We wanted to stay at Ripple Rock RV Park on the Campbell River because Nikki and Ray had recommended it. (Nikki, you forgot to warn us about the five kilometers of rough gravel road down to the campground) We have another beautiful view out our front window. And yes, those are rain clouds overhead. Last year when the Lazy Daze Group came through it was a dry spring—not this year. We are seeing lots of clouds, scattered rain and some sun. But it is still breathtaking scenery. The campground was LUXURIOUS. Beautiful club house, fitness room, hothouse if you are inclined to plant some flowers, and a great view. The restaurant at Brown Bay next door was not open. Once again we heard, "Not until the Long Weekend next week".
Linda read that the Campbell River Museum has a native plant garden, so of course we had to check it out.
It was a Monday, and the museum was closed, but we just walked the garden.
It was lovely. The Dogwood trees were in bloom and we saw this lovely Western Trillium.
Also the outside exhibits gave us some history of this area. This Japanese fishing boat (named Soyokaze) has a fascinating history. The fact that the owner (who had been interned by the Canadians) bought it back and continued to use it for many years is astounding. Carole could not believe the boat would stay afloat with all those holes in it.
This is a Steam Donkey, used in the lumber industry.
It appears that in Canada they do not use toilet seat covers, but this sanitizer solution. We got a laugh out of that. See if you can figure out how it works.
The defining geographic feature of the area is the Seymour Narrows. Here's some of the narrative, paraphrased, from the historical marker:
The Inside Passage is British Columbia’s International Marine Highway connecting communities along the coast from Washington State to Alaska. Most industrial and marine traffic travels this course, and thousands of people on cruise ships and pleasure craft annually use this route.
Seymour Narrows, is a wide stretch of hazardous waters separating Vancouver Island and Quadra Island. Tides rushing through the narrows reach high velocities with cross currents wide whirlpools. Prior to 1958 this area was the most dangerous area for nautical navigation in North America. Ripple Rock consisted of two hump-like, underwater summits about 3000 ft long and 350 ft wide between Vancouver Island and Maud Island. In total, 119 vessels and 114 lives were recorded lost. Trade and commerce were restricted, hindering the growth of British Columbia. Several attempts in the 1940's to position workers above the rocks to place explosives failed because of the powerful currents. So the decision was made to tunnel underneath the seabed and pack each peak of Ripple Rock with 1400 tons of explosive.
On April 5, 1958 At 9:31 AM on 5 April 1958 the plunger was pushed that initiated the world’s largest ever non-nuclear explosion. Over 700,000 tons of pulverized rock and water erupted in a blast reaching 1,000 ft and then the rubble dispersed along the bottom. The highest pinnacle went from 9 ft below the surface to 47 ft.
This event was one of the first live television broadcasts in Canada. People were glued to their TV’s in anticipation of watching this historic engineering event. Tidal wave warnings were issued and access to the area restricted. It was expected that the massive explosion would generate a large wall of water threatening coastal areas Luckily it never materialized. No damage was sustained and the effects on fish stocks were minor.
Large and small vessels now travel safely through Seymour Narrows without danger of grounding on the twin peaks, but it can still be a difficult and sometimes treacherous place to navigate. Removing Ripple Rock allowed for the continuing development and prosperity of British Columbia.
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| The Seymour Narrows |
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