Vancouver Island Photography by Brad Powell, see scenic pictures of Nanaimo, Tofino, Ucluelet, Bamfield, Victoria, Genoa Bay, Maple Bay, Duncan, Chemainus, Qualicum Beach and more!

My Images of Vancouver Island Galleries

Pacific Rim Park, Tofino, and Ucluelet : Our world famous Pacific Rim National Park is a thin strip of land along the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island. Its magnificent islands, beaches and dramatic seascapes divide into three geographically distinct park units: Long Beach (the most accessible), Broken Group Islands (about 100 islands in Barkley Sound), and the challenging 72 kilometre West Coast Trail. I love taking visitors out there and watching their faces when they first see the pounding surf and endless beaches. The quaint towns of Tofino and Ucluelet act as bookends for the Park.

Pacific Rim Park, Tofino, and Ucluelet

Victoria : Victoria. Our Provincial capital and a very beautiful city. Victoria is Western Canada's oldest city. The City began in 1843 as a Hudson Bay Company trading post, named in honour of Queen Victoria. It definitely has an English flavour!

With the Fraser Valley gold rush in 1858, Victoria grew rapidly as the main port of entry to the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. When the colonies combined, the City became the colonial capital and was established as the provincial capital when British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation in 1871.

Nanaimo : Nanaimo. My home. It is located on the central east coast of Vancouver Island. It was once the location of five separate first-nations villages.The name Nanaimo derives from a Coast Salish word, Sney-ny-mo, the "meeting place" - and is a perfect description of this rapidly-growing harbour community at the centre of Vancouver Island.

Nanaimo is the third oldest city in British Columbia and was incorporated in 1874. It is the second largest city on Vancouver Island. A former coal-mining town, it now boasts a growing university, beautiful waterfront and many parks.

It's bustling harbour is the central focus for visitors to Nanaimo, with freighters, fishing boats, tugboats and barges, sail boats and float planes all coming and going in a hive of activity in the harbour.

All in all a great place to live and spend a day taking pictures!

Saltspring Island : One sunny Spring Saturday, several members of the Harbour City Photography Club from Nanaimo took the morning BC ferry from Crofton over to Vesuvius Bay on Saltspring Island. We spent our beautiful sunny day visiting the famous Saturday Saltspring Market, Mount Maxwell, Burgoyne Bay, Fulford Harbour, Ruckles Park and other spots.

Saltspring Island

Lady Rose Cruise to Bamfield : On July 8th, 2007, a cold, blowy, and gray morning, some members of the Harbour City Photography Club boarded a 70 year old coastal freighter, the M.V. Lady Rose in Port Alberni for a day-cruise on the West coast of Vancouver Island. We cruised up the Alberni Canal (Inlet) and out to our first stop, the Sechart Lodge. This lodge is located in Barkley Sound and is built on the remains of an old whaling station. It serves today as a kayaking lodge and is the gateway for kayakers to get to the famous Broken Island Group.

At Sechart Lodge we dropped off supplies and several groups of kayakers who were getting ready to paddle out to the Broken Island Group for a week of camping in the most remote part of Pacific Rim National Park. After our stop at Sechart Lodge we travelled through the Broken Island Group and made our way south to Bamfield.

Here is a brief history of Bamfield:

In 1902, the Bamfield Cable station was constructed as the western terminus of a worldwide undersea cable called by some the All Red Line as it passed only through countries and territories controlled by the British Empire. The cable initially went to Fanning Island, a tiny coral atoll in the mid-Pacific, and from there continued to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. A second building, made of concrete was built on the site in 1926 to replace the old wood structure. This building, designated a historic site in 1930, is now used by the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Today Bamfield is primarily a tourist destination, either for the West Coast Trail, ocean kayaking or sport fishing. Bamfield also receives many university students who attend semesters at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

We stopped in Bamfield for 2 hours. During that time we hiked over to the spectacular Brady's Beach. While we were at the beach the clouds finally burned off and it got sunny and hot. Later we returned to the harbour and then walked the beautiful boardwalk that follows along the harbour in East Bamfield.

We then boarded the M.V Lady Rose again and had a wonderful sunny cruise back to Port Alberni. We stopped once along the way to pick up some new passengers who were waiting in a small boat in the middle of the Inlet.

During our cruise we saw several humpback whales, porpoises, many eagles, a mother bear and a cub, seals, and sea lions. We also saw many different kinds of boats during our travels.

Here is some history on the M.V. Lady Rose:

The M.V. Lady Rose, originally christened Lady Sylvia at her 1937 launching, was built by A & J Inglis Limited of Pointhouse Shipyard in Glasgow, Scotland, and was designed by W.D. McLaren of Vancouver. Although not the last vessel acquired by the Union Steamship Company, she was the last commissioned to be built for them. Her specifications are 105 foot length, 22 foot beam and 7 foot draft. Her 199 gross tones were powered by one 220 b.h.p. National diesel four-stroke motor with an auxiliary 28 b.h.p. Russell Newberry for driving the dynamo, air compressor and pumps. Today, she operates on a 385 horse power 6 cylinder Caterpillar engine, running at 850 r.p.m. producing a service speed of 11 knots and burning 12 gallons of diesel per hour. The Lady Rose can carry up to 100 passengers and 25 tons of cargo. Designed for the sheltered coastal waters of British Columbia, this stocky little vessel soon proved capable of much more, becoming the first diesel powered vessel to cross the Atlantic driven by a single propeller! Today, with her small crew, the Lady Rose is continuing maritime history by servicing the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound, carrying cargo, mail and up to 100 passengers on her day trips in the same manner as she did when she began her life on the B.C. coast nearly 70 years ago.

It was a wonderful day and I for one will make this trip again. I cannot say enough about how friendly and casual the crew was. And it was interesting to meet some of our fellow passengers who were from all over the world and to listen to their impressions of our beautiful Vancouver Island.

Lady Rose Cruise to Bamfield

Portland Island Marine Reserve : On Sunday, August 12th, 2007, a group of photographers from the Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley, and Port Alberni Photography Clubs boarded the 39' catamaran Alfresco at the Genoa Bay Marina for a day-trip to the Princess Margaret Marine Reserve on Portland Island.

Our hosts Tom and Francis (both are artists as well) live on a wonderful houseboat in Genoa Bay where they are surrounded by their art. They were very friendly guides for our day on the water. Their catamaran Alfresco is moored on the outside of their home. Now thats convenient!

Our first stop after leaving Genoa Bay was to photograph the seal rookeries at Burial Island and then we headed south to Portland island. Here is a little bit of the history of Portland Island and how it became the Princess Margaret Marine Reserve.

Portland Island, located just north of Sidney, was named after the H.M.S Portland, the flagship of Rear-Admiral Moresby, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Station from 1850 to 1853. The island was named in 1859 by Captain G.H Richards of the H.M.S Plumper. Portland Island was originally presented to Princess Margaret in 1958 to commemorate her visit to British Columbia. In 1967 the princess graciously returned it back to the province for it to be created as a marine park! There are several middens on the island that indicate that the first nation people's used the land going back over 3,000 years. Middens are refuse heaps of castaway shells left by centuries of harvesting the island's waters. Like all of the Gulf Islands, Portland Island lies in the rain shadow of the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island. Little rain falls on the island during the summer months and many of the plants growing on shallow soils must contend with long dry periods. Arbutus, Garry Oak and Brittle Cactus are found on the island. Portland Island is 575 hectares in size and has over 10km's of walking trails.

We spent 3 hours on Portland Island walking the shorelines and trails and photographing the scenery. We then reboarded the Alfresco, put up the sails and relaxed on the spacious decks while we sailed back to Genoa Bay.

A wonderful day on the water and a trip we will hopefully make again next year!

Portland Island Marine Reserve

Port Alberni Steam Train and McLean Steam Mill : On the morning of August 4th Pete and I boarded the Alberni Pacific Steam Train in Port Alberni and took the 35 minute trip up to the McLean Steam Sawmill. The train is pulled by an authentic 1929 Baldwin Steam Locomotive. This is a restored ex-logging locomotive. We sat in one of the open cars and enjoyed the trip through Port Alberni and then through the forest to the Sawmill.

The McLean "Steam" Sawmill is the only steam-operated sawmill left in Canada. The sawmill cuts wood for demonstration and sale. You see the old original buildings and lots of restored logging equipment around the site including a steam donkey, logging trucks, graders and lumber carriers. You really get a sense of the life that people led in this camp that was literally on the edge of the world at that time.

On the trip back to Port Alberni the train was held up by the dreaded "Beaufort Gang" on horseback and they stole all the Sawmill profits. The children on the train had so much fun during this.

All in all a great day.

Port Alberni Steam Train and McLean Steam Mill

Duncan, City of Totems : Duncan, a small town in the Cowichan Valley of app. 5000, was originally a whistle-stop at William Duncan's farm in the 1880's. Today Duncan is the civic centre of the Cowichan Valley. Since 1985, Duncan has transformed itself into the "City of Totems" - a unique urban forest with distinctive hand-carved cedar poles from local native artisans on public display in parks and downtown streets. Duncan is also the traditional home of the Coast Salish Indians.
Duncan's cityscape is a fine example of an old tradition infused with contemporary relevance and life.

***JUST CLICK ON THE SLIDESHOW BUTTON TO VIEW A SLIDESHOW OF ALL THE IMAGES IN THIS GALLERY***

Duncan, City of Totems

Gabriola Island Field Trip : The first field trip of 2008 for the Harbour City Photography Club was to Gabriola Island. We toured the Island in the morning, stopping at various scenic spots. At noon we took a charter boat trip from Silva Bay with Bob Meyer of Silver Blue Charters. Bob took us out to Entrance Island where we saw sea-lions, seals, and then later, fed eagles from the boat. Here are some images from a beautiful day on the Island and the water.

Gabriola Island Field Trip

Mystic Beach : Mystic Beach, part of the Juan De Fuca Marine Park and the Juan De Fuca Marine Trail. About an hour outside of Victoria on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island. You have to drive through the pretty community of Sooke to get there. There will be many more pictures coming to this gallery!

East Sooke Park : East Sooke Park...not even an hour from Victoria and one of the nicest ocean hikes you will ever do. Mile and miles of beach trails and beautiful scenery.

East Sooke Park

Hatley Castle & Royal Roads University : On Saturday, April 26th, Ray, Pete, and I visited the famous Hatley Castle and Royal Roads University in Victoria. After living on the Island for all these years, this was my first visit. And what a beautiful place to photograph it is!

The Castle was built in 1908 by the famous Dunsmuir family, the same family that built Craigdarroch castle (see my gallery for pictures of that). This family had made their fortune in the late 1800's from their coal mines in the Nanaimo area.

In the Second World War, the Castle was purchased by the government and became a military college. This continued until 1995, when the military college closed. It was then replaced by Royal Roads University.

Stay tuned for more images from this beautiful spot as I plan some more visits to catch shots of it at different times and in the different seasons.

Hatley Castle & Royal Roads University

Pacific Rim Park, Tofino, and Ucluelet : On Saturday, March 15th, Norma and I drove out to the West Coast of the Island for a day of photography. We started the day off with a whale watching trip with Jamie's Whaling Station in Tofino. It was a beautiful sunny day but unfortunately very windy and the ocean was rough. We saw three gray whales but it was hard to track them and photograph them. The boat also took us to a sea-lion colony and then we went past Stubbs Island back into Clayoquot Sound. We saw the historic village of Opitsaht, inhabited for the past 5000 years. After our boat trip we toured the beaches and also went to Grice Bay to see the Tofino mudflats.

Pacific Rim Park, Tofino, and Ucluelet

Cable Bay Trail and Dodds Narrows : The Cable Bay trail leads you down to Dodds Narrows with great views of the Narrows, Mudge Island, and Gabriola Island.

Cable Bay Trail and Dodds Narrows

Mount Arrowsmith : Mount Arrowsmith is easily the most recognizable mountain on Vancouver Island. From the top you can almost see the ocean on both sides of the Island. Great hiking, alpine meadows. The mountain is easily seen from the towns Port Alberni, Parksville, and Qualicum Beach.

Mount Arrowsmith

Nanaimo River : The Nanaimo River...a favourite place to hike, kayak, and swim in the summer. Almost every year the treacherous rapids seem to claim another young person's life

Englishman River Falls : Englishman River Falls Park is located just outside Parksville. It has a beautiful campground and the falls are surrounded by a wonderful trail system. Stay tuned for more pictures from this park.

Englishman River Falls

Mount Prevost : Mount Prevost provides a perfect view of Duncan and the Cowichan Valley. It is also popular with paragliders.

Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge : The Haslam Creek suspension bridge is part of the Trans Canada Trail in the Cassidy area outside Nanaimo. It's a nice walk and you get to Timberlands Lake from it.

Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge

Lake Cowichan : The town of Lake Cowichan, BC, is located 31 kilometers west of Duncan at the beginning of the Cowichan River at Cowichan Lake. Cowichan Lake is one of the largest bodies of fresh water on Vancouver Island.

Before the arrival of the Europeans to the region Cowichan Lake seems to have been left largely untouched by local Native tribes other than for hunting and fishing. The two surveys of the region ordered by Governor Douglas in Victoria only mention one lone deserted village at Skutz Falls. Small groups had apparently set up camps and hunted in the region but had more or less left before these surveys took place.

Cowichan Lake's settlement history begins in about 1883 with the arrival of William Forest to Cowichan Bay. In 1884, he and James Tolmie (older brother of a later premier of British Columbia) toured the lake with the help of the native Ikilass brothers. Mr. Forest impressed by, "the most beautiful spot he had ever seen", later lobbied the premier for a road to the lake. The premier decided that if ten to twelve settlers were to move to the lake then a road would be built. Mr. Forest assured the premier this would not be a problem and thus was authorized to build a road.

Thanks to Mr. Forest's efforts a rough road was finished to the head of the Cowichan River in 1886 and settlement began. A fair number settlers, sensing the value of being at the gateway to the Cowichan Lake region, built their homes at the end of the road. This settlement is what became the Town of Lake Cowichan.

Gabriola Island : Gabriola Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia, in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Gabriola lies about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, to which it is linked by ferry. It has a resident population of slightly more than 4,000.

Gabriola has a mild climate, public beaches and forested parks, as well as housing, roads, shopping centres, restaurants, a library, and a museum. Its cultural life includes annual festivals related to art, gardens, music, boating, and fishing.

Gabriola is part of the traditional territory of the Snunéymux, and the name of the near-by city, Nanaimo, is an anglicized form of their name. The earliest archeological record on Gabriola is a cave burial dated to about 1500 BCE, but sites on near-by Valdes Island and other Gulf Islands have been found to date to at least 3000 BCE, and similar sites might exist on Gabriola.

The pre-contact population of Gabriola has been difficult to estimate, but between about 0 and 1000 CE—several thousand people lived in the village at False Narrows, the site of today's El Verano Drive.

The island is famous for its petroglyphs, which are commonly asserted to be thousands of years old. The reality is that they are almost impossible to date. Because they are carved in relatively soft sandstone, they are eroding rapidly.

The first European visitors to Gabriola were members of the Spanish navy who explored and charted the Strait of Georgia, including Gabriola in 1791 and again in 1792, but left no permanent settlements. In 1827, fur traders of the Hudson's Bay Company established a post at Fort Langley on the Fraser River, but no Europeans settled in the Nanaimo area until the discovery of coal there in 1852. From the mid-1850s on, coal miners and ex-gold miners began to move to Gabriola, where they started farms to supply the growing population of Nanaimo. By 1874, 17 settlers were working the land on Gabriola.

In the early 20th century, the population of Gabriola grew slowly. By the 1950s, fewer than 400 people lived full-time on the island. Electricity came to Gabriola in 1955, but even then the population grew only about one percent a year until the 1970s. In roughly the next 10 years, the population tripled, in part due to hippie immigration from the United States. By the mid-1980s, the population was 2,000, half the current figure.

Gabriola Island

Ladysmith and Area : Ladysmith is a town located on the 49th parallel on the east coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia, Canada. The local economy is based on forestry, tourism and agriculture. A hillside location adjacent to a sheltered harbour form the natural characteristics of the community.

Ladysmith was founded by James Dunsmuir about 1898, a year after he built shipping wharves for loading coal at Oyster Harbour. Dunsmuir, owner of coal mines in the Nanaimo area, needed a location to house the families of his miners. He chose to build the community at Oyster Harbour, some twenty miles south of his Extension British Columbia mines. Many buildings were moved from Extension and Wellington by rail and by oxen.

Ladysmith, British Columbia was named after Ladysmith, South Africa, which was named after "Juana Maria de los Delores de Leon Smith" also known as "Lady Smith", the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, the Governor of the Cape Colony. Dunsmuir thought this would be a fitting tribute at the conclusion of the Boer War. In addition to commemorating the end of the war by naming his town after Ladysmith, Dunsmuir also chose to name the streets of the community after generals who fought victoriously in the Boer War. Included in this honour are Generals Buller, Kitchener, Baden-Powell, Methuen and Symonds. The Town of Ladysmith was incorporated June 3, 1904.

Ladysmith and Area

Mount Tzouhalem : Mount Tzouhalem .... one of my favourite places to hike to the White Cross overlooking Cowichan Bay and Duncan. The views of Cowichan Bay, Duncan, and the Cowichan Valley from the White Cross is just spectacular!

Mount Tzouhalem

Genoa Bay : Genoa Bay is a quaint little settlement with a marina nestled in a quiet picturesque bay at the south end of Sansum Narrows, just outside of Duncan. It was named by "Giovanni Baptiste Ordano" in 1858, because it reminded him of his home in Italy. Nestled in this quiet picturesque bay at the south end of Sansum Narrows

Ammonite Falls : One of our favourite hikes is to Ammonite Falls. The falls can be found to the north west end of Mt Benson. There, Benson Creek drops toward Brannen Lake, and cuts a steep ravine into the hillside. It exposes millions of years worth of sedimentary layers, providing fossils and a tall, sometimes-wide waterfall. It's called Ammonite Falls for the snail-like sea creatures whose interesting fossils can be found, as well as fossils of clams and oysters.

Deep Bay : Deep Bay is located north of Qualicum Beach on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Deep Bay provides a wonderful view across Baynes Sound toward Chrome Island and its lighthouse. It's a small and peaceful resort community with a sheltered harbour. Just across the water are Denman and Hornby Islands.

Mount Benson : Mount Benson is a small mountain by West Coast standards; its summit is a modest 3,350 ft (approximately 1,000 meters) above sea level. But, for the residents of Nanaimo and the surrounding area, this mountain is important. It is situated just west of the City, and is an important backdrop and recreational destination.

Mount Benson was first logged about 70 years ago, using small gauge railways for transporting the timber. Just as the timber was re-establishing itself, a forest fire razed the mountain in 1951. Long-time residents say that re-growth of the forest has only really happened in the past 20-25 years and some say there are patches that have never re-grown. In the summer of 2003, new logging began to appear near the summit on the front slope of the mountain, and community response was immediate and urgent. It suddenly became apparent to everyone that the natural green backdrop to the City of Nanaimo and surrounding area was about to disappear for another generation – or longer. Some of the concerns about new logging included:

-Loss of recreational uses due to inaccessibility during logging and change in future values after logging .
-Loss of aesthetic values, if the view of the mountain begins to change to a patchwork of bare and brown patches instead of a continuous backdrop of forest
-Destruction of eco-tourism potential (hiking and biking in summer, x-country skiing and snow-shoeing in winter, and a gateway to back-country trekking).
-Loss of last pockets of old-growth timber, endangered plant and animal species, and other significant habitats
-Serious erosion and slow re-growth of the forest on steep north and north east slopes Yet another threat to the shrinking Vancouver Island wildlife
-Further negative impacts on the Millstone River watershed, and the fish and water quality values in that river.

In response to public pressure, the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust (NALT) began communications in 2003 with the owners of the top property on the front face, seeking alternatives to logging.

About the Properties on the Mountain:

There are several different owners of the mountain. On the front slopes (north-east)) they include TimberWest, BC Crown Land (leased to Malaspina University College), Island Timberlands (was Weyerhaeuser), and DND. Until recently, 523 acre property that extends across the top of the front face was owned by a development company called Pennclan-Reeve.

For the timber companies, the primary use of their properties is timber harvest. Initially, Pennclan-Reeve stated that their reason for logging their property was to “open up the viewscape” and develop the property as view lots. However, they later abandoned this idea and focused on revenue from logging the timber. About 100 acres of this property was logged in 2003; and at least another 50 acres during 2004. There was no further logging in 2005, and only a small patch of the logged area is visible from downtown Nanaimo.

This property has been the first focus of negotiations for the past two years; and ,following the completion of a purchase agreement between the Regional District and the owners on March 15th of this year, it is now the focus of a fundraising campaign by NALT and the Coalition to Save Mount Benson.

Stamp River Provincial Park : Stamp River Park is about 14 km's outside of Port Alberni. It's an absolutely beautiful stretch of river and every fall hundreds of thousands of salmon migrate up the river bringing with them eagles and bears.

Stamp River Provincial Park

Paradise Meadows : The Paradise Meadows trails are accessed at the Mount Washington Ski resort. The beautiful alpine meadows are dotted with tarns and alpine lakes. You can access the very remote areas of Strathcona Park from here.

Paradise Meadows

Jack Point Park : A pretty little park just outside Nanaimo at Jack Point next to the Duke Point Ferry terminal. Spectacular views of Nanaimo and Gabriola Island as well eagles, herons and other wildlife.

Jack Point Park

Mount Washington : We took the chairlift to the top of Mount Washington on a beautiful day in August. Wonderful views of Strathcona Park and a great ride up the mountain.

Mount Washington

Morden Colliery Park : This park is a little reminder of what really started Nanaimo...coal. You can see some remains of the old mine at the start of the trail. The trail runs from the end of Morden Road to the Nanaimo River. There are plans for a footbridge across the river and for the trail to continue on to Hemer Lake Park.

Morden Colliery Park

Craigdarroch Castle : This is one of my favourite places in Victoria. Craigdarroch Castle is an imposing Victorian mansion completed in 1890 for Robert and Joan Dunsmuir, Scottish immigrants who made their fortune from Vancouver Island coal. Robert Dunsmuir died in 1889, just months before his majestic Craigdarroch Castle was completed. Although he arrived on Vancouver Island a poor coal miner, he built an empire and became the wealthiest and most influential man in British Columbia.The fortune Dunsmuir amassed is reflected in every piece of the finest wood, stone and glass meticulously tooled to create Craigdarroch Castle, now a national historic museum featuring an extensive collection of stained and lead glass windows, magnificent woodwork, Victorian furnishings and decorative arts

Craigdarroch Castle

Little Qualicum Falls : A favourite destination on Vancouver Island is Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, which straddles the Little Qualicum River and incorporates the entire southern shore of Cameron Lake.

Impressive waterfalls cascade down a rocky gorge in a beautiful forested setting bordered by steep mountain peaks at this park, one of the most beautiful parks on central Vancouver Island. The falls, lake swimming, shaded riverside trails and picnic facilities make Little Qualicum Falls a very popular family recreation destination. A number of walking trails are available in and around the park, offering picturesque views of the river and providing access to the upper and lower falls.

Little Qualicum Falls

Big Qualicum River : There are wonderful trails to walk and hike along the banks of the Big Qualicum River.

Big Qualicum River

Nanaimo at Night : This year in December we did our first evening of night photography in the downtown core of Nanaimo. We walked around the Wesley Street Mews and down to the Bastion Bridge as well as walked around the commercial basin at the Nanaimo Port Authority.

Nanaimo at Night

Malahat-Goldstream : Images from all over the scenic Malahat to Goldstream Park

Malahat-Goldstream

Fanny Bay Conservancy Unit : On a cold, crisp day in January, Pete, Norma, Amy and I set off for a day of winter photography. Our ultimate destination was the Fanny Bay Conservancy Unit, a 160 hectare bird sanctuary with marshes, woods, mudflats, and a wonderful system of trails. There were not a lot of birds there that day but spring is just around the corner! We saw some swans and a hawk, and red-winged blackbirds. We also discovered a wonderful folk art display in the woods by local artist George Sawchuk. Locals we ran into said it is called the "Wacky Woods", but officially it is known as the "Enchanted Forest". A lot of the pieces had very strong messages. On the way up to Fanny Bay we stopped at Little Mountain Road in Parksville to take some shots of the early morning sun on Mount Arrowsmith. We ran into a lot of winter fog that day and it made things very damp and cold (brrrrrrrr)!

Fanny Bay Conservancy Unit

A day in Ladysmith and the Cowichan Valley : Pete and I got up bright and early on a Saturday and headed south on a cold January day. We stopped first at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith to catch the sunrise. Then we stopped at the Somenos Marsh in Duncan where we were lucky enough to watch a family of of 6 otters splashing and swimming! Then we headed to Cowichan Bay for eagles, herons, and of course, lunch at the Rock Cod cafe! All in all a great day of photography. I have included some HDR images from the sunrise.

A day in Ladysmith and the Cowichan Valley

Denman Island :

Valdez Island : In April, 2009, a group of 12 intrepid photographers from the Harbour City Photography Club of Nanaimo took a Jones Marine Services water taxi from Chemainus over to Valdez Island to photograph the old car graveyard.

The old derelict trucks and cars are the remnants of an old 50's logging operation and are slowly decaying back into the forest.

It was a cloudy overcast day but that actually made the light under the large firs and maples even better!

French Creek : This little boat basin has a lot of commercial fishermen docked there. There is always lots of bird life on the surrounding beaches as well.

McLean Steam Sawmill in Pt. Alberni : The McLean "Steam" Sawmill in Port Alberni is the only steam-operated sawmill in Canada. It is full of antique logging equipment and is a great place to wander around and photograph. For anyone who grew up in a logging family it is a real "blast from the past"!

McLean Steam Sawmill in Pt. Alberni

The Fall Colours at Butchart Gardens, Ross Bay Cemetery, and Hatley Castle : On Sunday, October 18th, a small group of photographers from the Harbour City Photography Club of Nanaimo made a day-trip to Victoria to photograph the colours of Fall at the world famous Butchart Gardens, the Ross Bay Cemetery, and Hatley Castle (which now houses Royal Roads University). We concentrated mainly on the Japanese Gardens at Butchart Gardens and the Japanese Maples had turned a beautiful scarlet red. Many of the flowers and plants in the Gardens were still covered in the morning dew and that made for some interesting images. We then went to the Ross Bay Cemetery where my main goal was to find and photograph the grave of the famous BC artist Emily Carr, which I did. I also photographed the Cemetery a little differently this time as I tried using my beloved Sigma 150mm macro lens to to shoot objects from a distance and try to isolate my subjects with a shallow depth of field. We ended the day at Hatley Castle and I think we were all running out of steam by then plus the good light was leaving rapidly (at least that's my story). Anyways it was a very good day and I will probably go back again this Fall for another trip. It gets five stars out of five on the Brad Powell list of best places and times to photograph on Vancouver Island!!

The Fall Colours at Butchart Gardens, Ross Bay Cemetery, and Hatley Castle

The Arrowsmith-CPR Trail : In 1910 the C.P.R. built a tourist chalet at the East end of Cameron Lake. By 1912 a pack trail for horses was completed from the lake to an overnight hut at 4200 feet on the slopes of Mt. Cokely. From here visitors could do an easy day hike to Cokely or a more challenging day to Arrowsmith's summit. This trail was known as the Old Arrowsmith trail to some and to others as the Cameron Lake trail, and is still very popular to this day and is the oldest intact trail on Vancouver Island!

Today this trail is known as the Arrowsmith-CPR Trail and is managed by the Nanaimo Regional District.

The trail starts at Cameron Lake across the highway from the swimming beach and Provincial Park. It climbs 2500 feet to a viewpoint with wonderful views of Cameron Lake, the Beaufort Range the Gulf of Georgia and several of the Gulf Islands. You can also hike a loop that takes you to Mt. Cokely and Mt. Arrowsmith.

On Saturday, February 20th, Kathy and I and the dogs took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to make the hike to the viewpoint. It was a beautiful day and so sunny and warm at the top.

The Arrowsmith-CPR Trail

Winter Herring Fishery : Late, every winter here in BC, the Herring return to the Strait of Georgia to spawn up and down the coastline. The millions of Herring attract all sorts of wildlife and of course, fishermen. This year there was a fishery opening on February 28th and the nets were being set very close to the beaches in North Nanaimo. This gave me an opportunity to get some closeup shots of the fishery in action!

Winter Herring Fishery

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