I found some on Facebook. Some of them Googled their surname and found me through this family history blog. I found out more about them in my Grandmother's photos, diaries and poems. I knew some of them as children but we lost touch for decades. I thought of them as my “lost cousins”.
Unfortunately my grandmother
and her siblings sometimes held grudges and played their family members against
each other. These rifts rippled across
the family, up and down the generations.
When I started
connecting with my family members online, I had a strong desire to see them
again and after a cousin from British
Columbia visited me in Toronto, we started planning an old fashioned road trip
to see our West Coast cousins.
I found so much more
than I had lost, and am so happy that they agreed to meet me and share their
stories, art and photos!
We were able to put
aside the battles of our parents and grandparents – it felt like our family
feuds could finally be put to rest. I am
sad for those who went before us but hopefully we will change the future of our
families.
I have been fortunate and happy to have
re-connected with my Canadian West Coast cousins.
It began with a visit to my Aunt Eileen with my mother and sister
Betty about six years ago. During those few days we were able to spend time with her
as well as her husband Ernie and two of her children, Gayle and Colin. We also
had a brief visit with my mother`s cousin Patricia and some of her
family. I had previously connected with my cousin Roger and his wife Mavis over
the internet while working on a family history project.
While Gayle was visiting me in 2014, we had some time to talk
about all the lost connections in our family stories. When I told her I was
interested in visiting her and others, she suggested she would lead a road trip
that would include visits to Salt Spring Island, Nanaimo, Powell River, Sechelt
and Surrey. My sister Betty planned to join us and after contacting all the
cousins we planned a very ambitious itinerary. We could not be away too long as
our mother was 98 years of age and in declining health.
Unfortunately just two days before we were scheduled to leave for
Victoria, our mother had a medical issue that would likely require a hospital
stay. We could not be sure until after our scheduled flight because we could
not get test results back in time being as it was a three day holiday weekend.
Generously Betty decided to stay back and be with Mom while I went ahead with
our plans.
Gayle met me at the Victoria BC airport then we drove to the first
ferry to travel to Salt Spring Island. After we docked it was a lovely scenic
drive to her home in Ganges with Gayle telling me about the size and culture of
the Island.
On arriving at Gayle`s I was impressed with the amount of her needlework
she had decorating her home. It is beautiful with very intricate and detailed
designs. At first glance from the doorway I thought they were paintings. It was
my first look at the large amount of family art I would see throughout my
visit.
I soon noticed the large numbers of deer everywhere on the Island
– from roadside to backyards. Also for the first time, I saw a family of Quail walking down the road in front of Gayle`s kitchen window as we
had breakfast.
As we toured the Island I was surprised by the amount of
mountainous terrain as well as the narrow and winding roads. Many of the homes
were difficult to reach which I suppose is what their owners like about them. I
was a somewhat disappointed by the lack of sea views due to the very tall tree
growth as well as the tall fences and hedges, however we did get a close up
view at the north end of the island.
On our return we found a telephone message from another cousin Jennifer who lived along our route up the coast to suggest that we meet her in Ladywood for a coffee on Friday morning. Jenny was not sure just how we were related to her but she had heard about our trip, from her brother Roger.
After enjoying blueberry muffins kindly sent over by Gayle`s
neighbour we were soon on the second ferry ride, leaving Salt Spring Island for
Vancouver Island.
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| With Jennifer and Gayle in Ladywood |
Later in the day we took our third ferry - to Powell River and found
the beautiful resort where we spent two nights.
The next day we were warmly greeted by Roger & Mavis at their
beautiful glass and wood home in the forest. They explained they had built it
themselves over the preceding five years reminding me that our grandparents and
my parents did the same in the 1940s. The house is surrounded by many trees
which Roger uses in his building and wood carvings.
Mavis is also a wood carver and both paint. I knew Roger`s mother
painted but did not know that his father had as well. There is a long list of
artists in our families past and present. We were excited to see some of Roger
and Mavis`s work. As well as the work displayed in their home, Mavis showed us her large beautiful carved boxes and Roger
took us down to his workshop to see a magnificent, very large door he has
carved. It is wonderful work.
We enjoyed a delightful lunch in their garden. They explained the
fence surrounding the living area of their property was to keep out the bears,
deer and cougars that had previously destroyed their plants and trees.
We shared our family history research and talked about the
numerous artists in our families. Roger had not seen many of the photos in my
Grandmother’s album and I agreed to send him a scanned version along with the
details of a couple of books written about our artist ancestor, Walter Langley.
We shared warm goodbye hugs and agreed to keep in touch. I thoroughly enjoyed
meeting them and hope to see them again.
After a very comfortable sleep and a good breakfast we set off
down the Sunshine Coast to our fourth ferry. This one would take us to Sechelt
and the next cousin, Gayle`s brother Colin and his family.
After lunch in town we visited Colin`s home, yet another house high
up above the water. It was down a steep driveway to the house and the house
overlooked a very deep-down backyard and a great water view. I was happy to
meet Colin`s wife Melanie, their son Sebastian and daughter Amelie.
 |
| Exciting ride with Colin and Gayle |
On the way back we stopped to check Colin`s lobster trap and later we had a great meal of lobster claws, lobster cakes, all the trimmings and dessert, which we enjoyed along with the kids.
We spent some time looking at all our old photos, sharing stories
and promising to share copies. I had made a small family history book for
Colin`s family which I left for them. They live a very interesting, close to
nature, lifestyle and it suits them. After dark we sat out on the deck talking
and star gazing. I was delighted to see the Milky Way as well as many other
stars. In the absence of city light, they seemed almost within reach.
We enjoyed breakfast together before Melanie left for
work. We talked a little more with Colin while he showed us some of his photos
of camping with his children on one of their many adventures. Another artist in
the family, Colin is a professional photographer. He then advised us what time
to leave in order to catch our fifth ferry suggesting we allow enough time to
visit a small park on the way to see the salmon run. Sometimes the bears come
to feed as well. We had a wonderful visit.
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| Salmon fishing |
That photo topped off my list of wildlife I had seen on the trip, deer, quail, rabbits, seals, salmon spawning, and a glimpse of a whale from a ferry then finally a bear.
To be continued.................
