In popular political jingoism that we frequently are subjected to, one statement stands out: “The best place on Earth to live.” It was promoted by the immediate past premier of the province Gordon Campbell and of course it referred to British Columbia.
The sad part about the political propaganda of a truism is that much of the truth of the saying is watered down and in danger of being lost for all the wrong reasons. Most people I know believe our province is truly one of the best places on this planet to live. To that truism I would add the view of many, that the Vancouver Island is the best place to live in British Columbia and to further purify the selection I would choose the Comox Valley as the ultimate location on Vancouver Island.
Now I am not running for political office or trying to sell real estate in the Valley, however for the past 28 years Elaine and I have been blessed with the good fortune of being able to live in this “best place.” I suspect most of the reasons many people chose a best place is for personal reasons of life style – it was certainly the case for us. We would be classed as outdoor people so our views of best place will be skewed in this direction – but I submit our views are shared by many Valley residents.
Among our list of interests, gardening is a primary activity that has many overlapping themes that mesh with fishing. In the Valley there are periods of less activity versus periods of intense gardening; but basically for Valley residents who choose to follow their passion, gardening is a 12-month a year venture.
Recreational fishing is high on the list of qualities that make our
Valley such a complete place to live. By extension we use the whole Island as destinations for specific fishing such as halibut and sockeye salmon. The types of angling offered are mind-boggling. A simple case in point is fly-fishing– available on lakes, streams, beaches, and ocean. It can be practised 12 months of the year with a high probability of success.
The list of species includes five species of salmon, three species of trout, and number of incidental species in the saltwater. Trolling for chinook salmon in tidal waters is another year-long fishing venture. Recreational fishing has many gourmet food gathering adventures intertwined with the fishing at hand. Examples in Area 14 Valley waters are prawning, crabbing, and gathering oysters, clams and seaweed. Distance to travel to take part in any of the vast array of fishing opportunities afforded Valley residents is not great and neither does it necessitate off-Island excursions to participate. To put it candidly, Island angling is possibly one of the best activities done locally.
Hunting is a soul-searing skill that is available to Valley outdoorsmen and in a growing number of cases has elements of positive social benefits to society at large when used as a tool to control problem wildlife such as Canada geese and black-tailed deer. The full prospective of hunting should be considered in a province wide context from which the Valley is an excellent home base to organize your hunting adventures.
It is no accident that the Comox Valley is home to the largest fish and game club in the province. The clubhouse is situated at the eastern edge of Comox Lake with a view that is similar to the famous Lake Louise scene complete with a glacier in the background.
It offers programs in all the shooting skills, archery, fishing, and active conservation programs throughout the year. Associated with the fishing and hunting lifestyle is a strong conservation ethic that is solidly established in the Valley. Many people find great pleasure in putting aside their gathering tools and taking up active roles in some of the superb enhancement projects that are ongoing throughout the year. You can get involved with streamkeepers and salmon enhancement in several local associations. Many people become bird watchers because of our rich migratory flyways, foreshore holding areas and abundant waterfowl rich environment:
Yes! The Valley is a special place – Happy and prosperous 2012.
Ralph Shaw is a master fly fisherman who was awarded the Order of Canada in 1984 for his conservation efforts. In 20 years of writing a column in the Comox Valley Record it has won several awards.
