Tahsis church, in Vancouver Island.
Tahsis, Vancouver Island, the “loneliest” place in the world 1964
“Fifteen hundred to two thousand years ago, native villages developed all along the Tahsis Inlet due to population increase on Nootka Island, where “Yuquot” (in “Friendly Cove”, as Cook called it), has a more than four-thousand-year history. At the head of the Inlet, “Tahsis” or “the gateway” led to a significant trade route, which led over land and the Nimpkish River to “Xwalkw” or “Cheslakee’s” village (as Vancouver called it) on the East coast of what would later become Vancouver’s Island”.
In 1964 the Tahsis company began building a 750 ton-a-day bleached kraft pulp-mill at the mouth of Gold River, because of the flat delta land, the deep-sea access for oceangoing freighters, and the steady source of water.
The same year, in December 1964, I was working om M/s Broland (a Swedish cargo vessel) and we were destinated to load lumber at the port of Tahsis. This was to be my second X-mas onboard as a sailor, the year before on M/s Trubadur we were in Halifax, Canada.
You can call it bad luck, or not, leaving sweden to sail around the world and ending up spending my first 2 Christmas eves in freezing cold weather!
On arriving at the mouth of the river which was to lead us up to the loading-place at Tahsis, we were met with a dreadful sight. The coast was destroyed by a tsunami that hit the area earlier in the year.
The tsunami caused $10 million damage (1964 dollars) to coastal communities on Vancouver Island after that the tsunami struck in the early morning hours of March 28, 1964. We were lucky not beeing there at that time!
We slowly made our way up the river and arrived at Tahsis 8 hours later. It was strange to be surrounded by high forested mountains where the sun barely reached down to the river. The village consisted of a single church and a few scattered residential buildings, as well as a harbor wharf that barely had room for our 18,000dwt ship. This must be the end of the world, I thought. Our arrival was noted by a number of villagers, who came down to the wharf, it was like watching an old black and white cinema from the 30s.
The morning after our arrival was Christmas Eve and we were given permission to go ashore, but my visit did not last long as at the only coffee bar that existed, the locals were sitting and “watching” us with eager eyes. Maybe it was because some young girls were curious and interested in us and asked where we were from. The atmosphere was so tense, from the locals, that I decided to get back on board. This was my fastest port visit ever.
But luckily, back onboard a large and lovely Christmas table was laid out for all of us sailors, with greetings from our Capitan and the shipping company in Gothenburg.
Two days later the ship was loaded, and we set sail for Japan, a 4-week trip, but with great expectations.
Tahsis, BC | Official Home Page for Village of Tahsis
See you soon, and thanks for reading my blog.
Windmush/Curt
