40 » OpenRoad Driver
My daughter and I take an early morning
ferry to Duke Point in Nanaimo, hitting
the gas on Highway 19 North for the
80-minute drive from the Duke Point ferry
terminal to Courtenay. The largest of the
three cities in the Comox Valley, Courtenay
marks the confluence of the Tsolum and
Puntledge rivers and sits in the embrace of
a half-circle of mountains and a massive,
flat-topped glacier, Queneesh – the great
white whale. It’s a beautiful place, especially
so when you’re out on the water.
Our first morning in town we kayak into
the Courtenay River estuary with Mike
White, a guide with Comox Valley Kayaks.
Jellyfish and upturned clam shells float by
as we paddle gently towards the Comox
Harbour and the Strait of Georgia. Mike,
a local who works in the Alberta tar
sands and guides kayakers on his days off,
gestures towards the banks of the estuary.
“In low tide you can see the remains of
fishing traps left by the First Nations
thousands of years ago,” he remarks
casually. They knew then, as locals know
now, that the Courtenay River and estuary
are thick with salmon at certain times
of the year. In the fall the water churns
with spawning salmon. The heads of seals,
actively pursuing their next easy meal, are
easy to spot.
We return to town in time to change
footwear, grab a biking helmet and meet
Laurel Cronk, owner of Island Joy Rides.
With a trailer packed with brand new
bicycles, road snacks, iced water and chilled
towels, Cronk leads guided bike tours
in the valley, gentle rides along country
roads and bike trails with stops at various
culinary destinations along the way.
Crisscrossing the rivers and pedaling past
blueberry farms, you’re forced to slow down
and get a different view of the valley. Our
first stop is the Comox Valley Farmers’
Market, a colourful Saturday tradition
where vendors sell fresh fruit, flowers,
Comox cheese and bison yogurt. It’s a
social place where folks are only too willing
to “talk locavore” and share their passion
for what they grow and make.