Week Three
Thanks to Julia, for reaching out and whisking me away to the river’s edge. As we walked along the trails careful not to twist our ankles on roots and rocks she asked all the right questions that woke the memories of a well-spent youth. As we skidded down steep slopes we slipped into easy conversation that showed the way to an idea that is elusive no more, Return to Water. Julia, Namaste.
Ideation: My intention is to return to a body of water where I have spent time enjoying being in the space alone or with friends or family. Returning to the waters and shores of the Puntledge River, Stotun Falls, remembering, restoring, rejuvenating, repairing. With a series of photographs, I hope to share with viewers the importance of our part in taking care of the waters and the lands on which they flow.
Stotan Falls and the hundreds of acres along the Puntledge and Browns River have long been enjoyed as a recreational area for generations of Comox Valley peoples. For the past six years, this land has been the subject of a court battle between the CVRD and 3L Development. Like the children caught in the middle of harmful parents fighting over the property, we the people of the Comox Valley suffer the consequences.
As teenagers, Comox Valley youths spent long hot summer days jumping from rock outcrops into bowls of cool water, body surfing down rapids, and lounging in gently swirling pools of water along the Puntledge and Browns River. A well-spent youth was out at the Lake or on the Puntledge River. Stotan Falls, Nymph Falls the Browns River, and Medicine Bowls all offered cool epochs to teen angst. Instead of hanging out at the mall or trying to get into bars my friends and I would head for the rivers in pursuit of a good time and experience the magic of youth that forms lasting friendships.
From Comox Lake to the Courtenay River, we spend much of our leisure and recreational time running, biking, and walking through the trails along the shores of these waters. As a teenager, we spent time hanging out at some swimming hole or another, daring friends to new depths, tubing down rapids, and just plain restoring our souls. As we have done so too have our children along these shores.
The owner of the property is prepared to give the Regional District 240 to 250 acres for a park but because of the dispute over zoning issues, he holds this land in ransom for land development rezoning and permits to build. As a result, public access to the Puntledge River, Stotan Falls, and trails in the area has been denied by the landowner.
No Trespassing on Private Property, official signs have been put up, warning of hazardous waters and reminding the public of their safety. Some less official-looking messages painted on wood and rocks inform us that we are not allowed access closed we do not belong.
A Facebook page called Save the Puntledge River has been established but has been quiet. It seems ridiculous to me that one person or company can come to own the rights to a riverbed, under the flowing water. Perhaps the solution is bigger than us as we ask to whom does this land truly belong? – Who are the true Stewards, Keepers, and Caretakers of this unseeded land?