This story is dedicated to the doe-eyed girl. She changed everything.
Chapter 1
The Early Years
When Dad would talk about Campbell River, he spoke with such wonder, such amazement. There was such a passion in his voice that you could not help but imagine the beauty of this little island village. Now we were moving there to start a new life. I was 6 years old.
Chapter 2
Paradise
In 1961, Campbell River was a logging and fishing village, and it was not very big. On the logging end of things, we had the pulp mill, which opened in 1952, and was the largest employer. Many more worked at Raven Lumber. This sawmill began operation in the early 1900’s; it closed in 1998. The green chain ran 24 hours a day, and we all grew up with the sound of this chain dragging logs up to be milled. The sound was only occasionally outdone by the foghorn mounted on the Quadra Lighthouse on foggy nights.
Chapter 3
Growing Up Coastal
Most of the kids that I grew up with had rowboats, or at least access to them, including myself. When we were young, we would row around the local wharves, exploring the sea life found beneath the wonderful array of boats and docks. Sometimes we would have races where we would row under the high pier through the pillings, out past the breakwater. It was always good for a laugh. This was a fair-weather sport.
In the end, we are nothing more than the stories we leave behind.