Latest news with #GeoffJohnson
National Post
5 hours ago
- General
- National Post
128-year-old shipwreck on Vancouver Island charred by fire
A shipwreck that has been part of Vancouver Island's history for more than a century is a charred skeleton after a fire this month. Article content Photographer Geoff Johnson said he went to look after hearing of the fire at the wreck that has been sitting on Big Beach in Ucluelet for almost 130 years. Article content 'It was really dramatic,' recalled Johnson in an interview, adding that the wooden wreckage seemed to be 'more corpse-like now than it was before.' Article content Article content Ucluelet fire chief Rick Geddes said crews attended the fire in the early morning of June 10, and that the cause of the blaze is being investigated. Article content Article content The shipwreck suffered 'significant damage' from the fire, although it's still very much intact, Geddes said. Article content 'It's not uncommon for us to get called to beach fires that have been abandoned overnight,' said Geddes, 'But it was somewhat uncommon for us to attend and have an issue with actual wreckage of this ship that's been on the beach for 100 plus years.' Article content The history of the vessel, where it sailed from, and how it was stranded, has been lost. Article content An information plaque set up next to the wreck says it's believe the ship was swept ashore by storms in 1896. Article content The plaque says the ship was probably built somewhere on the northwest coast of the Americas in the mid- to late 1800s, based on its Douglas fir timber, wooden pegs and iron 'drift-pin' fastenings. Article content There's no name, no destination and no hint if it was intentionally grounded and disassembled to build houses, or if it was a victim of a storm, Johnson said about the history of the vessel, which is just a block from his home. Article content Article content 'So, that's part of the interesting story, is that anybody you know can make up what they think the story that shipwreck was about, and it makes it a little bit more of a romantic thing to sit there and look at and think about.' Article content Article content Johnson said he's grown to love the beachside artifact and it was 'gut-wrenching' to see in burned. Article content He would use it as a seat to take sunset photos, and sitting there felt like hanging out with a 'friend who had just been in a bad accident,' he said.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
128-year-old shipwreck on Vancouver Island charred by fire
The charred remains of a shipwreck, that has been part of Vancouver Island's history for more than a century, are shown in a June 10, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Geoff Johnson, *MANDATORY CREDIT* A shipwreck that has been part of Vancouver Island's history for more than a century is a charred skeleton after a fire earlier this month. Photographer Geoff Johnson said he went to look after hearing of the fire at the wreck that has been sitting on Big Beach in Ucluelet for almost 130 years. 'It was really dramatic,' recalled Johnson in an interview, adding that the wooden wreckage seemed to be 'more corpse-like now than it was before.' Ucluelet fire Chief Rick Geddes said crews attended the fire in the early morning of June 10 and the cause of the blaze is being investigated. The shipwreck suffered 'significant damage' from the fire, although it's still very much intact, Geddes said. 'It's not uncommon for us to get called to beach fires that have been abandoned overnight,' said Geddes, 'But it was somewhat uncommon for us to attend and have an issue with actual wreckage of this ship that's been on the beach for 100 plus years.' The history of the vessel, where it sailed from, and how it was stranded, has been lost. An information plaque set up next to the wreck says it's believe the ship was swept ashore by storms in 1896. The plaque says the ship was probably built somewhere on the northwest coast of the Americas in the mid- to late 1800s, based on its Douglas fir timber, wooden pegs and iron 'drift-pin' fastenings. There's no name, no destination and no hint if it was intentionally grounded and disassembled to build houses, or if it was a victim of a storm, Johnson said about the history of the vessel, which is just a block from his home. 'So, that's part of the interesting story, is that anybody you know can make up what they think the story that shipwreck was about, and it makes it a little bit more of a romantic thing to sit there and look at and think about.' Johnson said he's grown to love the beachside artifact and it was 'gut-wrenching' to see in burned. He would use it as a seat to take sunset photos and sitting there felt like hanging out with a 'friend who had just been in a bad accident,' he said. The West Coast of Vancouver Island has been called the 'Graveyard of the Pacific' for its long history of storms bringing ships into the rocky shores. In 1906, the SS Valencia en route to Victoria from San Francisco, struck a reef off Vancouver Island, killing 136 people. It is one of the deadliest shipwrecks in B.C.'s history. Anya Zanko, events and development manager with Maritime Museum of BC, said the tragedy spurred public outrage, and led to the construction of a telegraph line and trial along Vancouver Island's coast. The Dominion Lifesaving Trail was taken over by the Pacific Rim Park Reserve in 1973 and was renamed the West Coast Trail, Zanko said. The trial is now a popular hiking destination. Geddes said they want people to enjoy the beauty of the beach, but it's important that people are also responsible and ensure their fires are out before leaving the beach. Johnson said the shipwreck is now more than a reminder of the treacherous storms in the region. 'And the idea that somebody might have started this fire, and it could easily spread a block to my home, is really the lesson.' The fire chief said it's unclear what caused the fire, although they aren't aware of any lightning strikes in the area around that time. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June, 17, 2025. Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
CTV News
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘See how cool it can be': B.C. engineer inspired to make music video about wastewater treatment plant
Adam finds out the story behind an engineer who was inspired to write a song and film a music video about wastewater treatment. Adam finds out the story behind an engineer who was inspired to write a song and film a music video about wastewater treatment. NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. – When Sarah Ries was young, she felt like she was living a real-life Disney movie. 'I actually wore a Cinderella dress throughout my whole kindergarten, every day,' Sarah smiles. She would also constantly carry around a toy tape recorder and microphone, so she could sing along to all the songs from 'The Little Mermaid.' 'But (my younger self) had dreams of doing something bigger,' Sarah says. So Sarah paused performing until after she realized her dream of becoming an engineer, specializing in wastewater. 'When we developed sanitation, it was the biggest improvement in public health,' Sarah says. 'So (wastewater management) is super essential to human health.' Sarah's first big job was working on the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility in Tofino. She was so passion about the project, she decided to write a song about it. 'I know that most people just flush and no one ever thinks about it,' Sarah explains. 'So I thought (a song) was a good opportunity to tell people what's going on.' Sarah then summoned up the courage to play her 'Wastewater Song' at a local open mic night hosted by Geoff Johnson. 'She came in the first time,' Geoff says. 'And I thought, 'Oh. This is a little bit weird.'' But the next times, Geoff really listened to Sarah's thoughtful lyrics, noticed the enthusiastic response from the audience, and was so impressed, he pitched the possibility of making a music video 'There was a version of the video that had laser sounds zapping bacteria and they would explode,' Geoff says of the creative process. '(There were) little poop emojis dancing around and stuff like that.' But in the end, Geoff and Sarah choose to produce a more professional product. It features drone shots and behind-the-scenes mechanical backdrops, while Sarah plays guitar and sings about the plant's process. While the lyrics offer practical and scientific details about wastewater management, like 'You may not know it, the system is aerobic,' 'Organics get eaten in a vat of bacteria,' and 'We blast it with UV for disinfecting,' the chorus poses the comical question, 'Who's dealing with your s#!t?' The girl who wore fairytale dresses and sang 'Under The Sea' has grown up to don personal protective equipment and showcase the complex process of keeping human waste out of the sea. While it's unlikely a song about treating 'number two' will hit No. 1 on the music charts, Sarah does hope — like the fairytales with morals she once loved — her and Geoff's work both entertains and educates. 'For people to hear at least once how their wastewater is more than many have heard before,' Sarah smiles, before revealing the final lyric of the song. 'I hope you can see how cool it can be.'
