In mid-August we arrived in Wuikinuxv. It was a staggered arrival – me first with OrangePekoe, on a very rainy day.
A week or so later Nigel arrived with Granville.
Our vehicle and the furniture we purchased came on the barge a week after we arrived.
Our accommodation was not ready until mid-September. We moved in as soon as the inside was habitable. The rest of the work will happen over time.
Our apartment is lovely – many windows make it bright inside, and we look to beautiful views outside.
We look past the powerlines, and the temporary construction trailer to see the mountains that surround us.
They change by the minute with the play of light and shadow, sometimes engulfed with mist, sometimes etched against the sky.
Work (the green building) is a couple of minutes walk away. I’m there at least 30-minutes before the learners arrive. The school has two classrooms, one for elementary school and one for secondary school. There are eleven students, six are in the elementary school which is my purview.
Like at our apartment, work has large windows. The view is a delight every day.
The youngsters are an interesting mix of skills, abilities and interests. Working with them is a positive challenge. I’m looking forward to the next year or two, helping them reach towards their potential.
We celebrated a return to school with a carnival.
My work is what brought us here. It’s not the only reason why we are here. Living in one of Canada’s iconic landscapes is keeping us here. The village is surrounded by mountains that rise up out of the water. The water – that’s a deep fjord cutting into the British Columbia coast. The best view of the Rivers Inlet fjord is from the government wharf at the western end of the village.
The fjord narrows at the village, then widens out again to a long lake.
The narrowing in the channel is a glacial drift, left behind when the Cordilleran ice sheet receded, more than 5 000 years ago.
The narrow river between fjord and lake is rock-ridden, making it a tad treacherous for those uninitiated to the safe route.
There is a boat launch about half-way along the river where smaller boats are put in the water.
The larger boats are docked at the village small boat harbour. That includes the Search & Rescue boat, and one of the local fishing boats.
Nigel bought a boat, which he might tie up at the harbour, but likely it’ll remain on its boat trailer and he’ll take it to the boat launch when he decides to go fishing.
A boat! Yes. Within a week of arriving, Nigel bought a boat. It was meant to be, it seems. Someone was selling a boat in very good condition, with all the accoutrements plus a trailer – everything on his checklist – for a reasonable price. He couldn’t resist. So, now Nigel owns a fine boat. He hasn’t taken it out on the water because those in the know say he needs to go with someone who knows the water a few times before he goes out alone. He is following that advice.
Needing a project, Nigel has been working at the wood-shop. This is a building with plenty of wood-working equipment available to interested persons. There are a couple of others who frequent the wood-shop as well. They work together on their individual projects. Some lovely work is happening in that shop.
Nigel is crafting a table. The legs are done.
We are slowly settling into daily life in Wuikinuxv.
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