West of East Sooke Park

Christmas Day my family hiked out to my favourite kayaking site. My son Matthew Warner snapped a few pictures of the area. This elevated perspective captures the beauty of the area. Here's a link to all the photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gordwarner/Xmas2008#

Honour

Tonight in my in basket I found one of those sentimental seasonal messages beseeching me to think of the lonely soldier hunkered down in a fox hole. I did, but my thoughts wandered.

Soldiers fight in different fields every day. Some take up arms and march to war in distant lands. They risk their lives often for nebulous goals or so that some unethical politician can score political points. Most will tell you they're fighting for the guy next to them, their buddies, the other guys in the patrol or platoon. Many don't even know why they're in the fight, or even care. They fight simply to survive. The nobility is added by people in comfortable rooms far from the fight.

Some soldiers pick up sutures and needles and fight to save lives in operating rooms. They're called surgeons. Others carry on the fight in labs. These people fight against incredible odds for years and years. They make tiny incremental gains against disabling diseases. They're called research scientists and doctors.

Some soldiers march into a class room to fight ignorance and to give the gift of knowledge not just to the poor and the down trodden but sometimes to the middle class and wealthy who have become trapped in the rhetoric of fools.

Some soldiers fight for your soul. They reach out and try to help people to a better path be it Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish or whatever.

Some are lawyers fighting to put criminals away or to protect those wrongly accused.
Many march off to dreary everyday jobs so they can provide for their families and children, they're called loving parents.

There are few parades for these people, few statutes and few words. By and large they are forgotten.

In 2008 I met a soldier who in fighting for his life asked others to join in the battle with him. Many responded and took up the fight. They were not able to engage his enemy directly but they gave their support to help sustain the fight that will in the end bring his enemy low.

Strangers, family and friends answered that call. The smallest contribution was a handful of coins, the largest was counted in the hundreds of dollars.

This soldiers fight took him into places that his supporters could not follow. Twice he fought major battles. Seven times he has fought minor skirmishes. Yet the war is not won but only at a stand still. His fight will last another two years if he can see it through to the end. The outcome is uncertain.

Yet throughout his battle he never asked anyone to help him. He only asked that people help others. During his battle he has been cut and bled countless times. Without drugs to easy the pain he grits his teeth and takes the cuts.

That soldiers life was enriched by all those friends and strangers who stepped up. Sadly he was left with one bleeding wound which he knows not how to heal. It came not from a knife but from words spoken by a loved one, "We've already given." The man's worth measured and found not worthy.

Personally I think 40 pieces of silver would have been a lighter burden to carry.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Wish List

As a public service I here with publish the following Christmas gift guide should you be looking for that perfect gift for the discerning kayaker. Thus in no particular order the list:

Any book on kayaking from Pesda Press www.pwss.com

James Bond Quantum of Solace Omega wrist watch (for Wenley) $3,410 US

Any editon of Ocean Paddler www.oceanpaddlermagazine. available at Ecomarine in Vancouver or by post from the publisher

A helmet hero cam for the budding kayak videoographer www.goprocamera.com prices vary but expect $189 US

If you have not got one either A Romany or Explorer from Sea Kayak UK www.seakayakinguk.com

Any course from Body Boat Blade www.bodyboatblade.com

2009 Canadian Tide and Current Tables for Juan de Fuca Strait

Wasburne's Tables for the Current Atlas Juan de Fuca strait to Strait of Georgia

Moleskine Pocket Weekly Diary

Waterproof note book

A good novel for days trapped ashore

Fair winds and sunny skies and good health

Chocolates

Fine Scotch, a cool Ale, a pint of Guinness

Kokatat dry suits for all

Werner paddles for those who have not gone to Greenland

Weather, Humbug!

Baynes Channel was a giant canvas of white horses last weekend. Winds out of the NE had whipped the waves into a manic state. From high above in the Uplands the Channel looked like a perfect playground as the wind relentlessly blew the tops off the waves.

The air temperature told a different story. Minus 17C. Handling the waves and current was within means. But what to wear? The only wise thing to do was to pull out the lap top and surf the net.

I started with a quick visit to one of my favourite blogs; onkayaks.squarespace.com/journal This is the play ground of one Ignacio Wenley Palacios. Check it out.

Wenley was on about developments in the world of safety flares. The new standard in hand held flares require the unscrewing of an end cap to allow the firing string to drop out. Supposed the screwed on cap will be more water proof then the old friction cap.

Most distressing is the addition of a two second delay before the flare ignites. One might surmise this gap in time was added to encourage the rescuee to have a look down the business end of the flare to see what's up. The subsequent removal of the said gentleman's head would negate a rescue attempt.

On a more positive aside Pains Wessex has introduced a one standard size for white collision flares, red hand helds, and smoke flares. Just make sure you're up wind of these before pulling the ignition cord. Pains Wessex has also introduced a nifty Zip Flare that should make loading these things a lot easier. The flare cartridges are held in a plastic box and the zip pen simply pushes onto the cartridges. Older versions of Zip flares left the cartridges to roll about or sink as they slipped through cold fingers.

In typical British fashion Pains Wessex's web page tells you everything about their products except the price. www.pwss.com What a Pains!

Wenley recommends igniting a barn to increase the effectiveness; "this red rocket aims to attract attention at long range, firing a 30,000 candela red signal to 300 metres of altitude with a signal that will burns for 40 seconds - its burning time is dramatically extended, would it land in a barn - suspended under a parachute."

Here on Vancouver it's hard to see parachuting barns after the sun goes down. So I recommend firing the flare into any nearby Lighthouse. The resulting Roman candle should burn for considerably longer then 40 seconds and be visible for some significant distances.

The Future of the Okisollo Tide Race

Okisollo is a hidden gem on the north east side of Quadra Island in the Pacific Northwest. This little known Canadian jewel is becoming a favourite of adventure kayakers in British Columbia and area.

What attracts these adventurers is the very feature that during the earlier ages of recreational kayaking would strike fear into the pioneering kayak crowd. A perfectly submerged shelf creates a beautifully formed standing wave on every flood. With max currents hitting over nine knots the resulting wave and chaos south of the leading wave where depicted as places to carefully avoid.

Early kayak tourers would read of Okisollo in a multitude of guide books that all explained how to get through the area at slack tide thus avoiding the terrible fate that would overtake the unwary.

Times change. Performance kayaks are becoming as popular as the station wagon kayaks that allow us to take just about every camping device invented into the wilds. Today kayakers seek out the danger and rush of surfing the surge wave. Some challenge themselves in unofficial competitions to see who can ride the wave the longest. Others take on the challenge of the chaos behind the wave. Testing themselves against the pyramid waves, the current, and whirlpools to see who can stay upright the longest and more importantly who can roll back or skull back up after the inevitable dumping.

This phenomenon reflects the maturation of sea kayaking. We've moved forward from simple touring and benign recreation to the point where performance kayaks and more adrenaline seeking owners are becoming more common.

But time keeps on changing. Now there is an application to explore the potential of Okisollo for electrical generation. Orca Power has applied for a permit to study the area to determine if it would be feasible to place a tide generator below the shelf that creates the ten knot floods at Okisollo.

The government of British Columbia is embracing small hydro electrical generation proposals as a greener alternative to massive dam or hydro carbon power generation options. Not surprisingly this initiative has attracted potential power companies and investors to areas such as Okisollo, Skoocumchuck.

This attention has raised concerns in the adventure kayak community. The initial Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) reaction has already lead to a letter writing campaign targeting the provincial officials who grant the license applications and local provincial legislature members.

Alarmist are painting a picture of industrial complexes complete with roads, power transformers, transmission lines and towers as the inevitable outcome if the research application should be granted.

While the kayak community is indebted to the people who brought this to the attention of the kayak world this is not the time to mount a NIMBY campaign. Knowledge should always come before action.

Further to the south an underwater tide current generator has been successfully installed at Race Rocks in Juan de Fuca Strait. Presently it collects power that is transmitted through underwater cables to the light house located on the islets. This power is then stored and used to reduce the dependence upon diesel generators on the island. This 'industrial' development has had no recreational affect on the area. Race rocks is still a popular destination for strong competent paddlers.

Of greater concern here is the voluntary prohibition against landing on Race Rocks.

The light house keeper is a bear with a minimal grasp of diplomacy. Instead of meeting kayakers at the shore and asking them not to land in the interest of protecting the colonies of seals and sea lions. He's been known to aggressively confront kayakers. Including one occasion when the islands where completely shrouded in fog. “Can't you people read? You can't land here,” he shouted, pointing back into a fog so thick you could not see the mans hand at the end of his arm.

But as far as power generation goes the Race Rock experiment seems to be working fine. One advantage of this location is that it works on both the flood and the ebb. At Okisollo this may not be the case which would seem to reduce the efficiency of area.

Nevertheless a below surface generator located deep enough below the shelf might not have any adverse affect for kayaking in the area at all. If warranted power from such a generator could be transmitted through underwater cables to the nearest road head miles south below Surge Narrows, then through lines located adjacent to the existing road. It might be that the generator may not be located below the shelf but further out in the channel. Without research date who knows.

Indeed it could be that, if feasible and I stress “IF”, such a power development might have a beneficial effect. As Okisollo becomes more popular facilities should be developed to protect the area. Apparently 1,500 people accessed the area this past season. That's a lot of people in an area that has no facilities at all. No designated camping, no toilets – nothing.

While many kayakers and recreational users know how to minimize their impact on the environment there are many others who do not and care nothing about what they leave behind or how they leave the area.

Road improvements could also bring more kayakers to the area. That might be good or bad.

In any case this initiative bares careful watching. It will be interesting to see what the research turns up if the application is granted. What is certain is the inevitable quest for electrical power, the increasing demand for more environmental power sources and the desire to protect existing recreational areas will bring us into conflict. Mitigating the impact and striking a balance between conflicting needs should be our goal. As for Okisollo it maybe that it's not suitable for electrical generation at all. Time, research and knowledge will tell.

Military Hardware!

There's nothing like an explosive device to ruin a good days paddle. Saturday Mark, Craig and I launched from the Oak Bay Marina on the east side of Victoria for a day paddle down and around Trial Island. We'd hoped to maybe catch the tail end of one of the lows that have been blowing through the last week.

Alas when we arrived the inner bay was like a mirror and while the Yaughters where all a flutter over the 5 knot wind we left the shore with a feeling of disappointment.

Our trip south was uneventful. I scraped some more Gel coat from the hull looked for golf balls in the shallows off the golf course but found none. I like to roll and retrieve the balls from the sea floor then pop back up and throw them up onto the fairway.

Just as we approached McNeil Bay Mark and I discovered something floating in the water. Paddling over we found a 24"X5" cylinder with something like the following warning.

"Danger may explode. Extremely corrosive! Notify the Military or Police if discovered."

Of course we'd picked it up before discovering the warnings. So in the spirit of civic duty Mark pulled out his cell phone and called 911. Eventually the 911 operator passed us on to the Military Dive team who said they'd be there in 30 minutes. Except they didn't know where McNeil Bay was and didn't seem to know where Beach Drive was. A half hour later we get a return call asking us to describe what we had found and telling us not to keep it on our decks but to take it to shore.

With the device stashed we paddled circles around the bay taking phone calls from the navy. Naively we thought either the coast guard auxiliary or a police officer would simply come by and collect the damn thing. Well Jimmy we live in a more complicated world.

Eventually we got so cold from paddling nowhere that we came back to the beach for a lite lunch. Bring out food and sure enough the military arrives. Turns out the device was a smoke marker that ignites on contact with salt water. These things are usually dropped by sub hunting aircraft like the Aurora or from helicopters.

There's some Phosphorus inside the device and if exposed to air it'll burst into flames. Which can only be extinguished with foam. Gee, no wonder they don't list the contents on the canister. Someone might get hurt.

The Diver said we should have just tossed it up on shore. We were going to do that but were afraid it might bounce off one of the kids playing amongst the rocks. As an alternative I suggested we shove it up the tail pipe of a Volvo parked along the road.

Next time we'll take a GPS reading call it in with an foreign accent. A Texas drawl should work fine and just paddle off. "This is Jimmy Jim Jim Bob, u all. Dares un uh dem IED's floatin in da water rite down by da shure. Say how d ya spell IED?" With apologies to my Texas cousin/sister.With the device safely secured, by wrapping it with duct tape, we having known we'd done our civic duty, however small, and with hearts glowing with the thoughts that we'd done our bit to protect our homes, children and mostly our women folk, left for the return trip to the put in.

Kinmel 1919

If you should ever find yourself travelling along the A55 in North Wales there's a small village, Bodelwyddan, just off the motorway. The village is recognizable by the tall white church and steeple. Next to the church is a grave yard. Eighty five of the graves are those of Canadian Service men and women who died at Camp Kinmel in 1919; long after the great war had ended. I discovered this remarkable place where else but in a Welsh pub. My host was regaling me with the conflicting histories and myths surrounding this cemetery.
Many local Welshmen believe that the Canadians died during a riot at the hands of British MP's sent to quell the riot. Some people believe many of the soldiers where lined up and shot by British firing squads.
My friend Peter told me of accounts he had heard from aging seniors who could remember their parents and grandparents telling them how the Liverpool MP's shot the Canadians.
Tonight in Victoria the fog has rolled in off the sea. It's drifted down the streets and lanes obscuring the reality that's just outside my window much the same way that time, fear, and a misplaced sense of propriety has blurred the truth of Kinmel.

Buried deep in the passage of time are the kernels that have given birth to some fascinating myths. An Internet search conducted in Great Britain turned up a treasure trove of arguments, points and counter points. Conspiracy theories abound.

Some believe the soldiers where being held in Kinmel because Canada didn't want them back. It was argued that unemployment was so great that Canadian politicians didn't want to make the situation worse by bringing home it's service men. Another account held forth that Canada was in fact expelling all "foreigners" from the country and that these men where mostly east European and were no longer welcome in Canada.

Anyone with a decent education in Canadian history would dismiss these accounts.

This much is certain. Troops where held at Kinmel awaiting transport back to Canada. Troop ships were in fact diverted to take others back. In fact recent recruits who saw no action were some of the first to return to a hero's welcome in Canada. Back in Kinmel veterans of four years of hell sat in the mud and cold waiting for boats that seemed would never come.

Conditions in the camp where not much better then those the soldiers had endured in France. Food was poor, there was little coal for stoves as there was a coal shortage due to a British coal miners strike, few blankets and rain soaked mud was everywhere. This whole area is only meters above sea level and catches all the foul weather blowing off the Irish Sea. Sitting through a winter here would have been difficult. To keep the men occupied the officers drilled them daily. Marching up and down relentlessly through the mud too no purpose began to have an unanticipated affect.

The quality and quantity of the food was also an issue. Some believe a lot of the food was being stolen by black marketeers. It was also certain that the men's patience was running dangerously short as they'd awaited months for transportation home. But the most significant factor at the camp was the affect of the world pandemic. Men were dying from influenza as were people all over the world. Most of those buried at Kinmel where felled by flue.

All of these factors are contributors to some of the myths surrounding Kinmel. But clearly what fired a lot of the tales was the initial Times account of what transpired on March 4th 1919. The Times portrayed the events as a Bolshevik riot organized by William Tarasevich a Russian/Canadian from Montreal.

Tarasevich with his east European name was clearly the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Times recounts how a red flag was waved as the men marched on the officers barracks. Clearly the Times was looking for a scape goat and the Bolsheviks revolution in Russia was readily at hand. Blaming the riots on these sinister characters neatly deflected any criticism from the military administration.

Perhaps it's the distance but the Canadian accounts lack the passion of what I turned up in north Wales. Official army records show that one man was shot and that by accident as the round came through a window and struck him as he sat at a table. Wisely the camp commander had secured most of the ammunition long before conditions reached the rioting stage.

Sadly four men were in fact bayoneted, by the MP's.

Despite the conflicting myths surrounding Kinmel the local Welsh population take great care in the local cemetery. Walking up and down the rows of white gravestones and reflecting on our current war effort in Afghanistan I couldn't help but wonder what myths will spring forth over the next 100 years.