4 - Friday, February 12, 1988 - North Shore News

THERE IS a certain point
of land on Newcastle Island
you can see from the ferry
as you come into Nanaimo.

Even at night, every time I go
past that point, [ climb out on
deck and peer intently. lt has
never been so dark that f
couldn't make it out.

Sometimes it looks best under
moonlight or starlight. But it
always stirs something insidc
me.

McKay Point, it’s called.

§ know because I've got a
map of Newcastle Island in a
scrap book. Takes up a whole
page. Hand-drawn, I might
add. Drew it myself Wack, oh, a
few decades ago.

I'd taken the CP ferry from
downtown Vancouver to
downtown Nanaimo, walked
from the pier a couple of blocks
to another dock, hitched a ride
on an outboard over to

I had my first
experience of something
very close to Rapture of
the Deep. I was so
entranced by the kelp beds
dancing slowly and silently
as the swells rolied
overhead that going up for
air seemed like an
enormous waste of time.""

2
Newcastle, and spent a coupic
of days and nights by myself
camped at McKay Point.

Nothing amazing about that
— excemt, it was the first time
Ud eves crossed the Strait of
Georgia, An actual ocean! First
time fever ect Foot on Van-
cover Iand, tet alone
Newcastle.

First time 1 had ever looked
bach at the mainiand of
Canada,

twas $7 and fresh off the tus
from Winnipes.

Camping at McKay Point ty
myself was, to that date,
without any shadow of a doutt,
the most glorious, exultant,
ecstatic, wonderful weekend of
nity life,

The evening light on the
Coast Range Mountains was
nearly more besutiful than}
could stand. Pthought fora
while t would blow up or go in-
sane,

The reflection of the fervy
lights was punctuated by inky
fiquid upwellings J took to be
pretty scious waves; in fact. a
atight chop, stirred by an off-
ahore breeze.

However you break it down,
1 was, as one aight say nowa-
days, blown away, HW was a
arand privilege to be where |
was. I couldn't imagine taking
it foe grantert. and wondered

Precast

BRDERSON

INC.

CRETE Dent Nace ve

Fh (vay ons at0n

© strictly personal «

how reople in Nanaimo ever
got any work done, unless they
pulled the blinds shut.

I woke up in the night and
lay there under the stars in my
sleeping bag afraid to move
feast I disturb the balance of so
finely-wrought a universe.

Normally, lknow J'm inthe
world. The real physical world.
Planet Easth. I can touch it,
smell it, be hurt by it, hurt parts
of it in turn. Good old tangible
reality.

Not often do J ect to know,
with equal certainty, and with
my emotions as well as my
rind, that { am in the universe.

The lights of Nanaimo
weren't as bright back then, so
the stars could be seen more
clearly. Instead of those swarms
of fire seeming alien and distant
and lifeless, | suddeniy felt
moved to the deptns of my be-
ing by a sensation of ....

Homesickness! As though |
belonged out there, and was far
from home.

Rubbish, what?

(tis easy to say now that in
fact I was just homesick for the
old home town and had other-
wise read too much science fic-
tion.

But I'll never forget the feel-
ing .....

I was a bit dazed the next
day.
I had brought 2 ridiculous
old Second World War
frogman’s suit along, the kind
that you climbed in through a
hole in the chest. It leaked,
which meant that when f lurch-
ed back ashore,there was plenty
of water inside. It filled up the
legs so that they wete shaped
like sausages and weighed a
ton.

Still, it was enough to get me
into the water, and there,
wonders dopping over the cx
perimental cornucopia’. sim, |
behbetdl starfish and centes and
even Saw an actupis.

Thad my first experience of
something very close tu Rapture
of The Deeg. | ae so entrance
ed by the kelp beds dancing
slowly aru silently as the awelle
rolled overhead that aedng tps
fot ain seemed like an encsmuns
wate of time.

Time. Zip, Whoosh. It's
gone.

And (am standing on the
upper port deck of a jumbu
ferry ir whistling srw, ecutive -
ing the aroplified warning for
passengers to return to their
vehicles as we appreach
Nanaimo, a grandfather yet,
gloved hand shielding my face
as | wait for that brief moment
when a certaid point of fend
will stand ant sithovctted
againal the lights uf the grulty
mill across the hay,

Ant it all comes back ina
tush. A nice fecling to replay:
being yours ail easily over-
doused with awe. @

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Fit tnved

erie 4 al

Doug Collins to speak at Socred meeting

group's projects and continuing education for its

NORTH Shore News columnist
members, explained group president Mike Williams.

CONTROVERSIAI

Doug Collins will be speaking on a broad range of
topics at a North Share Young Socreds fund-raising
breakfast Feb. 13.

Money raised at the event will go to support the

Tickets to the 9 a.m. breakfast at Cheers Restaurant
are $18 and will be available at the door.

FEBRUARY ONLY

ous
Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and rich gravy.
Garden vegetabics, fresh mashed potatoes and your choice of
ahearty soup or fresh tossed salad.
Pudding and whipped cream for afters, Lover-ty!

Valid Feb. 10th to Feb. 29th, 1988

60°

Bring this coupon to uny
Pantry Family Restaurant and we'll
take $1,50 off the Beefeater

roast beel dinicr special per person
for upto four people,

Valid Feb. (st to Feb. 20th, 1986

al

$

mraxiniun value

Bring this Coupon ta any
Pantry Family Restaurant and well
take $1.50 off the Becleater

roast beef dinner special per person
for up to four people.

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Marine cHccount $1.50 per meal “a Manin discount $1.50 per meal, ‘a
Nut valid in combination with other iy Nut valid in Coomination with otter
offers. Coupon has ne cash valve ee offers, Coupon bas no cach value. Ped
NEN 1 NSN (25
COTTE CHEN) CN CNS COE Cen CETTE ENED ee CUREES FOE) ND CHUN CHEE GRONED CREED CEENY GUIETD

jst he

aiitry

FAMILY RESTAURAN
VANCOUVER NORTH VANCOUVER BURNABY
220510 Manne Dive 12 Wet Eb Street Uh RINKSWay
dt Lotascteney td lpin

dt Mn Street