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Published: September 15th 2016
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Spot the eagle!
After a lot of patience this was the best I could do with a moving bird. After a haircut and a coffee at Seriously Coffee we figured that today would be a history and walk day. But first, to try and catch that bald eagle on film. We could hear it, see it, but to capture it on camera was nigh on impossible. So, from the photo it is a mere flying bird. Maybe another time.
We parked at the Willingdon Beach Carpark where there is forest between Westview and Townsite and headed off along the coastal trail. We were happy that the trail was so well signposted as we learnt a lot about the trees and logging industry. Trees such as Maple, Alder, Douglas Fir, Grand Fir and Cedars were all identified as well as surrounding small plants. The remains of a grader, bulldozer, winch, steam donkey, boom boat, sled, and so much more from the early industry were spread along the trail with descriptions. The trail started in 1910 as a logging railway when logs were dumped at the present site of the mill and when logging stopped the trail became the route for people working at the mill to use to get to work until the present road was put in. It is
Boom Boat
A boom boat pushes logs around in the water so that they are aligned to float together now used mainly for recreation.
We walked along to the present mill and it's Port. Here the breakwater for the harbour is made from 10 concrete boats - big ones. From all those made in the last WWs these are the only ones remaining in the world. When they were decommissioned some visionary must have seen that it would make a great breakwater if they were all moored end to end.
Beyond the Mill is the 2nd shortest river in the world. Powell River is only 5/8 ths of a mile long! It is now dammed and the electricity for the Mill is generated here.
Powell River at one time was the largest producer of newsprint in the world. Not any more, so it's economy is now based on eco tourism as well as logging and paper making.
Above the Mill is Townsite or the old town which was preplanned and centred around the industrial area in the late 1920s and early 1930s. There are several remaining buildings, some built along Tudor lines such as the old bank, the brewery, the hall and the administrative building. Many houses were built for the workers and they have
A floating breakwater made of concrete ships
These boats were made for using in the war and since decommissioning 10 have become a floating breakwater for the port a distinctive art and crafts style. As men moved up the employment ladder they got larger and grander houses closer to the Mill. We walked through a residential area where the mill houses had mostly been renovated or well maintained and they were a huge improvement on what we usually envisage worker houses to be.
That ended our history walk for the day. A walk through history is a great way to learn something about a place even if now, much of what was has gone.
Back at the house, the breeze had dropped and we sat outside with a wine, drinking in the calmness and beauty right in front of us as the sun set.
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