22 - Wednesday, July 10, 1991 ~- North Shore News eae . NEWS photo Cindy G JIM SPILSBURY of West Vancouver, a West Coast pioneer and adventurer, holds up his paste! and watercolor painting that illustrates the cover of his recently-published book of photos and reminiscences, Splisbury’s Album. The author of Spilsbury's Coas and The Accidental Airline, Spilsbury will publish more of his paintings in a book entitled Coast of Many Colours next year. passion for living Y LIFE has been a series of accidents, some good and some bad, but none quite bad enough to finish me off.” lim Spilsbury’s 85 years on the West Coast have taken him from a Savary Island childhood to the radio-telephone business to form- ing an airline to boating and fish- ing and writing. But it is Spilsbury’s lifetime compulsion of photographing and painting his beloved West Coast that has formed the material for his latest book, Spilsbury’s Album. Relaxing in his West Vancouver home overlooking Whytecliff Park and Howe Sound, Spilsbury recently shared some of his reminiscences and life philosophy with the North Shore News and discussed his great love of painting and pastels. Spilsbury was born in 1905 in Englaad after his parents, who had already settled in 8.C. eartier, were persuaded by their aristo- cratic relatives that their child should not be born in “the colo- nies.”’ The Spilsburys — Jim’s fa- ther was a Cambridge-educated gentleman, his mother a shotgua- toting suffragette who was “‘hell to live with’’ — soon returned to their farm in the Fraser Valley, then moved to Savary Island, off Powell River, when young Jim was mine. “This was where | grew up, went to school, werked with my dad, tearned to use tools, learned to hunt and fish, had my introduc- tion to logging,”’ Spilsbury writes, “In the process | met and got to know the motley collection of people who inhabited the coast in those days, ranging ail the way from loggers, fishermen, and beachcombers to hermits, remit- tance men, stump ranchers, Greek scholars, writers, poets, artists, and downright crooks. “It was a community of people that surely was unique in the his- tory of man. | had the good for- tune to spend the next thirty years of my life with them.” A tinkerer since early childhood, Spilsbury pioneered the use of radio telephones on the West Coast, building a thriving business in Vancouver that became Canada’s largest exporter of the new technology. To service his radios in the many remote logging, fishing and mining camps as far north as Stewart, Spilsbury began flying, then Patrick Raynard SPOTLIGHT FEATURE bought more and more airplanes until he formed Queen Charlotte Airways. QCA grew to become part of Pacific Western, which in turn was bought by CP Air to become part of Canadian Airlines International. In June of this year Spilsbury was given the National Transportation Week’s award of achievement during a glittering banquet and ceremony at the Hotel Vancouver. “The dinner just carried me away,"’ he remembers. ‘"It was most impressive, with a lot of top line brass. | had no idea what ! was getting into when | agreed to One of the many West Coast characters Spilsbury got to know in the early years was Gordon Gibson Sr., whose parents started out with a farm and a store at Caycuse, north of Tofino om Van- couver Island’s rugged West Coast. Spilsbury first met Gibson when the “Bull of the Woods’ was barging logs past Savary in 1929. Young Jim rowed out, tied up alongside and introduced himself. A friendship was formed, and in later years Spilsbury and his wife Win became frequent guests at Gibson's legendary spread on Maui. Despite all these adventures, however, it was art that remained Spilsbury’s passion, and dozens of his superb pastels and watercolors See Spilsbury page 30 EARLY REWARDS Only $9.95 st. 0 | pert “Special Deals on Special Meals” Take a scenic drive io the Horseshoe Bay Boathouse, arrive prior to 6:00 and enjoy great value on our Early Rewards Menu. Reserve your view seat now! & (Heated Outdoor § Patio Open § Weather § Permitting). LOUSE | Sunday Brunch " A SPECIALTY AIO SEAFOOD RESTAURANT — Oat 6695 Nelson Ave. West Vancouver Ave., West Vancouver Hteservations Recommended 921-8188 Dinner RENATSS ANC E' Meet Your Special Someone Renaissance Introductions Relationship Consultams for marriage minded professionals with high standards 684-7441 - INTRODUCTIONS” Courb Chinese Seafood _ Restaurant live crab 83 Chesterfield Ave., North Vancouver 983-2888 <2 LARS W where we get you preferred {se-off times. Then head back to our clubhouse, at the Holiday Inn, for a fabulous dinner for two, deluxe accommodation, and breakfast the noxt morning. All for onty *69-™ per person*, based on double occupancy. It's a slice of a deal, and it’s yours for the asking. CHILLIWACK (604) 795-4783 45920 First Avonuo, Chilliwack, B.C. V2P 7Ki or call your Travel Agent * Taxes nt Included Vancouver No: 681-9838