The Sunshine Coast From Gibsons to Powell River, Third Edition by Howard White

I live in the Lower Mainland of BC. When I go to the “Baja” Sunshine Coast, I take a 40ish minute car ferry ride from the Horseshoe Bay terminal. When we pass by Soames Hill, somewhat resembling the shape of Homer Simpson’s belly if lying down, I know it’s time to ditch the outdoor view and head for the vehicle deck. Once we disembark the ferry, I’ve often wondered why the folks are always heading left towards Gibsons instead of to the right into Port Mellon. Howard White has saved me a trip and another opportunity to annoy the family.

“Hey! Why haven’t I seen the torii gate by the pier? And what about those Trail Bay totems? How come you haven’t taken me there yet?” After carefully reading this book cover-to-cover, these and many more pesky questions hounded my person as soon as he walked through the door after work. His nonplussed response was along the lines of “Oh yeah. It’s not far from where dad meets with his old geezer pals at the bakery. We can go there.” I’ll spare you the remaining dialog, but I’m trying to find a word for one who is no longer a true tourist but not yet a local to a place frequently visited, often times out of obligation. I’ll stick with “in-law” for now.

This lovely idea for a souvenir and coffee table book is the perfect tribute to the residents, past and present of this quirky peninsula.

White has authored a captivating and often humorous show-and-tell of the northern and southern Sunshine Coast, a 160 kilometre, jagged and rugged stretch of several communities between Howe Sound and Desolation Sound. His work is complimented with absolutely stunning, scenic photographs captured by Dean van’t Schip. Gallery exhibit-worthy, here’s-my-credit-card photos. This lovely idea for a souvenir and coffee table book is the perfect tribute to the residents, past and present of this quirky peninsula. With the exception of a quick pass through Powell River to get to the Comox ferry, I have spent time variable amounts of time over the past decade plus on land or via the father-in-law’s boat visiting the areas covered in this book.

I appreciated the early settler history at the beginning, something I hadn’t learned until now. Tea-spilling on their philandering activities certainly helps me retain interesting trivia. The book works its way up geographically, from bottom to top. We start off in Gibsons, probably widely known for it’s on-location shooting of CBC’s The Beachcombers in the 70s and 80s, and the iconic landmark from that show, “Molly’s Reach“. Perhaps lesser known was the shooting of the film, Needful Things. I have yet to go walking along the small boat harbour, but the seed has now been planted. The allure of clever boat names is inescapable. Not mentioned in the book, but as you’re here: the Mad Hen Diner and Beachcomber Coffee Shop along Gower Point Road. Everything delicious and very close to the marina. Nearby Roberts Creek is another beautiful area with pockets of lovely beach, campground, The Gumboot Cafe, and more importantly a treasured, dense forest. White has included a touching story of his family’s arrival to the next notable stop, Davis Bay.

The Sechelt area is of special interest to me, mainly because of the in-laws and connection to the locals. There is a nice tribute to former Talewind Books owner Bev Shaw in this section of the book. Every August there is the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts with main events held primarily at the restored Rockwood Lodge. Indigenous culture, including sculpture, written works, and paintings are celebrated in this village. Working our way over to Porpoise Bay, it’s a boater’s paradise, or a place for one to watch the float planes land and take off while at the Lighthouse Pub. As White describes the history and all there is to see and do, you can easily envision yourself there and might probably get hit with the travel bug from the photos alone.

Pender Harbour is a picturesque dream. The drive there is a bit windy, and once you’re actually there, ease up considerably on the pedal (if by car) and take in the views. It is a bit of a maze; I’ve had to loop back a few times to find my friend’s house tucked away on a not too clearly marked road. Thanks to the BC Hydro power outage map and Pender Harbour’s frequent appearance, she’s a lot easier to find now. According to the author, this region is also home to a peculiar barred owl. Francis Point Provincial Park boasts some of the most spectacular sunsets. The photo from atop Mount Daniel is a sight to behold. Egmont and the Skookumchuk Narrows are cited as must sees, and I fully agree.

My favourite parts of this book would be Jervis Inlet and Powell River, for different reasons. I’ve only travelled a portion of the inlet to a glamping retreat during one “Junuary” long weekend where visibility was poor. The in-laws have been up through Princess Louisa inlet many times throughout their 50 years + as residents, so the stories I’ve heard are enhanced further with White’s entrancing descriptions. As for the north coast, Patricia Theatre, Willingdon Beach, and Lund are now on my list of places to see, sooner than later.

“Why don’t we go snowshoeing at Dakota Ridge? Or check out that mossy cabin near Roberts Creek? All these things would save me from getting bored with your family at Christmas. They’re in bed by 8. Listen, you can blame Howard for this renewed interest in your childhood territory.” Thank you, Howard.

Howard White was raised in a series of camps and settlements on the BC coast and never got over it. He is still to be found stuck barnacle-like to the shore at Pender Harbour, BC. He started Raincoast Chronicles and Harbour Publishing in the early 1970s and his own books include A Hard Man to Beat, Spilsbury’s Coast, The Accidental Airline, Writing in the Rain, The Sunshine Coast and A Mysterious Humming Noise (Anvil, 2019). In 2000, he completed a ten-year project, The Encyclopedia of British Columbia. He has been awarded the Order of BC, the Canadian Historical Association’s Career Award for Regional History, the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, the Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award and a Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of Victoria. In 2007, White was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Born and raised on BC’s beautiful Sunshine Coast, Dean van’t Schip has been photographing the natural environment for over 30 years. His appreciation for the beauty and biodiversity of this unique area comes through in his high definition medium format transparencies and high resolution digital images. Dean is a regular contributor to the stock photo agency All Canada Photos and has had images published in publications such as Over Beautiful BC, the Encyclopedia of BC, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Yachting, Whistler the Magazine and Hasselblad Forum. Tourism BC, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, the Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society and Harbour Publishing have all used his images in books, magazines, calendars, brochures and cards over the past 20 years. He lives in Roberts Creek, BC.

Keith Thirkell is a photographer whose work has been featured in Beautiful British Columbia, BC Extreme, the Vancouver Province and the books Sunshine & Salt Air: A Sunshine Coast Visitor’s Guide and The Sunshine Coast. He lives in Gibsons, BC.

Publisher: Harbour (July 13, 2024)
Hardcover 11″ x 8″ | 160 pages
ISBN: 9781990776809

Mala Rai

Mala Rai is a poet, drummer, psychology student, and technical writing hired gun on the West Coast. Her most recent poems have appeared in Eclectica Magazine, High Shelf Press, and Anti-Heroin Chic. You can follow her on Instagram @malaraipoetry

Mala Rai

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