Everyday on my bike ride to work along Coal Harbour on the south shore of the Burrard Inlet, I stop briefly and watch a small fleet (‘squadron’?) of planes sputter to life and motor out to their watery ‘runway’ (is that what you would call it?).

Not only are sea planes technologically awesome, they are also vital to our coastal province and to Canada as a whole. Vancouver’s squadron of planes is one of the biggest in the country made up of over fifty planes, including Single Otters, Twin Otters and DHC-2 Beavers – all servicing the Gulf Islands and the Interior. Over 250,000 business people and tourists use them every year. Across Canada, so-called bush pilots busily buzz between far flung lakes and rivers keeping communities connected by delivering their mail, workers, supplies, medical services and the odd canoer.

The winter can’t stop them either. Check out this video of a Twin Otter Seaplane landing on a frozen lake in Saskatchewan.

I might write about Hovercrafts next time…they’re also boats that fly. Sort of….

1920s, West Vancouver Ferry crossing the Burrard Inlet, Archives Item#: SGN 1123

Before the Lion’s Gate Bridge there was a ferry linking Vancouver’s Downtown with West Vancouver’s Ambleside neighbourhood. And at one time  ferries bound for Vancouver Island serviced both false creek and the downtown core. The rise of the car and the parallel construction of the city’s major inner-city bridges spelled the end of these busy, working ferries. Check out this great post by Miss 604 describing the evolution of West Vancouver’s storied ferry service which ended with the Lions Gate ribbon cutting in 1947.

As recently as 2010, West Van did a 6 month trial run of the old service to downtown which it then abruptly cancelled. I can’t seem to find out why, but it wasn’t due to lack of demand from Vancouverites as far as I can tell. I wonder how West Enders and Yaletowners would respond to a ferry service between their neighbourhoods and the North Shore. Pretty well, I would think, particularly when these are communities with below average per capita car ownership.

Am I just dreaming that inner city ferries could even survive given our dependence on four-wheeled traffic and  bridges? What would it take to bring some of these old ferry services back on line?

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Masthead photo courtesy of rollanb

As I sat down excited to spend the evening catching up with everyone, I realized a good third of the long table was out of earshot and I was confined to chatting only with my immediate neighbour. Others dishes were also out of tasting/sharing range. By the end of the evening, I left for home feeling unfulfilled -  increasingly convinced  that other cultures, particularly in Asia, but, oddly, as close as Switzerland, know where it’s at when it comes to shared dining. Here’s why:

Circle Sitting:

Rectangular tables are recipes for isolation and are basically retrograde – some sort of throwback to medieval banqueting. They’re also hierarchical when you think about it. Why do we need a “Head of the table”, for example? Sitting in a circle does away with all that and facilitates a shared social and culinary experience. Chinese Dim-sum restaurants have got it right.

Cooking (!) the food at the table:

Last year’s Christmas highlight was having endless Swiss Raclette with my family. A stack of cheese and a two little propane fired pans set up around our coffee table was all it took to have an interactive, collaborative and leisurely meal.

Japanese 'Hot Potting'

This year, the highlight was my first Japanese Hot Pot experience with six friends. Again, we relaxed around two bubbling cookers, working together to keep the pots full of pre-prepared seafood, mushrooms, kim-chi and other delicacies.

Admittedly my international experience is limited and hence my examples are too. But I feel it’s safe to say the West has a lot to learn. Sure – we’re good around a campfire with wieners and marshmallows, but it’d be great to bring that communal experience more regularly into our homes. Chopping the corners off all tables square is good start!

As I stood gawking over the rail one lunch hour, busily snapping pics along with dozens of other tourists, I couldn’t help marvelling how totally out of place this menancing Cold War relic looked next to the white sails of Canada Place and in the relatively peaceful confines of Vancouver’s harbour. “Does Varyag’s Captain know Vancouver is ‘Nuclear Free Zone,’?” I wondered.

After a bit of Google-ing, I quickly learned that the ship’s days of packing nukes  are long over. Fair enough. Apparently, its chief duty is now to toodle around the North Pacific and create closer ties with other navies, including Canada’s. Also all fine and well, but I also can’t help wondering if Russia also relished a little show of strength on Varyag’s visit. After all, Russian’s Arctic ambitions are as well known as those of any nation, including our own. (See my last post, Harper Makes Shipbuilding History, for more on that).

I have to say I felt relieved when  Varyag pull up anchored. Once it and its plume of amazingly noxious exhast faded on the horizon (sorry, but apparently the Russians have zero environmental standards for their navy), I felt relieved. Port Metro, Victoria, Gregor Robertson can we maybe think twice before allowing warships on useless missions darken our harbour?

The detachment of Pacific Fleet vessels took course for Vancouver on October 15 after the Russian-US military exercises “Pacific Eagle-2011.”

Premier Christy Clark tours Seaspan prior to announcement

I hate to admit it, but the Harper regime kind of got it right on this one. After Mulroney let domestic shipbuilding activity melt away post NAFTA, Harper is scoring major political points by revitalizing this proud part of our heritage, and injecting new stimulus into the  economy.  And don’t forget: the prime minister also lies awake at night fretting that Russia, Denmark, China, the U.S. (the list goes on) are cheekily sticking their flags on our arctic sea bed. 15 new frigates and a sexy icebreaker called Diefenbaker are meant to prevent that. Good thing too – those embarrassingly crappy, second-hand submarines we got from the Brits can barely float let alone do their job patrolling the “true north strong and free.”

A boat (or, “ship”) like this gives sailing a bad name. It’s just so opulent, ostentatious and, over the top it makes me gag. To make some amends, the owner ought to think of giving free rides to school kids  or using it to teach people more about the ocean. No such luck. He’s keeping it entirely to himself and its complement of  23 staff always at the ready. For shame, media billionaire Barry Diller. Your floating palace gives sailing a bad name.

While their economic usefulness to Canada and B.C. is undeniable, I am more interested in how the technology of these ships have evolved into the monsters we see today. Before the advent of steel, steam-powered ships longshoremen loaded the cargo into sacks, stacked the sacks onto pallets, and put the pallets into the cargo hold with a crane.

A lot has changed since then.Today, bulkers make up 40% of the world’s merchant fleets and range in size from single-hold mini-bulkers to mammoth ore ships able to carry 400,000 tons of deadweight tons.  A number of specialized designs exist: some can unload their own cargo, some depend on port facilities for unloading, and some even package the cargo as it is loaded. Most the ships loitering outside of Stanley Park are in the “Handymax” class capable of carrying 10,000 tons. They are part of a fleet of over 6,000 similar vessels worldwide.

I’m not sure what their direct contribution to community building is other than that, as we stroll the Seawall, we all enjoy looking out at them. To me and to so many others, they consistently evoke the romance of the high seas and of exotic destinations. No amount of sheer size and technological sophistication can change that.

Laser I in Cottage Country

For this installment, I’ve picked the trusty, feisty Laser. This dinghy is like the Mac of the sailing world. It’s no-frills, user friendly design will have you heeling close-hauled in no time. I learned to sail on this boat as a twelve-year old, mostly by myself on a little lake in Quebec.  It’s also a cheap and portable boat, ideal for creating organic sailing communities in urban centres. City dwellers can store them easily and sailing clubs can diversify their membership away from large yacht owners with a little fleet of lasers which are cheap to maintain and very durable.

Lastly, did you know it was designed in 1970 by a Canadian, Bruce Kirby?

This novel received rave reviews when it came out in 1997. To me, it is a welcome addition to the canon of Canadiana, overly populated with the dryly morose (e.g., Atwood), or the cheesy (e.g, Anne of Green Gables, Who Has Seen the Wind). While none of the fine members of CLJ could readily identify with the whiskey-swilling, cigar-puffing Barney Panofsky, everyone certainly enjoyed following his trials and tribulations in this last and funniest novel by literary icon Richler.

What we Did

The group discussed the novel over delicious pizza followed by attending the move adaptation, aptly named, well, “Barney’s Version.” To win the prize of the CLJ trophy and a mickey of pretend-Macallan whiskey, Barney’s booze of choice, people were asked to present their own “version” – some sort of autobiographical account of an event or incident in their life around for which there were conflicting interpretations, emulating Barney’s own account of the murder/accident by the lake. The stories were generally hilarious, ridiculous and improvisational. Kurt delivered a schizo tirade with an impressive southern twang, but John stole the show with his telling of a Lennoxville adventure during his Bishops days, scoring particularly high in the curmudgeon and geographically relevant (Go Quebec!) categories.

Pizza was followed by the movie at 5^th Ave cinema and its delicious frozen yoghurt (!).  Amazing. The fun didn’t stop there with a splinter group heading to a 4^th Ave. Hell’s Kitchen for a post mortum on the movie/book. All very good times.

What we Thought

Both the book and the movie were a big hit with the kids. There was no denying that Richler’s humour kept us engaged over 300+ pages, while Dustin Hoffman (Barney’s Dad) and Paul Giamatti (Barney) were, as usual, brilliant. No one particularly liked Barney as a character, but most agreed that this was hardly Richler’s concern when conjuring up a foul-mouthed  grump who produces second rate miniseries for a living. I think I was in the minority in complaining that the movie “Hollywoodized” / overly sanitized the book a bit. Lastly, I’m not sure this book lent itself so well to a book club only that it was thin on themes and issues, reading more like a stream of consciousness in which it was hard to get much of a foothold for discussion.

Since 2009, boaters in British Columbia and across Canada (Nunavut and North West Territories excepted) are required to  hold the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) in order to operate a powered watercraft fitted with any size motor — even an electric trolling motor. Yes, fishermen, you heard right -  even if you’re using one of those teeny weeny outboards, than you need the PCOC. All is not lost though, there are tons of great resources out there to help you prepare for the online or classroom exam. Better yet, since April 15 this year, the online format changed to a more comprehensive one, including only 3 hours of study time. Visit BC Boating Licenses to find out how, when and where to take the test.  The site also includes sample exams and study questions to help you ace it.  The new requirement to hold the Pleasure Craft Operator Card assures a greater level of safety and accountability from anyone heading out on the water.

On any given summer day, I enjoy seeing the waters around Vancouver dance with literally hundreds of craft. But I can’t help wondering if safety suffers.  When a yacht and powerboat jockey for the same channel between two massive freighters, you gotta hope that neither amateur mariners is asleep at the tiller and maybe know a thing or two about safety. With the PCOC we can all float a little easier.