Cowichan
Bay, British Columbia
The best kept resort secret on
Vancouver Island
Shh.... Don't tell anyone, OK?
This
page is changing, almost immediately...
The personal emphasis for
my work is now directed at my book. So, the content of the Cowichan Bay pages
is being moved to geocities. The reason for this is to maintain continuity. I
have changed the address twice since I cancelled the IBND.COM domain, and folks
are complaining about an inability to find me. So, placing it all on geocities
will assure some long term addressing.
The locals seem to refer to this place as Cow Bay. Probably
to disguise the place so most tourists never find it.No
wonder why, it is just a tiny little place, with so many wonderful places to eat,
some neat shops, and very fine Bed and Breakfasts. . A great pub, and lots of
boats and activity.
If you
want fresh seafood, this is the place to get it! The local fish market has good
fresh stuff, and the Crab Shack on the Fisherman's dock has crab for sale (but
he is not always open, so be warned).
Look across the bay to the west to two rivers feeding it,
north at Mt. Tzeuhalem, Skinner Point and Genoa Bay. To the east, Mount Maxwell
on Saltspring Island can be seen in the distance. Both ends of the bay make for
awesome sunrises and sunsets. 
Get
up early in the morning and see this view from the window of your room. Then tell
me this place is not incredible.
It
was not always this sleepy in Cowichan Bay. My research is not yet complete, there
are a lot of details and stories about the place. At one time not all that long
ago, there was considerable activity in the bay. Fishing was good, so all sorts
of celebrities visited. Boats from all over the coast fueled here. Shell Oil and
BA (British American) Petroleum had some of the biggest refueling facilities.
Logging and the folks in the industry were thriving. A good deal of the income
from that industry came to town.
The early history of Vancouver
Island started with the stage coaches from Victoria. Long before the highway we
know now the main road pretty well hugged the east shore of the island. Highway
"Inns " were located at regular intervals as it was a multi-day trip
up island to anywhere. The street through Cow Bay was part of that road. What
is now the Masthead was the Columbia Hotel
serving that route.
The railway arrived at Cowichan Bay very early in it's history. Some of my
charts still show a rail line out to the end of the dock at the end of the bay.
One of the large docks (near present Maritime Museum) had a rail line from the
end to the main street. The main railway line was (and still is) up the hill at
nearby Cowichan Station. The old passenger shelter is still there, fully restored
to all it's past glory.Looking at recent photographs
I can see the changes. And the old remnants... Starting at the top, the old hotel
is now where the Cowichan Bay Arms apartment is. The Inn At The Water is a resort
that replaced the original Cowichan Bay Inn. The Windjammer Pub replaced the original
Harris store and pub. No cluster of little docks in the old days. Big docks were
the order of the day. Big enough to serve substantial boats. Thousands of gallons
of fuel were pumped. Real ship repairs were done. Not just the odd hull scrape!Some
famous folk were here. The most famous local being Mrs. Anne Hill. Perhaps the
popularity of the Cowichan Sweaters owes itself to her. She lived in the town
and got her start here. The Hill's stores survived her and everyone now knows
about Cowichan Sweaters. My generation remembers Tommy Hunter. But how many know
that he was one of the folk associated with The Inn At The Water? Bob Hope, Bing
Crosby and a lot of other famous folk came fishing here. They could be spotted
in the bar of the Buena Vista Hotel where the apartment now stands.Click
here for a history lesson.I am getting
a lot of nice notes from folk about early days in Cowichan Bay. So, I now have
a page specially dedicated to the memories and photographs of others. Click
here to visit... Anyone with a story and pictures is welcome to send me stuff.
Cowichan
Bay is the original harbour for all the Cowichan Valley, and is still a major
factor in the area. One dock is used regularly for deep water ships, but the main
emphasis is now commercial fishing and recreational boating. I am rather fond
of the "Working" end of the town as I have my boat there. It is vaguely
reminiscent of the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf.Here
are some other pictures.
Today
Cow Bay is in recovery mode. Folks in the area are working hard to restore the
glory it once knew. Flower boxes have been put on the newly cleaned main street.
Every one of them has been adopted and they are full of geraniums. Small trash
boxes are there to keep the streets tidy. The Fisherman's Dock (a.k.a. Government
Docks) has a new facility compete with showers and a pumpout facility. Plans are
being drawn up to redo the private docks.New stores
are starting up. We now have lots of places to get real ice cream, fudge and knick
knacks. We have our Marine Festival, a couple of paint-ins and the Bullhead Fishing
Derby. Summers here are terrific and personally and I look forward to more research
on my book. Christmas Lightup and Sailpast top off the year. If we look at what
we have to offer we could well be the best little place between here and Victoria!
One of our popular events is the Christmas Lightup and Sailpast. Mark Saturday
December 6, 2003 on your calendar! All the merchants participate. Buildings will
be decorate, the tree will be lit. Local school choirs and a craft fair. Let's
just all hope the weather man co-operates!
Totally
new, some panoramic (360 degree) photos of the village
And
on the subject of my book on this area I ask for any of you with photographs
and stories to email me or call
me at 746-1516
Well now that the secret is out, here is how to
get here (map is clickable)...From Victoria in
the south take the right turn at the Shawnigan Lake, Cowichan Bay light on the
highway. Follow the road, and along the way maybe stop at some of the farms or
the wineries along the way. From Duncan, just make a left as you leave town. The
sign to Cowichan Bay is just before the farm market. Of course if you miss either,
most roads toward the east eventually cross Cowichan Bay Road.Here
are some interesting links: