Introduction
Dear <<First Name>>,
Thanks again to the members who contributed photos and materials. After enjoying a SISKA event or paddle, please consider putting fingers to keyboards and cobbling together a short (100-150 words) summary article; for more information, contact one of us. And if you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!
Don't forget to save the date for our June picnic - June 10th. If you are able to help organize something for this event, please contact Jane Jacek. More details to come!
You can find SISKA on Facebook at this link. SISKA also has a Meetup site for "impromptu" and other paddles organized by club members. (To join this, you have to be a club member.) For more details, go to https://www.meetup.com/SISKA-Meetup/.
Michael Jackson (SISKA president) and Ben van Drimmelen (editor)
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Upcoming Events
(Lots of training/practice opportunities in the next two months....)
May 04, 9:15 am - 3:00 pm, Oak Bay Marina - Parking Lot to Birding paddle to Chain Islands,etc Paddle (RELAXED)
May 06, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Amherst to Tsehum Harbour Paddle (RELAXED)
May 13 and May 14, Paddle Canada Level 1
May 14, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Rolling clinic and pool Drop in
May 16, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, Edging/Bracing Clinic
May 21, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Telegraph Cove to Chatham/Discovery Islands Paddle (ENERGIZER)
May 24, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, Monthly Meeting (see details below)
Jun 04, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Cooper Cove to Sooke Basin Paddle (RELAXED)
Jun 10, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, SISKA picnic
Jun 11, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Willows Beach to Intertidal shoreline paddle (RELAXED)
Jun 18, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Learn to do crabbing
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Symphony Splash and MEC Paddlefest
Two upcoming events may be of interest to club members:
MEC Paddlefest
MEC will be holding its annual paddlefest at Willows Beach again this year - June 18th. For more details please check out this link.
Victoria Symphony Splash
On Sunday August 6th, the Victoria Symphony will be putting on its annual "Splash" event. In the past, SISKA paddlers have helped by volunteering to collect on-water donations by kayak. Those of us who have done this have enjoyed ourselves and benefitted from our "front-row seats". If you wouldf like to help out, please contact the volunteer coordinator, Della Preston
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Our April meeting and AGM
On April 26th we held our Annual General Meeting as well as a talk on Pacific storms by David Atkinson.
The 2016 financial statement and 2017 budget were approved, as was our updated constitution (both of these can be viewed in the members' area of the website). We also voted in some ongoing and new executive members resulting in the following executive team:
President: Mike Jackson
Vice-president: Alan Campbell
Secretary - Mark Byrne
Treasurer - John Levey
Members at Large: Lynn Beak, Jane Jacek and Tony Copping
David's talk on storms was excellent. We learned about how Pacific storms form and develop, and why they are very different from tropical cyclones.
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Our May meeting (24th)
Alisa Preston is a co-owner of Rockfish Divers, one of the best dive shops in the Victoria area. She and her students and fellow divers have been doing fish surveys and other scientific diving in the area for the past decade. Alisa's presentation will center on the concept of establishing a marine conservation area in the Salish sea and other waters surrounding Vancouver Island.
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On-water Coordinator Update
What’s happening on the water?
SISKA offers a number of on water clinics and Paddle Canada courses through Paddle Canada certified Level 1 and 2 instructors. In addition to Crystal Pool clinic,s a number of open water clinics and courses are being offered from now through the fall, including Paddle Canada Basic, Level 1 and Level 2, strokes, edging and bracing, towing, rescues and rolling. Specific details will be sent out in club emails and listed on the SISKA calendar.
As instructors, we are trying to provide helpful instruction and coaching to club members through set clinics and courses but I also welcome you to contact me if a few of you are looking for something specific; I will try to arrange an instructor to put on a clinic for you. This is a great opportunity for you to identify specific areas you would like some coaching in.
Grievances
In the spirit of openness and accountability, Paddle Canada has updated its policies around grievances. I am bringing this to your attention, given all the SISKA instructors belong to Paddle Canada. Grievances may be brought by anyone against a member, policy or agent of Paddle Canada. Grievances may include, but are not limited to, matters of an instructional nature, inappropriate conduct or administrative process. Paddle Canada recommends trying to address all issues locally first and that applies for SISKA as well. If you have a concern or grievance, please contact the SISKA club president as a first step to try to resolve the issue. The Paddle Canada grievance policy can be found at
https://www.paddlecanada.com/paddle-canada-grievance-policy/
More generally, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about courses or clinics or if you would like me to try to arrange a clinic for you and your SISKA paddling partners. Hope to see you on the water.
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Tips from the Trips
Tarping down
A small tarp is very useful, both in your vestibule and on the beach, to keep your dry bags from getting wet, sandy or dirty while packing or unpacking.
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MARY TOD (JIMMY CHICKEN) ISLAND
- by Vic Turkington
The island just off Oak Bay marina is named after Mary Tod (1843-1912), who was the favourite daughter of fur trader and HBC official John Tod. (of Tod Inlet). The island changed hands several times and was eventually bought by John Virtue, who bequeathed it to the Oak Bay Municipality in 1929. He attached a condition - no building or structures should ever be built on it. The island therefore remains today as a natural beauty complete with a small sandy beach, ideal for lunch stops or picnics. Abundant crabs, birds and a wide variety of sea life live along its shores.
A red flashing beacon (chart symbol Fl R) sits at the end of the adjoining breakwater.
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Photo courtesy Royal BC Museum.
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The island was also known locally as "Jimmy Chicken" Island after a colorful Songhees, who lived there with his wife Jennie, in the 1890's. Jimmy made a living by fishing for salmon and digging clams, which he sold to local merchants. He supplemented his income by stealing chickens and then scuttling back to his island in his canoe. Unfortunately, the proceeds went mainly to the demon drink. He and his wife went on frequent binges and the noisy carousing often echoed across the water to Oak Bay, much to the chagrin of the local residents. Jimmy was well known to the police who often escorted him to the drunk tank - apparently he was their most frequent guest. In spite of this, he was very much liked and was a genial and pleasant soul. He was considered a model prisoner and was sometimes released to do local errands but always returned faithfully to his cell. His wife Jennie died in 1899 and Jimmy followed in 1901. At least one hundred Songhees canoes were present to pay respects and honour his funeral. He was finally taken by canoe to be ceremonially buried beside Jennie on Chatham Island.
So perhaps when we paddle out of Oak Bay Marina next time, we can glance over at Mary Tod Island and give a nod to the memory of Jimmy Chicken.
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Dave Giuliani talking about intertidal natural history
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Intertidal sightseeing
On Sunday April 29, Dave Giuliani and Mike Jackson led us down Willows Beach to draw ‘lines in the sand’ to explain the physics of tides. Our next lesson was to go slowly and look closely for details - along the barnacled concrete barrier, seashore and tide pools.
We kayaked to Oak Bay Marina looking under the wharves for anemones and near the shore spying crabs and clam siphons. Dave reminded us to use the shadow of the paddle or boat to help us see more clearly below the surface. Along the breakwater and around Mary Todd, our guides pointed out a myriad of treasures including blood stars, lined chitons, nudibranchs and frilled dogwinkle snails. Also, we saw numerous varieties of kelp and how First Nations used them.
The eight paddlers who completed the 2 NM journey were delighted with the way that Mike, Dave and his bow paddler Sean showed us how much there is to see under the sea. The descriptive body language helped! The plasticized invertebrate and seaweed cards from Periwinkle Press (available for viewing) were an added resource for identifying the invertebrates, seaweeds and grasses.
For those who missed this fun and informative four hour tour, sign up for the next intertidal paddle, scheduled for June 11. We’ve had a request for more of these paddles in the future.
Trip Leader: Debbie Leach
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Mike Jackson talking about lined chitons!
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More photos from the intertidal paddle: gaper clam siphons, exploring the marina breakwater, Dave explaining kelp, invasive wireweed (Sargassum sp)
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Tips from our trip food experts
At the recent workshop on Food for Kayak Camping, Robyn Byrne, Debbie Leach and Lynn Baier put together a handout for the workshop. This handy document can be downloaded via this link.
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Camp-suited Cookery
Here's a great recipe for 7 or 8, submitted by Rob Zacharias.
TURKEY CHILI:
In large stew pot with a splash of oil, saute 3 lbs of ground turkey or cubed turkey thigh until brown. (If dehydrating, use ground turkey; re-hydrated meat cubes are always rubbery. If you are within a day of your trip, cubed meat will work; freeze it and let it thaw over the first couple of days.) Chop 3 onions and 8 cloves of garlic. Remove meat and saute the onions and garlic until soft. Meanwhile, chop sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces. Put the meat back into pot with 3 cups of sun-dried tomatoes and 3 small cans of tomato paste, then add 1 can (14 oz or 400 ml) each of black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans, 3 cups mushrooms, 9 tsp of chili powder, 1 cup dry red wine, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 4 tsp salt, 1 tsp each of pepper, cumin, basil and oregano and 2 bean cans of water.
Simmer partly covered for about 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, adding more if needed. Add water if too thick, or continue to cook uncovered to reduce if too thin. Serve with rice or potatoes. 4 cups (measured raw) of Minute Rice is about right, or a lesser amount of uncooked regular rice. Commercial instant mashed potatoes are pretty good, or use 1 potato and 1 clove of garlic per person.
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Turkey Chili
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Each recipe makes 8 dehydrated single servings. Bag each separately, alternating rice and potatoes.You'll need to line the trays in your food drier so the stew doesn’t just run through; that slows the drying process, but it still works fine. Dehydration takes about 12 hours, turning the stuff over after 6 hours. Dry it until it is hard and crunchy like granola. It will keep un-refrigerated for months.
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Boat Blessing on the Becher Bay Paddle
Fourteen paddlers smiled at their good fortune on the April 9th relaxed paddle at Becher Bay - the first sunny day in a wild, wet and stormy week. They explored many of the shoreline's nooks and crannies, examining the intertidal zone and watching seals, a river otter and even a sea lion. The profusion of spring wildflowers were particularly enjoyable.
After paddling the east shore, the group crossed to the west, aiming for the petroglyphs in East Sooke Park. However, the wind and waves picked up a bit, so they passed on petroglyphs and continued on to the main beach near Aylard Farm.
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The blessing (photo by Blair Dwyer)
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Lunch included bestowing a blessing on Tony Copping's shiny new Solstice GT. Perhaps in response to this ceremony, the winds eased, resulting in a nice paddle back to the marina. The overall impression: a perfect day on the water wrapped up with tea and scones at Glenrosa Farm.
A couple of new SISKA members offered their first impressions. Rhonda Markel became a fan: "I will definitely embark on other paddles with SISKA". (Rhonda was also kind enough to offer most of this report on the trip.) Julie Deans also had a fine paddle, but noted that trip leader Beth Haysom had warned that someone always hangs up on some barely submerged rocks on this trip. Sure enough, the rock/inlet noodling created rock scrapes for most, and intrepid Julie did so not once, but twice!
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Kayakable Birding
Birds are a fine feature of any kayak trip. But which is which? In each Newsletter, we’ll describe a couple of species that you are likely to see at this particular time of year.
With the warmer weather, insects are an excellent food resource. While we have six swallow species locally, two are readily identifiable.
The Barn Swallow is the only one with a long forked tail and orange belly. It likes to nest on man-made structures, so look for them around boat houses and marinas.
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Barn Swallow
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The Purple Martin is our largest swallow. The male is blue-black, the females and young are dark gray with whitish bellies. Their low, melodious call is often the best indicator - a rich descending "cherr". Watch and listen for them around marinas and docks where nest box condominiums have been attached to pilings.
The martin is a notoriously-fussy nester; it demands a shore-side cavity with a view. Old shoreline trees or snags were perfect, but snag removal and urban development pretty well eliminated those and the BC population had dropped to just 10 breeding pairs by the early 1980s. Then, success! In 1986, a volunteer-based nest box program began in the Georgia Basin. The martins liked the new subdivision homes and there are now some 1,000 pairs in BC.
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Purple Martins, male and female
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SISKA's website
Did you know that the website has a members' area which requires a login? The login button is at the top of the page and you should have your password from your membership email. Once into the site, several menus appear that were not there before. The main one of interest is the "members" one that has many useful links.
In addition, the website has a paddle journal area where members can post write-ups about our paddles. If you have any comments or questions about the website, please email Dave Ostapovich our webmaster
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Some useful articles from the paddle media
Here are some items from the paddle media that may be of interest:
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