Fences & the Deer that Jump Them

Fences abound on Pender Island encompassing a wide variety of styles. Some are straight like rulers, some curve gently, some are plain while others are works of art. At my favorite, the fence top curves sinuously like waves rolling onto a beach.

These ubiquitous fences, usually reaching eight feet or more in height, are not for privacy. The reason is simple. It is the Columbian black-tailed deer. They are small in size, but can they jump! And they consider cultivated gardens as treasure troves and have the uncanny ability to devour flowers and plants with incredible speed.

Gardeners go to great lengths to protect their prized plants. But it is not easy, for the deer have proliferated and are everywhere. Pender Island’s deer population is estimated at about 1,000.

A friend who has a large garden surrounded by a chicken-wire fence, described how bucks used their antlers to lift up the chicken wire and crawl underneath. Although she kept plugging the holes, one night they broke in and devoured kiwis, cabbages, beans, lettuce and the leaves from the miniature apple trees. “I lost everything,” she said. “But I built a new eight-foot, chain-link fence. Now I can enjoy my garden in peace.”

Another friend knows deer well, for they visit her apple orchard regularly. “They love the tender tips of leaves,” she said. “They reach quite high by standing on their hind legs, looking like kangaroos. And they cooperate. One will grab a branch and pull it down so others can eat. Late in the autumn, when fallen apples begin to ferment, the deer become quite mellow in their behaviour,” she added with a smile.

Cute as deer are their numbers have grown to the point where there is serious conflict with humans. During mating season in November, the bucks can be aggressive. Road collisions occur occasionally. The deer also disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem on the Gulf Islands. For example, deer eat young arbutus tree leaves and bark, killing them. Considerable debate continues about how deer populations might be controlled, but until the number of deer is reduced, fences remain the solution of choice for gardeners.

I love the fences of our little island. They are fascinating, a form of art, and each one tells a story not only about the animals that live here but also about the fence owner.

Pender Island Information

Chamber of Commerce:  http://www.penderislandchamber.com/

Happy Trails on Pender

Pender is blessed with an abundance of public ocean accesses and hiking trails that lead, like a network of delicate veins, into every corner of our little island. You can wander through dusky forests and along rocky shorelines, sit at a viewpoint watching eagles soar and orcas passing or just relax to the soothing sound of wind in the trees or waves gently splashing on the shore. There is no better way to enjoy our island.

There are over 80 trails or accesses to choose from, and they’re easy to find as almost all are marked by 4-foot cedar posts with the trail name on them.

Here are the most popular ones, where I take visitors when I really want to impress them.

• George Hill: This uphill hike leads to a summit with Garry Oak habitat, wildflowers and great views onto Port Washington.

• Mount Norman: a vigorous hike to a sweeping panorama over the Gulf Islands.

• Roesland: My personal favourite. The museum is here, and the trail along the narrow islet leads to two benches offering superb vistas onto the Salish Sea. Enjoy a glass of wine as the sun sets.

• Brooks Point Park and Gowlland Point at the end of south island offer views onto towering Mount Baker while enormous ocean ships plough past in Haro Strait.

• Medicine Beach is a treasure with a millennia-old midden, an enormous crescent of driftwood and a wetland.

• Enchanted Forest is a must with its primordial forest, sword ferns and the feeling a pterodactyl might emerge any moment. In winter, a waterfall tumbles at the west end.

There are, of course, many other excellent trails and ocean accesses. My favourites include:

• The beach at the bottom of Craddock Road. In spring, the area is bright yellow with gorse.

• A bench at the south end of Plumper Way. Gaze south to the San Juan Islands. Last year, I watched an enormous school of sockeye salmon jumping and splashing during the record-setting return to the Fraser River.

• The beach at the north end of Bridge Road, which yields views of ferries in Navy Channel. The contorted geologic strata tell a tale of an ancient underwater avalanche.

I’ve almost completed my personal goal of hiking each one of the 80+ trails and ocean accesses. When done, I guess I’ll just have to start again.

Information

- Most trails are maintained by the Pender Island Parks Commission. For a map and info:    http://penderislandweb.com/guide/parks.htm

- Chamber of Commerce: http://www.penderislandchamber.com/

 

Trolling for Pinks

The alarm buzzed at 5:30 am, and groggily I remembered that David had invited me fishing, something I rarely did. Soon I was at Thieves Bay Marina and Captain David was steering Aquila past the breakwater into the quiet expanse of Swanson Channel on the west side of Pender Island.

A long scallop-edged tide line crossed the water and, in the invisible depths, pink salmon were running. It was calm and a soft rosy mist swathed the eastern horizon. In the distance, over a dozen boats sat below Oaks Bluff, lines dangling hopefully. Farther out, a commercial fishing boat was surrounded by gulls.

David prepared two fishing rods, each with a hook, a lure called a hoochie, a flasher and a lead weight and dropped the works to a depth of about 60 feet. He trolled slowly while I sipped a coffee. It was peaceful and serene.

I remembered my father-in-law describing fishing 25 years ago. “Some days,” he said, “the sea was so alive with fish you could practically knock them into the boat with an oar.” Now, alas, salmon are scarce and elusive.

Today we weren’t having any luck. Suddenly, one fishing pole bent into an elegant arc. We had a bite! His face contorted in a mixture of grim determination and pure exhilaration, David reeled and reeled until I saw a flash of silver beside the boat, a five-pound pink thrashing, fighting for freedom. I reached with a net, reached … but the pink escaped. “That’s the problem with barbless hooks,” moaned a disappointed David. We trolled for another hour, and watched the sun inch up the eastern sky, ferries chugging back and forth in Navy Channel and an eagle soaring high above. A few other fishermen trolled past waving languidly.

Just as David was about to turn Aquila homeward, the fishing rod snapped into a tight curve, the line running out in a whir. David grabbed the rod and reeled. Then the water on the port side was splashing and silver with the fish. Luck was with us, and soon the pink — eight pounds, if an ounce! — was in the boat.

Puttering back to the harbour, we elatedly explored the myriad ways that a salmon can be prepared. David decided he wanted his share barbequed with a Cajun dry rub. I wanted my half smoked with apple wood.

Soon we were back in the marina, my mouth salivating with the thought of dinner and, at the back of my mind, a creeping realization that perhaps fishing wasn’t so bad.

For information about Pender Island:   www.penderislandchamber.com

Bicycle, tricycle, recycle

A big thank you to guest blogger, Mike Wiley, for this post. An avid tennis player, long-time member of the Recycle Society board of directors and a refugee from the prairies, Mike feels he has landed in paradise and they’re all good days on Pender Island.

One cannot live on Pender and be neutral about nature. Not with black tail deer on the roadside, eagles, osprey, and vultures overhead, spectacular Pileated woodpeckers darting through the woods, Orcas passing by, sometimes extraordinarily close to shore, and tidal pools teeming with tiny, aquatic life.  How could Penderites be noncommittal about nature? 

Talking the talk is easy, but many islanders walk the walk by recycling whatever they can.  On Pender, recycling is recognized as being important, and also as fun!

The little hill to the recycling depot gives you the first clue.  The depot entranceway is bordered by a brightly coloured array of old bicycles, tricycles and kids’ scooters.  Bicycle, tricycle, recycle – now there is a clever lead-in to recycling on Pender.  The recycling depot is a meeting place for Penderites.  Neighbours and old friends abound at the depot and, of course, they exchange information, ideas and news . . . not gossip . . . never gossip . . . well hardly ever gossip.

Depot users cover the spectrum of Penderites - permanent residents, seasonal residents, visitors, young old, wealthy, not-so wealthy, artists, writers, professionals and retired folk.  They all seem to have a smile for each other, partly because, more often than not, they know each other and definitely because by their very presence, each has declared that he or she “cares” about the island.

If that common bond isn’t enough, it is worth the visit just to observe the committed staff members who, even during those hectic rush periods, have time to offer a smile and assistance to customers puzzling over which recyclable goes into which bin.  Apart from a shared, passionate belief in recycling, the Recycling Depot staff also reflects Pender’s diversity - kayaker, photographer, pole dance instructor, medical first responder, an internationally acclaimed musician, gardeners extraordinaire, and lifelong recycling activists. 

 

In keeping with the commitment to recycling, the depot has a free store, a used appliance area and a repaired bicycle area.  The usable items in the free store are just that:  Free.  The appliance and the newly added bicycle area boast items in good operational condition available at a nominal, and I mean nominal, fee.

So, enjoy watching the passing Orcas from the Pender shoreline.  Have a sunny, unhurried game of golf or tennis, or the unique delight of disc golf, but be sure you don’t leave the island without a Recycling Depot drive through.  That drive through will tell you a lot about who Penderites really are.

More Info

Recycling Society web site:  www.penderislandrecycling.com

Pender Island Chamber of Commerce:  www.penderislandchamber.com/

Pender Island a Good Base for Outstanding Diving

Pender and its surrounding isles are blessed indeed. The seascape and landscape are soft and alluring, amongst the most attractive on the planet. But there is also an enigma, an air of mystery for the largest part of this area lies below the waves and is invisible and largely unknown. A seal head, a pod of orcas, a hauled-up crab trap give some insights into the watery world below. But they are mere glimpses.

To learn more I spoke with Derek Holzapfel, an enthusiastic SCUBA diver who has been exploring these waters for more than two decades. An expert underwater photographer, he is compiling a photo-catalogue of species using an underwater housing for his camera and a strobe/flash light. He is currently at 384 species. “This coastal area is phenomenal for diving,” he says, “The mixing of Pacific and Fraser River waters and the tidal currents yield a prolific and diverse abundance of life. It is best where the currents are strong, such as Tilley and Brooks Points.”

When I asked about his favourite moments, he answered, “I dove with some California sea lions and they were playful like puppies, playing and tugging on my equipment. But best of all,” he continued, “I love the tranquility of being underwater alone.”

But it is not always peaceful. Two years ago while diving in Shingle Bay, Holzapfel was attacked by a ten-foot Pacific Octopus at a depth of 70 feet. Fortunately, after a brief tug of war, the octo released him.

But all is not well in the watery world. The salmon that anglers once found in profusion are now elusive. Eelgrass, a critical part of the coastal habitat, is relatively unhealthy in the Gulf Islands compared to the west side of Vancouver Island. Hundreds of crab-trap buoys dot the water. And I won’t even get into the effluent from industry, boats and a large surrounding population.

Perhaps some protection is in order for the mysterious world under the waves. Perhaps the National Marine Conservation Area proposed for the southern Strait of Georgia is a good idea. Perhaps it will help Holzapfel increase his catalogue to 500 species.

More Information

- Holzapfel’s web site with superb underwater photos:  www.naturediver.com

- Pender Island Chamber of Commerce:  www.penderislandchamber.com

- National Marine Conservation Area:  www.pc.gc.ca/progs/amnc-nmca/cnamnc-cnnmca/dgs-ssg/index_e.asp

Photos
From the top: Baby seal riding on mom's back; Derek Holzapfel; Alabaster nudibranch; Cabezon with eggs; Sunflower star (last 3 photos by Derek Holzapfel)

An Off-the-Wall Idea

A big thank you to guest blogger, Andrea Spalding. Andrea is a prolific writer, best known for her many children’s books. She also gives frequent school presentations. Learn more at:  http://www.andreaspalding.com/  Parts of this blog were previously published in Avid Magazine.

Never frustrate Pender’s women artists. They get ideas. One resulted in a blockbusting, weekend-long, annual celebration called ‘Art Off The Fence.’

It all began in 1991 when four artistic women became frustrated with the lack of exhibit space on our island. Christel Barber, Joy McAughtrie, Isabel Roberts and Judy Walker found the perfect solution. They hung art on the fence and the outer wall of a house on Joy's beautiful Whalepointe property on South Pender. People came, enjoyed, and bought, and this practical solution spawned the art event of the year.

Twenty years has brought great changes. Art Off The Fence is now a professional show and a major production. Though still hung outdoors everything is framed, prices are current, and there are discerning buyers. It is one of the most beautiful and evocative art shows in Canada. Sadly, Joy McAughtrie passed away last winter. This year’s show was dedicated to her. And with her property no longer available, the future of the show is a big question mark.

The group currently has eight permanent members. Wendy Munro, Susan Taylor, Frank Ducote, Genia Bogun, Diane Kremmer and Carol Davidson now join Isabel and Judy (Christel left the island). Each year the group invites three guests and a promising student to join them. This year’s guests were Hedi Kovacs, David MacKenzie and Joanna Rogers.

Over 600 people attend the weekend show and sales are so successful the group has set up a fund for student bursaries with ten percent of all sales going into the fund. Over the years the group has supported numerous artists as well as the acquisition of Brooks Point and the Medical Clinic.

Passion and professionalism are needed for a successful art show, but Art Off the Fence requires more: hard work. The group holds a potluck dinner. Then all the artists paint one subject in their own style. The results are exhibited together. The theme this year was Brooks Point. On Friday afternoon the artists position and hang their work. Then everything is taken down and stored. Next morning the artists rehang everything. Everything is taken down again Saturday night and rehung on Sunday morning. Many prayers are offered for dry skies.

The show has a reputation. Well-known people like Silken Laumann come. CBC announces it and the B&Bs are usually full.

Of course, talented Pender Islanders round out the act. This year, delightful music wafted through the gardens, played by Dave Dandeneau & Kathy McIntyre and Patrick Smith & Friends. And Chef Pierre Delacote served up gourmet treats.

From an off-the-wall idea this show has become a remarkable success, a must-attend event. Let’s hope it keeps going.

More Info
Pender Island Chamber of commerce:   http://www.penderislandchamber.com/


Photos by Hans Tammemagi

PENDER ISLANDS FARMERS’ MARKET

A big welcome to guest blogger Barry Mathias, a long-time Pender resident and author of the popular: The Ancient Bloodlines Trilogy. His novels, short stories and poetry are available at the Farmers' Market. He recently received an Islands Trust Community Stewardship award for establishing the Car Stops. He is a regular contributor to Seaside Times, from which the following is extracted.

The Pender Islands Farmers Market is held in the grounds of the Community Hall every Saturday from 9.30am to1pm from Easter to Thanksgiving.  It is a lively, bustling event that attracts visitors as well as locals; tables and tents are provided by a small group of enthusiastic workers who never run out of energy or smiles. In very wet weather the market moves inside the Hall, which can accommodate dozens of vendors.

A number of small farms are regularly represented at every market, and as the weather warms up other small growers appear, so that by July there is an increasing number of locals selling a variety of flowers, vegetables, fruit and eggs. Every week there are many islanders selling a delicious array of baked goods, jams, and chutneys, and hot coffee is served in the Hall. Spread throughout the market  are the artisans, who produce beautiful jewelry, pottery and wood carvings. High quality hand-made bags, intricate wooden boxes and colorful clothing compete with a number of local authors who sell their nautical and historical books, and an artist paints portraits of individual pets. 

Dianne Allison, who is a major force behind the organization of the market, explained: “There has been a Farmers’ Institute on this island for about 87 years, and it was responsible for creating the agricultural market, which was originally situated on a small strip of land at the Driftwood Mall.”  Thanks to a generous donation of land by Karl Hamson, local farmer and landowner, the impressive Community Hall was completed about ten years ago by local craftsmen led by builder, Brent Marsden. Apart from the market, the Hall and grounds provide a fine venue for agricultural events such as the Fall Fair, and for local plays, concerts and artistic productions.

Each week is different: sometimes the Volunteer Fire Fighters or members of the Coast Guard attend, willing to show off their vehicles and keen to make contact with the next generation of volunteers. Last summer, to the amazement of everyone, a large group of young, and not so young, people performed a lively flash dance which rapidly became an hilarious physical workout for anyone brave enough to take part. 

Then, there are the dogs! Dozens of them. A glorious, multifarious collection of unusual and friendly canines that add a spontaneous ‘petting zoo’ atmosphere to every event. Sometimes, farmer Ellen Willingham will appear with one of her goats; young violinists will suddenly perform an Irish jig; a party of foreign tourists will arrive and be delighted with the warmth of the welcome they receive, and always there is the buzz of commerce and the hubbub of community. Perhaps, we’ll see you there?

More Info

Pender Island Farmers’ Institute:   http://www.pifi.ca/

Pender Island Chamber of commerce:   http://www.penderislandchamber.com/

A Perfect Pender Paddle

The Gulf Islands archipelago with more than 200 islands and rocky promontories, gentle waters and abundant marine life is a kayaker’s paradise. One circuit, in particular, stands out: a circumnavigation of South Pender Island. I never tire of the beautiful vistas, the closeness of sea and the serenity, an almost Zen-like feeling, of gently bobbing on the waves. It’s the perfect one-day outing (from four to six hours).

Today, I’m starting from Medicine Beach and going around clockwise. A few minutes of gentle stroking and I pass under the looming trestles of the bridge connecting the two Penders. Long snaking bull kelp are like weather vanes, showing the direction of the current. I stick to the left side where dozens of purple and occasional orange sea stars cling to the rocks. A pretty white beach is evidence of a former Native camping site. Archaeologists studied this midden and showed that it dates back 8,000 years.

I pass Mortimer Spit — another good launching spot — and head southeast passing some glorious waterfront properties. Frequently a seal head rises from the water and watches my progress with big, friendly, curious eyes. Mount Baker, with its snowy ramparts, rises on the horizon and looks down on passing freighters like a Buddha.

Blunden Islet at the southern tip of South Pender is a protected (no going ashore) part of the Gulf Islands National Park. It harbours seals, birds and in places I have to fight to get through thick, glistening, entangled  bull kelp. I circle the islet, admiring the contorted rock layers, evidence of immense tectonic forces that formed this chain of islands.

Leaving Blunden Islet, the water opens up into Haro Strait. Now there is a mood change, a feeling of vast watery distances, exposure and being alone in somebody else’s world. Then Gowlland Point arrives, with the light beacon mounted on black, pockmarked conglomerate rocks. I go ashore at Brooks Point and wander the beach and enjoy lunch among the enormous driftwood logs marking the high-tide mark.

Fortified, I head out and start curving around Tilley Point. The tidal currents swirl and eddy, signs of the invisible forces of the sun, moon and earth’s rotation. Soon I’m through the turbulence and into calmer waters.

A pleasant tiredness has set in as stroke follows stroke. I pass attractive waterfront homes and dark green forests of Douglas fir punctuated by gangling arbutus and delicate Garry oaks. Seabirds flitter. Occasionally, a fish jumps or a seal head pops up.

I stop at a beacon next to a small pretty shell beach and stretch the legs. Then it’s only a few strokes to the bustle of Poets Cove Resort. I stop for an ale on the terrace and admire the huge yachts.

With fatigue setting in I cruise past Beaumont Marine Park and its perfect crescent of a beach. The sun beats down, reflects from the rocky shore and shimmers on the water. I am enveloped in liquid golden warmth as I paddle the last stretch back to Medicine Beach.

A Perfect Day on a Perfect Isle

On a sweltering hot day last summer, heaven, quite unexpectedly, dropped a pearl in my palm. Heat waves are rare on Pender Island, for it is blessed with one of the mildest climates in the country. But for the third day in a row, the temperature was climbing toward 30 degrees. My wife, Allyson, and I spent the morning moving slowly and listlessly, dressed in shorts, tank tops and flip flops, sticking to the shade whenever we ventured outside.

“Let’s go kayaking,” suggested Ally. Soon we were paddling along the west side of the island, our heads shaded by wide-brimmed hats and our skin lathered in sun-block. Gentle breezes brought delightful coolness. An eagle soared above. A dozen seals were hauled out on a rock, balefully watching us.

“Look, look!” shouted Ally, pointing at an enormous black dorsal fin that rose elegantly out of the water and then disappeared under the waves, only to appear moments later. Then another appeared and another. A pod of killer whales, or orcas, was passing by, only 60 metres away. I’d seen orcas before, usually from a cliff-top viewpoint or a ferry. But here, down at water level, the killer whales were enormous, their dorsal fins towering above us. For the next ten minutes, whale after whale went past, accompanied by several whale-watching boats. The orcas were as smooth and graceful as ballet dancers. I had a feeling of awe and of privilege to be sharing the water with these magnificent creatures.

All abuzz, we returned home to find that a friend wanted me to drop by. I drove over. Smiling he said, “This morning my crab pot brought up more than we can eat,” and handed me four crabs, already cleaned. Then he hauled a bulging canvas bag out of the water beside his dock. “How about some fresh oysters,” he said. What a bonanza!

Ally and I sat on our deck, savoured oysters the size of T-bonesteaks, sipped a chilled sauvignon blanc and surveyed the beautiful vista of islands that stretched before us. Then we tackled the crabs, butter oozing from our fingers and dribbling down our chins.

After dinner we strolled to a nearby rise. We gazed at islands turning into ever-mistier mauves as they receded. We raised our glasses and toasted our perfect island home.

For More Pender Info

http://www.penderislandchamber.com/

Island Car Stops

A small red car stopped. The driver, a short white-haired woman who could barely see over the top of the steering wheel, beckoned me in. Turning to her companion, she asked with a mischievous grin, “Do you think we’ll be safe with him?”

“I hope not,” giggled her elderly friend.

I was hitching a ride from the community hall back to my home using the Car Stop system. It’s one of the things that makes our little island special. Other places frown on hitch-hiking, here we encourage it. Operating like bus stops, Car Stops have been installed at 29 locations where people seeking rides wait for willing drivers.

The rules are printed on green signs at each stop:

Drivers don’t have to take the first in line.

You’re not obliged to accept a ride, that’s fine.

You accept a ride at your own risk.

But the ride is free so consider it a gift.

Barry Mathias, a retiree, was the driving force behind the Car Stops, which were introduced in 2008. The idea was to reduce the number of cars clogging the narrow winding roads. With a population of about 2,000, Pender could not support a bus system but Car Stops were a simple and effective solution.

My wife and I moved here from southern Ontario to escape gridlock and pollution. Coming from a place where hitch-hiking is usually illegal and risky, Car Stops are like a breath of fresh air. I’m pleased to save gas, and do my part to reduce road congestion and limit green-house-gas emissions.

Best of all, Car Stops are a wonderful way to meet people. I’ve hitched rides with construction workers, lawyers, retirees, young and old, rich and poor. Their vehicles have ranged from a luxurious Mercedes SUV to trucks and jalopies held together by duct tape.

I seldom wait more than three cars. Once aboard, the driver and I chat about the approaching fall fair, water shortages, the recent infestation of raccoons and rats on the island and, of course, area gossip. I rode with a local politician and vented about an irksome by-law. Another time, I hung on for dear life as the teenage driver careened around tight corners with tires squealing.

My wife and I also offer rides. One morning I stopped for a young man in his early twenties. He had long dreadlocks, carried an enormous backpack and wore shorts. A happy face was tattooed on each knee and their smiles grew larger the more he bent his legs.

His face, in contrast, was a picture of sorrow. “I want to catch the first ferry, and I don’t care where it’s going,” he told me. “I need to get to a city hall fast so I can annul my marriage.”

He described how he was married two weeks before, but that his new wife had changed. “She’s turned into a monster,” he said miserably, “I can’t take it any more. I’ll do anything to get out.” He wailed non-stop until we reached the terminal. I wished him luck.

                                            Barry Mathias at a car stop

For More Pender Info

http://www.penderislandchamber.com/