The Indian Church by Emily Carr, 1928 (Photo credit: Wiki2.org)
I want to wish you all a Happy New Year. May it be generous and kind.
A Coincidence
Ironically, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent their holidays on the west coast of Vancouver Island, which brought back gilded images from the past. My husband and I spent our honeymoon on the west coast of Vancouver Island, but north of the area the Royals chose for their holidays. We were at Wickanninish Inn, before the Trans-Canada Highway reached that far. Therefore, it was the end of an era. Hundreds of people now travel to a formerly desert beach.
We had Long Beach to ourselves: 13.6 kilometers, but much longer… The only live beings we met were sea lions and a dog.
Other guests had flown in, but we had used loggers’ roads. It was a bumpy, but relatively short ride, and well worth the inconvenience. The chef was from New York and the food, excellent.
The Inn was beautiful and smaller than it is today, but it was Paradise. At night we could see an impressive display of stars.
Artist Emily Carr (1871 – 1945) had spent time in that area. We explored in the hope of finding signs of her presence. She was everywhere.
Some of you may remember who gave his name to the Inn. It was Amerindian Chief Wickanninish who destroyed the Tonquin, a boat built for John Jacob Astor, the owner of the American Fur Trade Company. It carried voyageurs from New York to the “Oregon country.”
I will always remember the Wickanninish Inn.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Gabriel Franchère’s Narrative of a Voyage (Part Two) (10 June 2015)
- Gabriel Franchère’s Narrative of a Voyage (Part One) (6 June 2015)
Sources and Resources
King regards to everyone 💕
I have been sick for several days, but the illness has turned into simple sinusitis.
Wickanninish Inn (brochure)
© Micheline Walker
2 January 2020
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Wickanninish Inn (1968)
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