A Childhood Reunion

Holding up a glass, Richard who largely organized our reunion, proposes a toast

Family photo of Merry's 5th birthday (July 1955),
from left to right: myself, Mary, Merry, Gerry, Joey

Mary and Merry, also seen in photo above, appear here with Alice (Mary's mother on left)

Toni was a popular hairdresser with the ladies from Wilmot Place

"Bun" brought his 1950 Mercury pickup to the reunion
while Gerry appears behind the truck

Linda in front of her former home

Myself in front of 1557 Wilmot Place, my childhood home

On the brow of the little hill on Wilmot Place

Some of the group are talking with present inhabitants while Richard takes video
of one of the houses

WILMOT PLACE is a dead end street, on which my family lived, from 1953 to 1960. For a group of us children of that time, our world was this Victoria suburb of Oak Bay, on Vancouver Island. In 2011 Richard Goodall, reached me by Facebook. I recalled him as an older boy from across the street. Some 50 years later we were once again in contact! His now active retirement included, amongst other things, expanding a website, which was for the most part a history of our street (1940s-60s). Through his tireless work, a group of us, some of whom played with each other so very long ago, came together for this special occasion.

On September 24, nine of us met at a pub in Oak Bay Village, to become reacquainted and to reminisce. On this day there were mostly "Wilmot Kids." The reunion commenced with introductions and lunch. On the subsequent walk to our nearby street, eight of us strolled slowly, stopping in front of one business and almost every house on Wilmot Place. Stories were shared, or compared, as we strolled under huge Garry Oak trees. At the risk of sounding completely sentimental, the warm afternoon sunshine, almost made the memories that much more golden.

In the first decade of the 20th Century, the former driveway to the Pemberton Estate became Wilmot Place. A large wooden garage, from that time, blocked off the end of our street. I remember it well as I used to go to school via a gate at the side of the building. While learning to ride my brother's Eaton's bicycle one day, I managed to ride into the heavy wooden double doors, without causing any damage to them or myself.

A Block Party in Victoria, BC

The Block Party, in Fairfield district, comes to life with street hockey

To much shouting and hooting a goal is scored

The father and son duo, with Ewan left and Ryan right, strike a hockey pose

Street hockey still life

Neighbours by the body outline station

Body outline station right on the street

To end it all, a tasty potluck dinner that really neighbours together.

Isla with face paint

THE BLOCK PARTY was in Victoria's Fairfield district. I had just arrived from Vancouver and was visiting my friends Ryan and Elizabeth and their children Isla and Ewan. After settling in, I tagged along with them to the festivities. On this warm September afternoon, the event opened to much shouting and hooting, as children and grownups played street hockey. Sticks clashed and the ball shot back and forth, while elsewhere, other neighbours were lying on the street and having chalk outlines drawn around their bodies. Further along was a little face-painting table too. Finally, all this culminated with a call to eat. A long table against the curb was soon laden with food from the surrounding households, in classic potluck style, which included everything from little crab cakes to homemade blackberry pie.

Hiking the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail, Mt Baker

ACROSS THE AMERICAN BORDER in Washington State, and only a few hours drive from home, is majestic Mount Baker. Given Vancouver weather, it's mighty peak is not visible all too often. This morning however, I could see the distant silhouette of this stratovolcano (3,286 m/10,781'), from the balcony. With no plans on this Sunday, I was soon stuck in border traffic, and on my way to a hike in the US. I finally reached the parking lot (1,525 m/5,000'), under a brilliant blue sky and with Mt Baker's glacial slopes glistening in the midday sun.

Set out on the trail and walked about 4 miles (6.5 km), reaching 1,700 m (5,600 feet), far out on Ptarmigan ridge. The trail went up and down through alpine tundra, that included meadows and snowfields, as it approached the Northeast flanks of Mt Baker. I turned back because it was mid-afternoon and there seemed to be more and more snowfields to cross as the trail gained elevation and approached the mountain. On the way back and on a wind swept ridge, i enjoyed a mosquito free nap, on a bed of heather. Woke up to an amazingly beautiful view too.

Apart from the arresting views there were alpine flower displays that included Asters, Lupines and Mimulus. As the evening approached, the peaks were bathed in angled sunlight. So ended some wonderful hours at Mount Baker.

Mount Baker travel guide - Wikitravel

Mt Baker as seen from the balcony, at 07:00, one shining September morning

Ptarmigan Ridge and Mt Baker

Mt Baker, Coleman Pinnacle and Ptarmigan Ridge

Ptarmigan Ridge trail looking north with Mt Baker behind

Snowfield patterns off the Ptarmigan Ridge trail

Wild blueberries along the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail

With the noticeable aroma of wild blueberries in the air, this could be called
Tutti Frutti Meadows, or not

Arctic Lupine (Lipinus arcticus) along the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail

Alpine moss along the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail

Mt Shuksan from the Chain Lake Trail

Mt Baker in late afternoon light from the Chain Lake Trail

Alpine Aster (Aster alpigenus) along the Chain Lakes Trail 

Skookumchuk Hotsprings and Church

A FEW TIMES A YEAR I drive the 160 kilometres north to Pemberton. I first spent two seasons in the area, on summer jobs, in 1967 and 1968. The valley, that has experienced so much change, still offers many outdoor opportunities. 

Just yesterday, my Berlin friends, Harald and Brigitte ended their nine day visit to BC, on this outing. We drove north on Highway 99, by passing the resort town of Whistler. East of Pemberton and the Mt Currie Indian Reserve, we left the highway. An hour of gravel road, provided for some exhilarating driving, despite the potholes and washboard. Beyond Lillooet Lake the road continued to follow a power line as it continued through a deep, empty valley.  The river, broad in places, was often a series of rapids. Across the valley, snowy peaks stood out against a cloudless September sky. The all gravel in-SHUCK-ch Road, so rough in places, led us to Skookumchuck Hot Springs. Tsek (pronounced Chick) Hot Springs in the St'at'imcets language is the local indigenous name. A few kilometres south was the village of Skatin (formerly Skookumchuck).

At Skookumchuck Hot Springs, we stopped beside a closed office, in a forested campground. After deposting our day usage fee in the honour box, we changed in the primitive facilities, run by the nearby native community. Then three of us fitted into a zinc tub that was only just big enough. We soon found that the more submerged we were, the less the mosquitos fed on us. With two taps, one hot and one cold, we immersed ourselves in perfect warm water. We were in a clearing with a motley assortment of of converted septic tanks, tubs, etc. to serve the handful of visitors.

Our tour continued to the nearby First Nations village of Skatin (formerly Skookumchuck) and to visit the Church of the Holy Cross. The wooden building, from 1905, and in a style known as "Carpenter Gothic," was in poor condition. Precariously perched above were three crooked and narrow spires, that crowned the facade. Once inside, we were taken back to perhaps simplier times, to ritual and worship; given the highly decorative altar, the rusty wood stove and the rows of empty pews. Late afternoon sunlight poured through spare surfaces of stained glass, creating prismatic blobs and patches of intense colour, within the shadowy interior. A Catholic church, this structure belongs to the Skatin Nation, who are a part of the larger Salish speaking peoples.

For 48 kilometres we returned on gravel, stopping at a native graveyard, just up the road. After that, we whizzed back to Vancouver in the gorgeous evening light.

Local First Nations site:
In-SHUCK-ch Nation

On the church:

Church of the Holy Cross – Ama Liisaos – The Skookumchuck Church -Skatin, BC « skookumheritagechurch.ca

On the hot springs:
Skookumchuck Hot Springs, British Columbia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At the source of Skookumchuck Hot Springs

Family totem outside the store in Skatin

Brigitte and Harald in front of the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin

Brigitte and Harald inside the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin

Inside the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin

Bell rope inside the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin

Brigitte in the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin

Road outside the Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin

Lillooet River between Skatin and the Hot Springs

Graveyard north of Skookumchuck Hot Springs

Lillooet Lakes from a Forest Service campground