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Albern

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

Albern,tug,tugboat,ships,towing,Fanny Bay

Albern,tug,tugboat,ships,towing,Fanny Bay

Albern in Fanny Bay

  • Year Built: 1967 United Engineering Ltd, Victoria
  • Gross Tonnage: 9.43
  • Net Tonnage: 6.41
  • Construction Material: Steel
  • Length: 9.81 m
  • Breadth: 4.21 m
  • Depth: 1.19 m
  • Propulsion: 1 x 365 brake horsepower diesel, single screw
  • Speed: 9.0 knots
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MV Quinitsa – Buckly Bay

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

I spotted the MV Quinitsa while looking south down Baynes Sound toward the BC Ferries Buckley Bay ferry terminal.

BC Ferries,Buckley Bay,Baynes Sound,Quinitsa

Pretty… You see stuff such as this if you take the time to slow down, get off the highway, and get out of the car,

BC Ferries,Buckley Bay,Baynes Sound,Quinitsa

Separating Denman Island and Vancouver Island, Baynes Sound is a narrow western off-shoot of the Strait of Georgia. The 40 km sound runs between Chrome Island and Tree Island at the northern end of Denman . For the most part it is less than 2 km wide, with the widest section of the channel being 3.5 km wide.

Baynes Sound is named after Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes, who commanded the British Navy Pacific Squadron from 1857 to 1860.

Posted in Georgia Strait, Gulf Islands, ships, tourism, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island Images | Leave a comment

Kitty Coleman Provincial Park

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Katherine

Located 6 kilometres northwest of Courtenay on central Vancouver Island, Kitty Coleman Park was named after Kitty Coleman, a local First Nation member who left her tribe to marry a white man. The park has always been a bit of a mystery to me as it is sometimes referred to as the woodland gardens and sometimes as a provincial park. As it turns out, it is both.

Kitty Coleman Provincial Park,Georgia Straight,Vancouver Island,wind surf,beach,camping,Georgia Straight

The original park was donated to the settlers of Merville around 1900 and operated by the community until the 1940s, when financial difficulties led to the province assuming management responsibility. Kitty Coleman was established as a Class “C” Provincial Park on November 14, 1944 , and a community park board was set up to oversee its operation. As a Class C park that receives no government funding,  revenues generated from campers and boaters are used to cover the costs of taking care of the park.

Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens Woodland Gardens is recognized as one of the world’s finest informal show gardens. It has one of the largest rhododendron collections in Western Canada with over 3000 plantings and 24 wooded acres are covered with bark mulch paths and many water features.

I visited the park and enjoyed a cup of soup as I watched the waves and birds.

Kitty Coleman Provincial Park,Georgia Straight,Vancouver Island,wind surf,beach,camping,Georgia Straight

I also enjoyed watching some wind surfers as they zoomed across the waters of Georgia Straight toward Powell River – you have to bear in mind that this was in the last week of October yet people are enjoying nature, not huddled up in long underwear and shovelling snow.

Kitty Coleman Provincial Park,Georgia Straight,Vancouver Island,wind surf,beach,camping,Georgia Straight Kitty Coleman Provincial Park,Georgia Straight,Vancouver Island,wind surf,beach,camping,Georgia Straight  

Posted in Beach, Georgia Strait, nature, ocean, Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island Images, video | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment