For this visit, we chose to focus on a small portion along the southeastern coast of the island.
Our first stop was at the home of Tony and Leanne. We first met them on a hike during our visit to Oaxaca, Mexico in 2019. We really hit it off and they said we should visit them at their home in Nanaimo, BC. They made the same offer when we reconnected again in Oaxaca in 2024 which was when we began to think seriously about taking them up on their offer.
Tony and Leanne live in a gorgeous home with tons of windows looking out across the Strait of Georgia to the mainland of Canada. With a spotter scope in the living room, one can watch passing fishing boats, Alaska bound cruise ships and even whales.
Our hosts took us on hikes and other adventures “up island,” following the coastal road about a third of the way up the eastern shore. This is a wonderful place with a balmy mediterranean climate so it attracts a lot of Canadian retirees. The trees get really big here and it’s also a good climate for fruit orchards and vineyards.
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| Dodd's Narrows |
Tony is quite a chef so we ate well and savored delicious BC wines. I especially enjoyed accompanying Leanne to her weekly Rotary Club meeting where I was impressed with the number of service projects that they had in the works.
During our time with Tony and Leanne we learned about their lives and the issues that Canadians deal with. We spoke frankly about politics and US - Canadian relations. All four of us were deeply saddened by the rift our country’s leaders have created with our neighbor. The Canadian people seem to be deeply hurt by many of the things that have been said and we all look forward to the repair of the bonds that have always existed between our two peoples.
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| Leanne, Judy & Tony |
The three days with Tony and Leanne flew by and then it was time for us to head “down island” a bit to an Airbnb in the tiny hamlet of Genoa Bay. With about 10 houses, a marina and a small cafe, the community has little to offer except for peace, quiet and incredible views.
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| Genoa Bay Marina |
The first morning I woke up and walked down to our little dock, I was able to watch a family of sea otters about 20 yards away. They frolicked on the rocks for a bit and then hopped in the water to search the kelp beds for breakfast.
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| Sea otters |
One day we took a whale watching cruise our of nearby Cowichan Bay.
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| Cowichan Bay Marina |
We saw many species of birds as well as sea lions (both Stellar and California), harbor seals and tiny 3’ long harbor porpoises.
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| California Sea Lions |
Then, we were able to locate, and follow a pod of six Orcas for about an hour. It was wonderful to learn about their lives as well as the challenges these magnificent creatures face.
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| Orca |
Again, we enjoyed more hiking and great food.
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| Kinsol Trestle |
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| Genoa Bay Cafe |
Eventually it was time to drive to the lovely city of Victoria where we stopped for lunch in our old neighborhood and paid our respects at the statue to local artist, Emily Carr - a favorite of ours.
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| Judy and Emily with her dog and pet monkey |
Finally, it was time to board the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. From the deck we said goodbye to Vancouver Island and Canada.
Between this trip and our time in Quebec, we have spent about a month in Canada this year. We were able to renew friendships and remind ourselves that our neighbor to the north is an incredibly beautiful country filled with some of the friendliest people in the world.
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| So long, for now |
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