Daily Excerpt: Travels with Elly (MacDonald) - British Colombia (chapter beginning)
Excerpt from Travels with Elly (MacDonald) - from chapter 1, BRITISH COLUMBIA Beginning of the chapter: Many Canadians we met during our journey were not quite sure where our hometown of Powell River is located. “Are you on Vancouver Island?” they would ask. “No, but we can see Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia. We’re on the mainland two ferry rides north of Vancouver.” Plans are in the works for building a road from Vancouver, but until that happens, Powell River will remain somewhat remote. The town was established in 1910 to sustain a lumber mill that once employed over 2000 people. When we left in 2009, the town had become a city with 15,000 residents and a tenuously surviving paper mill employing less than 400. Powell River has become more of a retirement haven, especially for those who enjoy out door activities such as hiking, biking boating, and fishing. The pace is slow, people are friendly, and the climate is moderate, making it a desirable place to