We think we know our oceanfront
We sunbathe at English Bay, jog the Stanley Park seawall and drive high above Howe Sound, casting affectionate glances at one of the most scenic landscapes in Canada.
The truth is, beyond such fleeting moments, we don’t know our oceanfront very well at all. Most of it is obscured by forests, rock bluffs, buildings, no-trespassing signs and a general lack of road access that keeps curious eyes at bay.
I have a simple solution to that problem — my old, scratched-up Prijon plastic kayak that I’ve used for years for ocean kayaking on the remote B.C. coast as well as running white-water rivers in the province’s Interior wilderness.
What better way to nose up to homes suddenly naked to the world or skimming across shallow waters that would deter larger, motor-driven vessels?
Metro Vancouver is home to the most expensive oceanfront real estate in Canada as well as our nation’s largest port, handling some $200 billion worth of goods traded annually with 170 countries.
Not everything has an absolute price tag. The Fraser River delta is globally significant for its importance to birds. A recovering population of marine mammals includes transient killer whales that regularly appear within the port’s inner harbour. And the importance of finite public access will only grow as the region’s population expands by one million by 2040.
There is something special about the waterfront. The bracing sea breeze, the mystery of life beneath the surface, and the knowledge that this vast fluid highway — with all its beauty and dangers — connects us with the planet.
Today, I begin a 10-day journey along Metro Vancouver’s oceanfront from West Vancouver in Howe Sound south to White Rock on the Canada-U.S. border.
With the exception of Vancouver’s inner harbour, which is off limits to human-powered craft, I am free to paddle where I like, document the nature and changing scenery, and chat with the people who live, work and play on the waterfront.
I have packed a small tent for urban guerrilla camping, but have no specific plans or expectations of the daily challenges and experiences that lie ahead.
What I do know is that my understanding and appreciation of Metro Vancouver will never be the same and that the path to adventure and exploration can be as close as your own backyard.