In the early 1900s the legendary west coast settler Cougar Annie was anything but a typical woman. She trapped more than 70 cougars, homesteaded a rainforest bog, opened a remote post office, and outlived four husbands.
California-born Ada Annie Jordan settled in the Clayoquot coastal rainforest in 1915 with her first husband and three young children. A five-acre garden that she carved out of the wilderness provided food and income throughout her life. The bounty on cougars supplemented her income and she earned her nickname, Cougar Annie. Annie gave birth to eight more children in the remote location, and rarely left the property until old age and blindness forced her move to Port Alberni, where she died at age 97.
Singer/songwriter Kat Kadoski lived in Clayoquot for three years care-taking Cougar Annie’s garden and immersing herself in the folklore surrounding the legendary pioneer-settler. Drawing on many sources, including Annie’s family, Cougar Annie Tales uses stories, images, letters, and original compositions to celebrate the unconventional life of one of B.C.’s most colourful characters.
Cougar Annie Tales is presented as a development workshop performance on Jan. 21, at 8 p.m., at Intrepid Theatre, Fisgard at Blanshard in Victoria. Tickets are $12 and $14 and are available at the door and at www.ticketrocket.org.
For more information go to www.katrinakadoski.com.
