Our Sail to Wild

Aristazabal Island

by Ingmar Lee

Hello North King Lodge owners, Rick and Bev Wood, and North King Lodge manager Clint Buchholz; my family and I have just returned from a most wonderful wilderness experience, - sailing our 35' sailboat around the wildest and remotest islands off the BC Central Coast.

 

We explored the beautiful waters, beaches and intact forests of Price, Campania and Aristazabal Islands on our trip and had close, relaxed encounters with wolves, Sandhill cranes and Humpback whales. It was an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to immerse ourselves in this world's finest remaining natural splendours.

Our trip took us up the west coast of Aristazabal Island, and after a solitary sojourn in Weeteeum Bay at the islands south end, we cruised north up Beauchemain Channel to Arisazabal's only protected anchorage in Tate Cove, inside Borrowman Bay.

 

As we entered the bay and proceeded to anchor, we were shocked to find your garbage incinerator anchored right in the middle of the bay, spewing out toxic smoke. Upon closer inspection, we saw a pile of half-burnt plastic garbage sitting right on the edge of the platform, ready to fall into the sea. The shoreline of Tate Cove was littered with garbage which clearly originated from your operation.

 

Our entire stay at Borrowman was totally marred by the stench from your incinerator. Why don't you just fly out your garbage on all of the numerous planes that service your business?

It also needs to be noted that your incinerator is located directly in front of an ancient First Nation village site, with clearly visible shell middens protruding from the banks. The entire beach in front of the village site was littered with boxes, plastic and packaging from your business.

We are completely outraged and disgusted by your filthy, disrespectful operation. We're not opposed to sport fishing and we catch and eat fish as we go, -one fish a day, but your industrial fish-killing establishment has utterly destroyed the wild of north Aristazabal Island. It grossed us right out, and it grossed out other boaters that we subsequently met. Your operation obviously has zero consideration for the local environment, for First Nations, or for the general boating public which must utilizeTate Cove as the only safe anchorage on the west coast of Aristazabal.

Sincerely, and in disgust,

Ingmar Lee
Box 60
Denny Island, BC
V0T 1B0