Powell
River is a seaside community located 80 miles North of Vancouver, British
Columbia Canada on Canada’s West Coast. Being away from the coastal mountains’
rainshadow, Powell River boasts one of the most moderate climates on the
coast line with very little cloudy days in summer and tremendously
less rainfall in winter than Vancouver where rain can sock in for weeks
in the winter months. Snowfall annually is generally one or two days
usually melting as it hits the ground. This incredible microclimate allows
for semi tropical palms, bamboos, and banannas to be grown as well as Eucalyptus
as a testament to the weather here.
The community
itself consists of about 15,000 persons with an additional 10,000 in the
surrounding rural areas. Originally an industrial town, many services were
built into the community to support the once upon a time larger workforce
including a recreation complex which has a swimming pool, two Ice Rinks
and a theatre for the arts. Powell River also has a large new hospital
which has many of the same services that are usually found in cities. A
variety of chain stores are located for convenience “uptown” while the
beach areas have remained quaint with local shop keepers offering lattes,
funky restaurants and other knick knacks including local art. The
summers offer many community spirited festivals including SeaFair and Blackberry
Festival. The local politicians have more recently began to embrace retirees
and visitors and have built a wide wheelchair accessible seawalk path for
nearly two miles along the beach. There are numerous places to hike, bicycle,
walk, and horeback ride if one is seeking some outdoor recreation. When
speaking of Powell River, it is jokingly said that it is one of the few
places you can golf, scuba dive, and ski all in the same day. While there
is not a ski hill here, there is one just over an hour away from Powell
River.
There are several
smaller islands located nearby many of which are inhabited, some which
are not and you could spend a lifetime exploring the many bays and beaches
along this coastline which leads up to world reknown Desolation Sound,
a place where the mega yacht is right at home next to the kayak and old
wooden fishing boat. There is no social class on the water here. Locals
and non locals trade fresh baking and wine and enjoy tales of where they
have been and where they are going. Desolation sound however is so
vast that one can lose themselves if they wish to have quiet time
