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| Blackberry Fest Street Party in full swing! |
Isabelle and I visited Powell River last weekend. As neither of us had had the pleasure of
seeing the area before, it was a really interesting trip for both of us! We hopped
on the ferry from Little River, on Friday morning, and as the weather was
gorgeous, we enjoyed the sun on the upper deck, and the views of Texada,
Lesqueti, and Powell River. We spent the afternoon doing a little exploring of
Willingdon Beach, and the town, before heading down to Marine Ave. to set up
for the Blackberry Festival Street Party.
It was evident from the atmosphere and sheer numbers of
people that came out to the event that Powell River is a very community-oriented
place. There were activities for people of all ages, from live music, a
mountain biking exhibition, delicious food, and local craft vendors, to kids
activities. As for our booth, many people came over to say “Hi” to our
charismatic mermaid, and to find out what our organization was about.
Unsurprisingly, pipelines
and oil tanker traffic were the hot topics of the evening, and we had many
lively discussions with individuals on both sides of the debate. After the
event finished, we headed to our campsite at Willingdon Beach, and enjoyed
watching the town’s magnificent fireworks display just steps from our campsite.
Powell River really knows how to throw a party!
On Saturday morning, we rolled up our sleeping bags, packed
up the car and headed to the Powell
River Open Air Market. The market is beautifully set up, with permanent
vendor stalls, a performance stage, and a concession stand. We enjoyed sampling
the local fare (including luscious strawberries, juicy tomatoes, and delicious,
delicious croissants). We had several valuable conversations about marine conservation, and
the importance of protecting
wild salmon populations with market patrons, and showed off our Community Atlas Project.
Eager to squeeze the most out of our visit, and see more of
the surrounding area, Isabelle and I went for a hike along part of the Sunshine
Coast Trail, took a refreshing dip in Powell Lake before catching the ferry.
Dark, thundery clouds gathered as we hiked back to the car, but the rain never
came, and it was smooth sailing all the way back to Comox!
We’d like to send a shout-out to Cathy McDonald of the
Marine Area Business Association, and the folks from the Open Air Market for
welcoming us to Powell River, and their respective events. Also, a big thank-you
to everyone who came to buy raffle
tickets and chat with us!
Cheers until next time!
-Deanna
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