Summer Fire Bans and the Fog Zone

Coastal BC, including Vancouver Island, is known for its rainfall. Those rains feed the amazing temperate rainforest that blankets much of the coastline, and is the cause of the nickname The Wet Coast. However, while much of the year can be wet it isn't wet all year. The beauty of the west coast is that summers are often warm and dry.

Warm and dry summers are wonderful for those who live here, making the trade off of warm, wet winters a good one. However, dry conditions are not always a good mix with people and forests. Wildfires happen naturally enough with lightening strikes during dry weather. Wildfires from human causes are a problem. 

Most summers, if the conditions are typical, the province implements a fire ban. This year the ban went into effect yesterday at noon (July 18) for all of the coast. No campfires, no backyard fires, no beach fires.

Unless, that is, you are in the fog zone. This is something else particular to the coast, a slim stretch of coast along the open ocean that gets a lot of fog and damp air, even when the rest of the coast is experiencing warm, dry summers. The fog zone is exempt from the fire ban.

The dry weather also greatly impacts our forestry and reforestation workers, as work can be shut down in the summer if it is felt that the dry conditions cause danger with the machinery or risk from fires. Salmon bearing rivers are impacted as well, and rivers with dams are carefully controlled to make sure there is still enough water in the system for salmon habitat not to be damaged.

As true islanders and west coasters, we here at the BCO office will make the most of our warm, dry summer - even if it means no campfires for a while.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Summer Days on the Coast

The west coast of Canada has a reputation when it comes to our climate - mild but wet is the main impression people have. There is a lot of truth in that, for a good part of the year temperatures are mild and it does rain a fair bit. This is a temperate rain forest, after all.

But late spring and into summer, when all is the way it should be, the coast becomes a place of wonder. Long, warm days (average of 20C/68F but can get up to 30C/86F) and dry skies for weeks on end can be the norm. The lakes and beaches become magnets for people looking to soak up some Vitamin D and splash in the water.

One of the nice things about the coast is that, aside from mosquitos in the evenings, there are no where near the bugs that people inland experience in the summer. So one can enjoy the outdoors without constantly flapping at no-see-ums and flies.

 

The warm dry spells do bring their own issues. Water becomes a concern, as most of communities rely on local lakes and rivers that fill up in the wet winters for their domestic water source. Even those who aren't hooked up to municipal water services start to conserve water, as they watch well levels drop or cisterns run dry, requiring purchases of water. It is generally standard procedure in the summers, at least on the island, that most communities are on water use restrictions. These often are implemented in late May, and address lawn watering, etc. If there is an extended dry spell then further restrictions may be put in place to protect the water resources for fire fighting and municipal use.

Fire bans are another common response to the warm, dry weather. Being surrounded by forest as we are on the coast, dry ground is a concern. Generally a stretch of hot weather will mean the wildfire centre will issue bans on campfires and backyard burning. This can happen at any time in the summer, some years it's not until August but this year a ban was issued today. The only sections where a ban doesn't get enforced is along what is known as the "fog line" along the west and north coasts of Vancouver Island and through Haida Gwaii, which are generally damp with ocean fog even in the summers.

The coast is fortunate to have four distinct seasons, each with its own magic and rhythm. Summer can be spectacular - you really don't want to miss it.

 

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!

BC Coastal Hidden Gems: Haida Gwaii

Haida Gwaii is one of those places that people consider in mystical terms - it's a magical place somewhere off the coast of BC, the BC Archipelago. But not many people actually go there, so although its name is well known it is still considered a hidden gem here at BCO.

Haida Gwaii

 



You can fly into Haida Gwaii or you can take the ferry from Prince Rupert on the BC mainland coast. The two main islands, Graham Island and Moresby Island, are separated by a small strait which you cross by ferry.

on the ferry to Graham Island

 



The main population centres are Sandspit, Masset and Charlotte City. Other populated areas are Port Clements and Tlell. The bigger communities average 1000 people, so the islands definitely have a small town vibe, where neighbours all help each other out. It's also one of those places that attracts a wide variety of people who have chosen to live a little farther away from major cities, etc, and this variety adds colour to the region.

 

Haida Gwaii is known for its First Nations culture and its amazing natural beauty. The most well-known beach is North Beach, outside Masset - where you can find miles of sand dunes and beach to explore.

Fishing is another thing that Haida Gwaii is known for, and many people enjoy visiting the remote lodges in the area. No trip is complete without some time out on a boat!

Haida Gwaii is one of those places that remains in your thoughts for a long time, and is certainly worth the time to get there.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!

 





 







West Coast Beaches

The West Coast of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii is a very different place to the mainland coast. the Inside Passage or the east side of Vancouver Island. The beaches are more windswept, more open and rugged. The expanse of water to the west is mind boggling, as you stare out and realize that there is nothing between you and the Japanese islands on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Ucluelet, Tofino and Long Beach and the West Coast Trail are of course the most popular west coast spots, but don't miss out an opportunity to explore further afield. You will be glad you did.

Raft Cove, Vancouver Island

North Beach, Haida Gwaii

North Beach, Haida Gwaii

Tofino area, Vancouver Island

San Josef Bay, Vancouver Island

 

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!