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The Tyee Pool in Campbell River, here on Vancouver Island, has a tradition & history spanning lifetimes of Island folk in the sport of fishing for some of the biggest Chinook Salmon the coast has to offer. Finding it’s roots in 1924, The Tyee Club holds a world famous tournament that brings people from all over the globe to compete under very specific circumstances & conditions during the months of July, August & September to attempt to catch a Chinook Salmon of 30lbs or greater, completely on their own. No motors. No assistance from their rower guide. Just you and the salmon you hopefully convince to snap at your lure that can weigh up 70lbs +! Join me as I attempt to join this prestigious club with my friend & guide Rick Janzen as we dive into the history of one of the most unique places here on Vancouver Island.
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It’s the Season 2 finale and we’re ending it with a bang as Benj wraps things up with the story that made the season a reality… and that may or may not have been an encounter with one of the most dangerous & wild predators in all of North America. We hope you enjoyed Season 2 and we look forward to Season 3 coming this Fall (2022). A huge thank you to our sponsors Imagine Camping, Van Isle HNTR, and Ridge Wilderness for helping make this season a reality! Be sure to check out all their offerings for your next adventure. If you have suggestions for future guests on the show, send us an email to [email protected].
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AdventureSmart is a national program dedicated to encouraging Canadians and visitors to Canada to “get informed and go outdoors”. Through education programs, community outreach, special events and media, they help reduce the number and severity of search and rescue incidents in the country. Much of this is thanks to this weeks guest, Sandra Riches: Executive Director of BC AdventureSmart and her incredible team. They have just recently launched a series of educational videos to compliment their diverse outdoor education programs, which include our very own Juan de Fuca trail and Mt Albert Edward here on the Island. We’ll talk about what it took to build AdventureSmart from the ground up, safety/training resources for adventure seekers, Van Isle resources & connection points within their programs and much more. Be sure to check them out at www.AdventureSmart.ca or follow them online @bcadvsmart on FB, Twitter and Instagram.
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First aid is one of those essential training tools we would all love to have when adventuring in the outdoors, but if your like me, you don’t jump at the chance to sit in a classroom watching slide after slide of safety protocols as your ‘exciting weekend plans’. Enter Dave Wooldridge and the Ridge Wilderness team. They have made this often onerous task to essential safety training fun, engaging and unique in almost every way they can. Partners with the Red Cross, Dave and his team offer some of the best programs in the province in not only First Aid, but in the world of canoeing as well. This week, we’ll chat about what it took to build a successful outdoor business, crazy first aid response scenarios, owning Canada’s largest canoe and how we can all be better leaders in the outdoors by preparing ourselves to be our best selves through adventure companies like Ridge Wilderness. Be sure to check out all they have to offer you and your adventure companions at: www.ridgewilderness.com
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If you’ve ever driven north of Courtenay here on VI, you might have noticed the wilderness around you becomes a little more… well, Wild. You see more open hillsides up into the mountains and remote logging roads that seem to carry on forever in every direction. It’s hard to know where to begin when seeking your next adventure, so this week we’re joined by my longtime outdoor adventure companion, Shawn Quinton, as we share some of our favourite places to explore on the North end of Vancouver Island. We talk about places to rock climb, portage routes, the elusive Grizzly Bears that have swam over from the mainland, abandoned youth correctional facilities, places to take the family, places to take only the most adventurous folks, and so much more. Shawn is a longtime wilderness guide here on VI, working at places like Strathcona Park Lodge, Mt. Washington, and Camp Bob. Shawn has extensive training & experience in rock climbing, sea-kayaking, outdoor leadership, wilderness first aid, navigation and so much more. You can follow him @shawn_of_the_cave_13 and all of the amazing places he guides with mentioned above!
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One of the most asked questions we get is: where can we go to explore new Vancouver Island outdoor gems? Where are all the cool places we see online and how do we get there?? Well y’all are in luck because you asked and we answered: we invited our friend of the show, Dylan Benson from the GTFO Company to help find some absolutely gorgeous spots to explore, specifically from Victoria to Naniamo on VI. We talk about stunning beaches, chasing waterfalls and places so accessible, kids can come with you! And don’t worry, our next episode will have all the spots for those looking a little farther North as well. And if you’re looking for even more locations, follow us online to find new places to explore for every age or skill set!
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Strathcona Provincial Park, designated in 1911, is the oldest provincial park in British Columbia. Located almost in the dead centre of Vancouver Island, Strathcona Park is a rugged mountain wilderness comprising more than 250,000 hectares. Visited by tens of thousands of people, it takes a certain amount of care, structure and strategy to make the park goers experience amazing each year. Enter, the Park Rangers: the stewards of these incredible habitats and places we get to experience the Wild in the safest way possible. This week, we’re joined by Strathcona’s Sr Park Ranger, Mattias Morrison, as he shares his journey of growing up in downtown Vancouver to becoming a wilderness guru that has a fierce love for the Vancouver Island wilderness and beyond. We talk about encounters with bears, learning the ways of the wilderness, what’s involved with preserving a park and opportunities to volunteer in Strathcona itself! If you have questions and would like to connect with Mattias, email him at [email protected]. You can also follow him online @ranger_mash and of course, follow @yourbcparks to find info on all the incredible places our province has preserved and has available for you to enjoy this summer! For Croteau Lake opportunities mentioned in the show, head to https://bcparks.ca/volunteers/opportunities/volunteer-host/strathcona/ ✌🏼
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The story tellers of Vancouver Island are many, and there really isn’t any one form or another that has more value… but from time out of mind, it’s people have told it’s stories for generations and the imprint it’s shores, peaks and valleys have had on each one. Today, we’re joined by Caleb Harding who has been telling the life story of his connection with this place through venues like social media, documenting his real life experiences primarily in the heart of the west coast in the community of Tofino. We chat about free-diving, eating sea cucumbers, restoring wildlife habitats, raising families in the wilderness, harvesting wild foods, exploring the West Coast and hear about his Call to the Coastline of our beloved Island. Be sure to follow Caleb’s journey @_vanisland_ . This episode is brought to by our friends at Van Isle HNTR, apparel for the huntsman or woman right here on Van Isle. Check out their website vanislehunter.ca for their hats, shirts and decals designed right here on VI.
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For any of us that choose the outdoors as our playground and live & play in the wild, it’s astounding to know that there are teams of men & women that voluntarily train year round to save us when we need it most… it’s nothing but humbling when you stop to think about it.
This weeks episode, we have the honour of hearing from the Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue’s own search manager & society president, Paul Berry. Over the last 25yrs that he’s chosen to serve the communities of the Island and beyond, he has accrued a lifetime of experience that he has graciously taken the time to share a small sliver of on this weeks Wild Islander Podcast episode. Be sure to check out there fundraising efforts for their Roofs for Rescuers campaign at cvgsar.com and also the resources available at adventuresmart.ca for all of your backcountry experiences. -
We continue on to the second part of Derek’s time on the Wild Islander Podcast as he unpacks the learning curve of fly-fishing, where to look for advice/tip/tricks and become a better angler here on Van Isle. We talk about fish species, specifically trout, here on the Island and the never ending cycle of success and failures in our attempts to land them. If you love a good story, than Derek will be a real treat to listen to as he promotes his first novel “The Last Summer on the Sage” and his writings in Fly Fusion magazine. Be sure to follow along with his journey @derekrbird on Instagram. This episode is brought to you once again by Imagine Camping located with here on the Island: check out their pages on FB & Instagram where they have the Fireside Fork available for all your outdoor cooking needs. My family’s been using them for years and we love ‘em! Rust free, lightweight and supercooling: the perfect combo for any fireside meal ✌🏼
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Season 2 of the Wild Islander Podcast is finally here and we have some absolutely golden episodes ahead!
If you had the chance to learn from someone’s lifetime of experience in something as mystical and unique as fly fishing, wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity to hear what they had to say? Well, you’re in luck folks because we have just the man for the job: Derek Bird, fly-fishing enthusiast, educator, author and founding editor of Fly Fusion: a nationally recognized fly-fishing magazine. We’ll chat about living on Van Isle, close calls, stories that inspired us, parenting, the impact of others experiences on us, and of course, the art of fly-fishing from one of the best in the sport. This episode is brought to you by Imagine Camping, makers of the Fireside Fork. Check out their incredibly handy outdoor cooking utensils at imaginecamping.com! -
Each one of our episodes this year have been such a joy to record and put together. Me and our guests on the show have worked to put together ‘timeless episodes’ that can be used as resources and reference points for those wanting to go on adventures here on Vancouver Island. Wether you’re into walking the local parks, climbing our highest peaks, paddling our shores or exploring new places, there is something for everyone on our show who wants a little or a lot more of the Wild Islander lifestyle. I hope you learned something this season while listening in, I know I sure did! Season 2 will air in 2022, and we’re excited to see what shape it will take! Stay wild, Islanders ✌🏼 If you would like to become a partner or sponsor an episode for Season 2, send us an email at [email protected] to find out how you can partner with us!
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It’s only in our more recent history that hunting has become more of a sport than necessity, but the real question is sometimes asked: is this still something we should value and practice? I don’t think it would take any of us very long, looking at the family tree or memoirs of days gone by, to find yourself related to someone who was or is a hunter in the family. This ancient practice goes back into the myths of time and is very much practiced today, right here on Vancouver Island. This episode we are joined by Anthony Klassen and Ben Steele, both resident hunters here on the Island. We’ll talk about the ethics of hunting, the difficulty hunting our local Blacktail deer and why we have chosen to make this not only a part of our lives, but bringing our families into this way of life as well.
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You don’t have to look far in the outdoor merchandising world to see there are 1 billion options out there to make up your backcountry kit into a world class, super shiny masterpiece.
But for the real world, it’s not realistic to just go drop $10,000 on brand new gear… so, what do you do? Where do you look?
If you have a trip coming up next summer now is the time to start the search. Craigslist, FB Marketplace, Kijiji, Value Village, local consignment shops and every thrift store out there most likely hold a piece of your kit to make your next adventure safe & successful. In this weeks episode, we’ll unpack what I’ve learned to look for and how to save precious time and money to make your next Van Isle adventure the best it can be on a budget. -
The West Coast vs My Four Sons.
Honestly, it’s hard to decide which of the two are more wild, but in this weeks episode we get to see who wins this Wild West Coast Showdown as they meet each other for the first time. There will be wind. There will be rain. There will be tears. There will be adventure as we head to some of Vancouver Island’s most beloved locations: Tofino, Ucuelet, and Pacific Rim National Park. Follow along for the journey on Facebook and Instagram for the visuals of this family adventure westward for the first time, together. -
In a domain like the outdoors—where masculinity has prevailed for decades—it’s an absolute joy to see women’s opportunities exploding across places like our Island’s backcountry. Wether it’s climbing, mountaineering, trail running, kayaking, hunting or fishing, women’s involvement in the outdoor world is growing every year.
This week, we have the opportunity to hear from my long time friend Jacquelyn Janzen as she shares her journey of becoming an avid and accomplished outdoorswoman here on the Island. Most of her achievements are beyond anything I would ever try to attempt, and I’m proud to call her a friend and an inspiration to me and many others. We’ll talk about her training to becoming a solo hiker, trail runner, running ultra marathons and her 2014 fundraiser run project where she ran from Port Hardy down to Victoria. -
With over 1,400 cave locations discovered so far on Vancouver Island, it’s like a modern day gold rush of adventure for those who dare to call themselves Cavers. This week we’re joining my longtime adventure partner Shawn Quinton to head under the surface to discover what lies beneath on the paths of stone below. We’ll cover what’s involved with caving, where you can learn to explore this sport and how to do it safely at every skill level.
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Failure is as synonymous with exploring the outdoors as marshmallows are with a campfire. You often see the two together, and your adventures can turn out golden brown with a completed objective or burnt to a crisp in coming up short. What you do with either result is all up to you. There’s so much to learn from the stories we’d rather not share…Personally, I’ve come to appreciate the burnt-to-a-crisp adventures as I find I learn way more from them then I do from my triumphs. For example, I’ve attempted Albert Edward in Strathcona Park 8 times, and 3 of those were cut short due to injury and weather... but I keep coming back to learn something new each time. In many ways, we learn all of our lessons on the backs of those who went before us who tried and failed and tried and failed again to find the best way to accomplish this or that thing. Here’s some of my not so great moments that I hope someone can learn from, to become an even better outdoors person.
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Social media has brought about an unprecedented opportunity to discover new places to explore the natural world around us. There are some incredible people doing amazing things to show us what’s just around the corner or down that next trail…
Today’s guest, Dylan Benson or @betterwithadventure is one of those amazing individuals that represents Vancouver Island’s outdoor adventure opportunities so well. Join us for Ep. 8 as he shares his stories of the profoundly positive impact the outdoors can have on our lives, right here on Vancouver Island.
We’ll talk about mental health & the outdoors, how to create quality content to share your story and wilderness journeys like a pro using just your phone. You’re in for a treat on this one, Wild Islanders ✌🏼 -
Camping is one of my favourite pastimes, so much so I made a career of it the last 10 years of my life. What I learned during those years was that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, or hot chocolate… It’s not always like the pictures on Instagram made it out to be…But it’s one of the best experiences or practices I’ve seen for kids and people in general to understand their role and impact on the natural world, and how a few days in the wilderness can drastically change your perspective on pretty much everything. It’s a venue like no other that can cause us to slow down and appreciate the simple things: being warmed by a fire, sharing stories under starlight or learning a new skill together as a family or individually. This weeks episode includes stories from my camping adventures on the Island: midnight bear spray mishaps, my first fish, vicious Canadian Geese encounters in the dark and why we keep coming back for more, to experience more Nights under the Stars. Resources included: where to find great camping spots on Vancouver Island!
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