Merry Island Lighthouse is situated on the Strait of Georgia, separating Welcome Pass and Malaspina Straits. Merry Island is located nearest the Sunshine Coast community of Halfmoon Bay, BC, Canada. The island is not open to the public, but many boaters and kayakers stroll by the island to observe the working lighthouse. The Halfmoon Bay area was originally occupied by the Coast Salish nation, Shishalh tribe. Archaeological studies have recorded 38 recognized sites containing shell middens, rock shelters and stone fish traps, now all protected by the BC Heritage Conservation Branch.
William T. Franklin and his wife Mary Ann, were the first lighthouse keepers which they manned for thirty years until 1932. In 1966, the current lighthouse was built and electrical and telephone cables were laid across the Pass. A welcome sight to a community dependent on safe maritime passage along it’s rugged coastline. In 1924, 220 vessels passed Merry Island during daylight hours.
The island is comprised of two parts, one section is 17 hectares (42 acres) and is private land. Often, deer will swim to this side of the island from nearby islands to graze. There are some foot trails on the north side of the island. The Lighthouse has a square base, with a tower (12 metres (40 feet) in height) rising from the corner of the building. Two red maple leaves, sculpted in relief, add to the visual interest of the lighthouse. Navigation Latitude 49° 28″ 1′ Longitude -123° 54″ 43′ Strait of Georgia | Height Above Water 60 feet Light Characteristics | White flash every 15 seconds Halfmoon Bay | British Columbia | CanadaKEEPERS: William Thomas Franklin (1903 – 1932), Jonathon Allardice Fleming (1933 – 1936), Ellie Joseph LeClerc (1935 – 1939), Helen LeClerc (1939 – 1945), William Charles Copeland (1945 – 1950), George Potts (1951 –1966), James William Kippen (1966 – 1978), Maurice Collette (1979 – 1987), Don Richards (1987 – )
Lund is a special area in southern British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. The region extends a few hundred kilometres along the Straight of Georgia, from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound.
British Columbia is made up of four physical regions: a mountain system along its west coast that includes the Coast Mountain Range and the Insular Mountains that form Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands); a mountain system to the east that includes the Rocky and Columbia Mountain Ranges; the rolling grasslands and forests of the Interior and Stikine Plateaux; and a segment of the continent’s Great Interior Plains referred to as Peace River country, which lies in its north-eastern corner. [hellobc.ca]
Within the incredible deep sea inlets, coastal bays, and interconnected lakes, the First Nations peoples navigated their canoes along the many salt and fresh waterways. Prohibition-era rum smugglers hid out in secret coves and 19th century Union Steamships ferried passengers, drygoods, as well as, royal mail up and down the Coast.
This is Anji’s playground. When she is not in the Salish Sea diving she is photographing the world around her. Her images of the coast appear on hellobc.com and can be viewed on Instagram, Facebook and Zoom Magazine.
Yelapa is a unique, small Mexican village of about 1,500 native residents, of which 300 are super relaxed semi-resident Gringos.
A little more than a decade ago, the village operated without electricity, it now arrives by wire or by solar cell. The evenings are quiet once again without the churning generators. This car-free village on the Bahía de Banderas, is made for walking, and you require a genuine affection for the numerous and revered stray dogs. The heavy lifting is accommodated by the many burros, without resistance.
In the 60’s, Yelapa was discovered by the those alternative types from the film and music industries and other gringos found it to their liking and moved in. In those days there were few brick or cement houses only palapas with palm frond roofs and bamboo walls for privacy. Los Naranjos, a jungle retreat, sports this type of accommodations. The place is just magical. Located on a sprawling and well appointed orange grove, the water source is siphoned from their own private waterfall.
Endless diversions lead you off the main walking path. A hike to Sky Temple is as meditative as it is challenging, with strategically places alters, presenting the world’s yogic luminaries. The cross town road gracefully meanders to Verana, a hotel perched on the side of a hill. Along the way there are art installations and mysterious paths that lead to the water’s edge.
A slice of lemon pie may be had by the local temptress known as the pie lady. The pace of Yelapa flows gently or not at all, the latter usually end up at la playa, with eyes closed, absorbing the brilliant sun.