Golf Scramble

We played golf this morning at the Hirsch Creek Golf and Winter Club. We had a great time with Denice and Alex and thank goodness, played the best ball. That saved our bacon a few times. This club is a major community hub consisting of a spacious lounge and dining area with a spectacular view over the course. It is a challenging and scenic par 71, 18 hole championship golf course. The last time we golfed here 5 years ago, the fox ran out on the 7th fairway and stole my golf ball. None today and no bears or deer either.
Denice had to climb up the spiral stairs to see if the golfers ahead of us had cleared the course.

Everyone's arriving

People started arriving yesterday for the 50th anniversary of Mount Elizabeth, the high school they all attended. We've got Roger and Myrna, Monica and Don and Mike and Bridget here in the campground with us. We toured the town with Roger and Myrna today and saw the new hospital and assisted living facility. We sat out last night visiting until 11 p.m. It is light out that late.
This picture was taken at 10 p.m. We had a meet and greet at Riverside Lodge tonight and old friends kept finding each other and by the sound level, everyone was having a great time.

Old friends

We had a great visit tonight with Ron's niece Sylvia and Stan, and old friends Gus and Doreen. These friendships go all the way back to school days. They all still live here and love the fishing and camping activities around. We're staying at Jed Stump's Campground and so many of our friends simply can't understand how we live full time in the motorhome, but it works for us and we love it.

Nephew and family

We had a lovely time tonight with family. We went to Deryn's music teacher's house and listened to Deryn playing many of the songs she's learned in her first year of piano lessons.
Here's Deryn, Karina, Justin, Stewart and Amanda. This is the family that had 2 bears playing in the front yard. They haven't been back since, thank goodness.

Fishing is fabulous

The Kitimat River Fish Hatchery started in 1977 as a pilot project, located across from Eurocan. They started rebuilding salmon stocks. In 1983 a $10 million facility was built and now releases 9 million fish annually. They are chum, chinook, and coho salmon plus cutthroat and steelhead trout, which are sea run trout.
Here you see the fishermen on the Kitimat river across from the pumphouse. The fishing is wonderful here and you can't go anywhere without seeing people fishing and catching large fish, by boat or just from the shore. It is common to catch fish weighing up to 35 - 50 pounds.

Lakelse Lake and Hot Springs

As you crest one hill on the way back from Terrace, you catch a view of Lakelse Lake. It's a very popular spot with picnic area and campground. The water is crisp and clean with water flowing in and out at several spots from the Lakelse River. It's warm in the summer and has soft sandy beaches.
We stopped for a look at the Mount Layton Hot Springs. I picked up a metal tray at a patio sale down south this past winter with a picture of this from the 1950's and it looks very new but it reminds Ron of visits here as teenagers. We haven't had time to swim here this time but have in the past.

Fire Hydrants in Terrace

Ron got laid off yesterday and said it was the happiest day of his life. He hasn't worked since June 2005, and has been climbing up and down 40' ladders in and out of the hole, in a confined space, welding all day long, so finishing the job was fine with him.
We went off to Terrace today and enjoyed the creative spirit around the town. There are a couple of eye catching murals and the Kermode Bear statues. The Terrace Beautification Society had different artists paint the fire hydrants from city hall down Lakelse Ave. They are quite innovative celebrating early pioneers who built the town, including George Little, the founding father.

July 1st flags

I took Gisela and Sylvia for lunch today at the Keg and really enjoyed being with them. We haven't been up for 5 years so it was a treat. The city is getting ready for the July 1st weekend and parade. It's always a big celebration here ending up at Riverside Lodge with many Vendors, ethnic food and activities. Here's the flags on Haisla, the main street. This Haisla totem pole stands in Centennial Park, nearby, which is also the site of the community's war memorial.

Book covers and Bowls

I'm having a great time with the 6 other worker's wives here in the campground. Vicki, whom I first met in Port Alberni on a job in 2005, is showing us several quilting or sewing projects. I'm making a 1" square book cover from remnants of the different sewing projects I've done. I've chosen to do it in greens, as our motorhome has green and beige upholstery. Next I'm attempting a cloth covered rope bowl. Vicki surprised me with one as a gift for my birthday, which I love. I've finished repainting our outdoor name sign, fabric painted my faded convergent quilt tablecloth and completed a thorough housecleaning. We walk when the weather is good and are so busy that we don't have enough hours in the day.

The Giant Sitka Spruce

You get an idea of what the old growth forests looked like when the early pioneers arrived here, when you go to the giant Spruce Grove in Radley Park. This tree was registered as B.C.'s largest living spruce tree in 1983 and is protected by environmental law. Over 500 years old, it is the oldest living organism in the Kitimat Valley and stands more than 160 ft. tall and nearly 38 feet around.
The logs on this truck aren't quite as big but it's headed for Eurocan and will become tomorrow's newspaper.

Black Bears

You are certainly reminded daily that you're living in the mountains beside wilderness around here. We've had the local bear behind the trailer across the road at night and Amanda and Stewart have had 2 fighting in their front yard. They had to have the conservation officer install a live bear trap to resolve the problem. Gisela had one in her garbage outside her apartment and Amanda saw a sow and 4 little tiny cubs on the roadside going up Kuldo by the old hospital site.
This bear welcomes you to Kitimat.

Kermode Spirit Bears

Took Gisela, Ron's sister to Terrace today and saw several decorated Kermode bear replicas around town. These bears are unique to the rainforests of northern B.C. and the official mark of the City of Terrace and now, the province as well. When 2 black bears with recessive white genes pass these to their offspring, the result is a white Kermode bear, known as Spirit Bears.
Last fall the B.C. Lion's Society invited anyone to sponsor a bear which are life-sized Kermode replicas, made of fiberglass and weighing about 120 pounds. They were uniquely designed and painted by local artists around the province and auctioned off, raising funds for disabled children. These have natue scenes, forest on the front, a totem pole on the side and native artwork. Clicking them will enlarge them. They are delightful pieces of art.

Alcan - Kitimat Works

Alcan is Kitimat's founding industry. There is a video and guided bus tour into the plant to see the major operations in pot rooms, where aluminum is produced, and casting where the metal is cast into ingots. It also includes a visit to the plant's deep-sea wharf. Shortly past Alcan and Hospital Beach is the end of the road. As a 10 year old, coming from Hamburg, Ron couldn't figure out how a city could just end.
Alcan is just embarking on a massive modernization and expansion project of this 52 year old smelter. They will invest about $1.7 billion , boosting the current production level of 245,000 tonnes per year to 400,000 tpy. This is expected to be fully operational by 2012, securing 1000 technologically advance jobs for the next 35 - 50 years and making this a world class aluminum producing facility.

Douglas Channel

This is the view of the Douglas Channel, the 80 mile fjord coming up from the ocean which makes Kitimat a deep sea port. You can see Kitimaat Village on the left which was a much older aboriginal settlement, before pioneers arrived here late 1800 to early 1900's. Today's Haisla population represents a mix of coastal Tsimshian and Kwakiutl people. They have a busy fishing harbor, traditional totem poles, canoes and the Haisla school, which represents an exceptional archectural mix of traditional and modern design.
Today's city of Kitimat wasn't really born until 1950 when Alcan started developing the aluminum industry. Invited by the B.C, government, Alcan established the Nechako Reservoir, behind the massive Kenney Dam, south of Vanderhoof. Water was carried through a 16 km tunnel through the Coastal Mountains to a hydro generating station built at Kemano. With no room there, the aluminum smelter and deep-sea port were built at the head of the Kitimat Arm. Power to supply the community and smelter was carried over a 60 km transmission line built thorough some of the most rugged mountain territory in B.C.
Kitimat's first inhabitants were an army of construction workers who cleared the thick coastal forest of the Kitimat Valley and forged a new industry and community for the future employees and residents. Today it is a modern, planned community with a hospital, school system and recreational facilities that are the envy of other established communities amidst beautiful nature.

Hospital Beach

I drove out to Hospital Beach today and it was packed with schoolchildren having a wonderful day out of school. It is located on the site of the original 'Smeltersite' area which housed the new pioneers while today's residential community was under construction. It is very popular offering broad views of the Douglas Channel, surrounding mountains, industrial wharves, Kitamaat Village, the original aboriginal settlement and MK Bay Marina. This was where the first hospital was set up. The next 3 storey hospital was built later and was demolished a couple of years ago when it's very modern substitute was opened. You can see Alcan in the background and the deep water dock where the aluminum ingots are chipped all over the world.
As original sites, here is the old Hudson's Bay site also.

Eurocan - pulp mill

This is the Pulp and Paper Mill where the guys are working on the shutdown, repairing what has been contracted to do. This is one of the 3 main industries that has provided jobs for the town since the 50's. It is one of the largest in West Fraser Timber's network of mills. It manufactures over 300,000 metric tonnes of Niche product linerboard and 10,000 metric tones of sack draft paper annually. When you see those chip trucks hauling down the road, some of them will be headed for here. The wood chips come by rail as well. This is the mill with a chip truck unloading. There is an immense pile of chips behind it, ready for production.
We also saw 2 people working on a small stream, outside of town, clearing the debris so it would run freely, draining the little lake. They were employed by West Fraser and that was their permanent job.

If you wish you can click on these smaller pictures to see the full detail.

the Sandhill

This is called the Sandhill and it is just that. When the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age, they left behind this huge pile of sand and gravel. What a bonus when you are building a complete town from scratch. This has now brought a new industry to town, Cascadia, which plans to ship up to four millions tones of sand and aggregate a year to California. Because of the size of the deposit, this means close to a 25 year life for the business. They are setting up now and should employ up to 45 people. It doesn't look that big from the bridge over the Kitimat River, a half a mile away, but when you drive by, it towers above you.
We walked from the trailer park across the bridge over the Kitimat river to service center and this is taken from the bridge. Radley park is on the right, the campground originally built by the Gyro Club. You can see where a 50 foot section of the bank was swept into the river and many tall trees went with it.

Welcome to Kitimat

This is the back of the welcome sign on highway 16 at the beginning of the Kitimat area. It is an aluminum snowflake which is the symbol for the town. Kitimat is an interesting place which was an 'instant' town created in the 1950's. It is located on B.C.'s widest, deepest coastal fjord, the Douglas Channel which extends 80 miles up here from the Pacific ocean. Sheer rock walls rise out of the dark green waters, towering above any boats with waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides. If you're out on the water, you can see seals, orcas, bald headed eagles, porpoises and sea lions most of the year.
Kitimat was created to be home to Alcan Aluminum, the Kitimat works, one of the largest export industries in B.C. producing about 250,000 tonnes of aluminum a year. It is the only aluminum smelter west of the B.C. Rockies.
Ron started his job today, working 10 hour shifts, so I got to work doing my spring cleaning, a little late I agree.

Nearly there

We're following a green corridor towards snow capped mountains. We're past the mountain pine beatle areas with red, dead trees covering about 40% of the more southern forests. It's just beautiful and very peaceful up here. You feel quite alone with so little traffic. We saw 1 young black bear at roadside and saw the mountains, 7 Sisters as we went by. We came to the 30' high slide 48 Km east of Terrace and proceeded through, one lane at a time. It's still sliding as fast as they haul dirt away so it's a worry. This is the bottom right side, as the slide area goes up nearly to the top of the mountian toward the right. We're following the Skeena Rover now which is down 4' but you can see the silt left on the vegetation where it covered the road last week for 2 kilometers. This is the only road, Highway 16, into Terrace and beyond so the weather conditions have really wrecked havoc with many people. There is still a tremendous amount of snow up on the mountains. We arrived in Kitimat at 10:30 a.m. and settled in at Jed Stump's Estates, the name of this 40? year old campground which is never going to make it into any prestigious guidebook with its 15 amp power. Popped over to see Ron's niece and sister and getting organized.

Driving through History

Cooler in the morning here. It's a delight to follow the Cariboo Wagon Trail as we head north. We passed 100 Mile and 150 Mile and many more small towns that used to be roadhouses for the horse-drawn stagecoaches and freight wagons of the B.C. Express Line known as the B.X. This drive is a living history lesson when you're passing the old log cabins, barns and fences. We lunched and fueled at Prince George and ended at Smithers at 7 p.m. We parked in the lot of the Bulkley Valley Wholesale warehouse under the ski runs on the mountain. After dinner and cards, I read by the daylight until 10:40 p.m. These long northern days always surprise me.

On the Road Again

We saw that highway 16 into Kitimat opened up late Saturday afternoon so we got the motorhome ready. Ron got the call for the 7 day job at 2 p.m. Sunday and we were on the road an hour later.
We fueled at Le Paz in Aldergrove and drove through sun, clouds and rain. The Fraser River at Hope was very high and running very fast. It certainly was the 'muddy Fraser' coming down through the Fraser Canyon with all the silt, uprooted trees and debris. The trees on the banks had water up their trunks. The sun came out at Lytton, the junction of the Fraser and Thompson rivers, one brown and the other blue/green. It was beautiful driving through the greenish grey sage brush country. Lytton/Lilloette was 'mile 0' the start of the road up to the goldfields back in the 1850s. I was disappointed that there were no mountain sheep at Spences Bridge. Sometimes they're right down on the road. Stopped for the night at 7:10 pm. right on the highway in front of the Bear Claw Lodge, a lovely log restaurant and motel outside of Cache Creek.

Floods and Slides

We were going to leave Saturday and head up to Kitimat for a week's job for Ron before his school reunion July 1st weekend, but the hot weather is causing a huge snow pack melt, plus rain and the rivers are starting to head for the top of the banks. The Fraser Valley and most rivers in the province are sandbagging to avoid devastation like the 1948 flood. I remember mom and I making millions of sandwiches and dad and Peter down at the river filling sandbags right through the night. A week ago there was a huge slide down a mountainside 48 Km before Terrace which blocked Highway 16 and there is no way in, so our trip is on hold at the moment. The hillside is so unstable crews don't dare go near it and now it is raining. The Skeena River is so high that it has gone over the banks flooding Terrace and flooded Highway 16 for 2 Km shown above. Watching the news means flood watch every hour and many people have evacuated their homes and many more may need to leave at a moment's notice. This shows the slide which is 30' deep covering the highway. The semis are crossing the water earlier this week but blocked out now.

Lunch with High School friends

I wanted to get together with Joni from high school but she is so busy she didn't have a free day.
So I picked up Jeanie and some sandwiches and we went to Joni's condo and met Max and had a great visit. We are planning a get together Aug. 22 at the Sheraton in Guildford for all the classmates around the lower mainland. We already have the our 50th planned for next Sept. at Ann R's in Richmond. Here we are.

Aldergrove Zoo

I went out to meet the Ingrams and Doyles at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove today. Ron's knee is not up to walking that much. What a delight the six grandkids are. We started at the playground, then took the train around the whole area, viewing lions, giraffes, deer, hippos, lions and much more. After lunch, we rode a bike around for an hour stopping at different animal exhibits along the way. Zebras were a big hit and the bison had two small new babies, as did the goats. We found out that the ostrich's brain is smaller than their eyeball.
A special treat was having their picture taken with the owl after the Birds of Prey show. Hana was brave enough to put the leather gauntlet on her arm and held the owl. A fun day was had by all.

Confirmation

Here's another part of our family. We went out to Abbotsford today for Josh's confirmation in the Church. The ceremony was very impressive and the archbishop spoke to all 50 children. There was a lot of music with piano, guitar and singing and it was very nice. Julie's family were all there and we went back to their house and enjoyed dinner and a very nice visit together.
Here's the Doyles.