Salmon are Sacred, Sontuila is Special...

As we form an assembly line down the slippery seaweed covered rocks, the boat gets loaded on something called Paul Spong time (PST), and a hasty departure is made from Hanson a few minutes later. Wow, what an amazing time it has been on this paradise island that Paul and Helena have called home for so many years. So much to learn, so quickly the time goes, I know we will be back soon and ready to assist in the many labours of love this place entails. For now I just appreciate the adventure we are on, and their willingness to help us in any and every way they can. The relaxing time we spent has left us with massive grins as we make a very choppy b-line for Alert Bay to collect our bikes and set off on the next leg of the journey.

We arrive in Sointula at 1:30 pm and leave at 4:30pm the same day, feeling like we spent a year getting to know the town and its wonderful people. Down to the very last second before boarding the ferry, we are welcomed and gifted by every person we meet. Starting with Will Salto, who comes into The Living Oceans Society (on his day off!) to walk us through the proposed tanker route and the tides, currents, and hazards that would be potential threats. Wow, what a greater understanding we gain, it’s suddenly all a lot more real and the Northern waters feel closer than ever. 

A Wifi mission to the library throws us back in time, into the Museum, and we discover what looks like a collection of everybody’s best basement findings. Ferry reservation fast approaching, we take off on our horses, never having appreciated modern technology’s convenience so much before now.

We are only meters from the ferry dock when we meet Pete, who offers us local wild Finish smoked salmon bellies. Pete is great, and leads us to his brother Dave’s house about a block up the street where we are welcomed by more Malcom Island originals, enjoying the sunshiney Friday afternoon. Dave is one of the passionate voices in the Salmon are Sacred campaign, led by Alex Morton, and tells us about the walk from Port Hardy to Victoria to raise awareness about the fish farming that is threatening the local salmon ecology. 

We board the ferry laughing and astonished at the jam packed few hours we just spent meeting some of the most helpful people of the trip. Of course, on the ferry we meet a few more characters, BC ferries’ very own James and Paul, who share with us their experiences of being on and around the waters, and pump us up with their cheer. We are laden with semi-frozen salmon as we make our way out of Port McNeill, one final stop at the Mackay’s to share our gifted salmon and thank them once more for their hospitality.

Late in the day as usual, we start down the last stretch of highway 19 towards Port Hardy, and into the golden sunset. We are headed to the ferry terminal at Bear Cove, a very suitable name from what we’ve heard along the trail. After we ride past three black bears, the bag of delicious salmon is becoming entirely too much like bait and we stop to have a picnic below the “(Welcome to) Port Hardy, Live the Adventure” sign. Oh yeah… we are living the adventure this summer, and we fall asleep under the stars ready for a 5am start to catch the ferry up the coast and begin the next leg of the journey!