THE SOUTHWEST PASSAGE
It’s really just a fun reality of our Gibsons Paddle Club. The name “The Southwest Passage” is the tag we paddlers gave to that high and dry piece of the beach at the southwest end of the breakwater in Gibsons Harbour.
This image depicts the beach at mid tide. Our local tides are such though that only a few times of the year the waters rise sufficiently over that beach at the end of the breakwater to allow a canoe to actually be paddled over and through.
Timing, weather and water conditions over the years have meant that the journey through “The Southwest Passage” has been completed only a few times. Once, a canoe even overturned during the attempt.
I painted this image simply as a bit of amusement in my artistic expression. I wanted to forever remember the fun and energy of the Gibsons Paddle Club and the great times we’ve all had together over the years. All who paddle will immediately recognize exactly where this image depicts. And all paddlers will be watching the tide charts over the coming years hoping that one day they too can conquer the fickle waters of “The Southwest Passage”.