Everyone has a story

Dylan Nakagawa – tour guide extraordinaire

10/20/2019

Dylan Nakagawa at the helm

It took me awhile to make up my mind--go or not go. I had done a whale watching tour the previous day from Tofino. It was okay—we did spot a couple of grey whales but they didn’t offer up much opportunity for decent photographs—a few spouts and only brief glimpses of their backs as they submerged to feed on the ocean floor. I had always wanted to get some fluke shots, but it appeared I wouldn’t be getting them on this trip.

I’m not sure why, but I felt compelled to stop by Jamie’s Whaling Station in Ucluelet the following day, just to ask what they had been spotting on their tours. “A couple of hump backs breaching and some good tandem flukes,” Lisa said. “Man, I should have gone with you guys,” I told her. I had considered checking out Jamie’s before I booked the Tofino tour, but alas, I didn’t. “We have a Zodiac tour going out in about twenty minutes,” she said. “I can give you a deal if you want to go. There’ll only be two other people on the boat.” Go or not go. She did offer me a great deal. “I’ll go.”

The man standing at the counter that I assumed would be our tour guide and boat captain looked like a seasoned professional. In good hands, I thought, until I overheard him say that he was off and going home. And then Dylan walked through the door excitedly proclaiming, “I can’t wait to get back on the water. It’s been over a week.” My first thoughts--Too enthusiastic. This guy is as green as they come. He’s obviously new and just got his captains license. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous. First impressions are sometimes, well, wrong. Down at the boat, all geared up in our full-body floatation suits and ready to load, Dylan introduced himself. A seasoned pro, it seemed.

Dylan was, in-fact, born in Ucluelet and is a fourth-generation fisherman of Japanese descent. He told me that he started as a deck hand on the family fishing boat just as his father did with his grandfather. Dylan had spent his whole life on the waters around Ucluelet, it turned out. The way he presented himself during the safety briefing confirmed that he knew his way around watercraft. Dylan skilfully backed the boat away from the dock and we were off to the Broken Group Islands in the Barkley Sound.

Before we had reached the speed limit marker in the harbour, Dylan was spotting wildlife and tutoring us on the history of the old houses dotted along the shoreline. He provided a brief history on the Ucluelet First Nation community located on the opposite shore and then, he hit the throttles. We were off.

It’s great that the tour operators in the area maintain radio contact, advising each other of whale sightings, and I’m sure Dylan appreciates that as much as anyone, but I’m not convinced that he needs the help. Dylan was spotting far off spouts, and when we got close enough to view a whale, he would spot two more off in the distance. And to my delight, a grey gave me the shots I was looking for.

I asked Dylan what excited him most about being a tour guide. “Getting to show people the scenery out here,” he said. “It’s next to none and being on the water and going through the broken group will never get old for me.” Dylan’s favourite ocean critter--the octopus. “I've always been fascinated with their intelligence and gracefulness in the water,” he said. “I've even been bit by a small one and have always felt a connection to the animal.”

Dylan has left Ucluelet a few of times to explore other types of work on the island, but he has never been able to stay away for long. His love of being on the ocean has always brought him home. But, Dylan is now ready to embark on a whole new adventure. “I'm heading down to Australia on a work visa,” he told me. It remains to be seen, however, how long Dylan can stay away. “I have a feeling I’ll be back out on the west coast sooner rather than later as spending time away from this beautiful town is tough.”

Dylan, best of luck on your new adventure and I do hope that our paths will cross again someday. I’m confident that I will return to Ucluelet and I will certainly be checking in at Jamie’s Whaling Station. I’ll ask for you when I do.

Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres operates out of Ucluelet and Tofino. They offer a variety of tours aside from whale watching—bear watching, kayaking, cultural etc. If you are travelling in that area, check them out. You can read all about the company and the services they offer at: www.jamies.com

Here are some of the photographs I was able to get thanks to Dylan.

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Laura Griffith-Cochrane - island girl/marine biologist

10/19/2019

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Laura Griffith-Cochrane - Curator at the Uclelet Aquarium

My first encounter with Laura was in 2011—my first visit to the Ucluelet Aquarium. Laura was an employee there and her love of the ocean and all the creatures living in it was apparent straightaway.

I had visited Ucluelet a few years earlier and didn’t know then that there was an aquarium in that small community. It was only by chance that I happened by it in 2011 while on a casual stroll along the waterfront. The aquarium was, at that time, a nondescript hovel commonly referred to by locals as the plywood shack or mini aquarium. During that visit, Laura was quite excited to report that a plan was in the works to build a larger, permanent facility right next door the following year. I knew then that I would return one day to visit the new aquarium.

It was a pleasure meeting Laura, but I never gave much thought to our paths ever crossing again, even as I entered the new aquarium in October 2019. I paid my admission to the man behind the desk and made my way to the exhibits. After about fifteen minutes, I had accumulated a few questions that I hoped he could answer. As I approached the counter, I immediately recognized the person that had relieved him for his lunch break—it was Laura. “I remember you,” she said. “Ya, I remember you too,” I replied. Now, I’m sure Laura has greeted thousands of visitors during the eight years since we first met and yet, she remembered me. An unexpected and pleasant surprise and of course we got to chatting.

Laura told me that she was born on the other side of the Island, in Comox. “I don’t leave much,” she said. “I’m an island girl.” She did qualify that by noting she did travel to Austria as an exchange student in 2002 where she enjoyed a new cultural experience as well as an activity she had grown up with—downhill skiing. She still gets her skiing fix at a familiar stomping ground, Mount Washington near her hometown of Comox.

Laura told me that she had traveled to the western side of the island many times as a young girl, but it was a visit to Ucluelet in 2008 to visit friends when she discovered the small aquarium for the first time. It only took the one visit and she was hooked—she didn’t want to leave. Laura said that she spent so much time volunteering at the aquarium that she was eventually offered a job.

Since our first encounter in 2011, Laura went on to study biology at the University of Victoria and now enjoys her position as curator at the Ucluelet Aquarium. She is a diver and a huge chunk of her duties is helping to collect specimens from the ocean that serve as the exhibits. All the marine life that visitors see and touch are only there temporarily however, a unique feature of the facility. What comes out of the ocean must go back and of course, Laura is hands on for that as well. The dream job. I’m sure there are some mundane duties that go along with the position but still, the dream job. As one would expect from someone so committed to studying and protecting the marine environment, Laura also volunteers for various conservation projects.

Laura reported that she is now married, a union that did present some conflict. Her forest fire fighting partner is from California and of course, a decision had to be made as to where they would put down roots. As I noted, Laura is committed to her island home and I got the sense that she was quite happy that her husband agreed to stay where she felt most comfortable.

Laura’s passion for the study and preservation of marine life and her enthusiasm toward educating visitors was as obvious to me during our recent visit as it was in 2011. What I am writing here barely scratches the surface of who Laura Griffith-Cochrane is. Check out this YouTube interview with Laura and I know you’ll agree—she is a passionate and remarkable woman and I believe that the health of our environment is in good hands with curators like her at the helm.

YouTube - Ep. 3 - Laura Griffith-Cochrane: Biologist and Aquarium Curator

Oh ya…….sea cucumbers breath through their anus.

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Dwayne Cote - international violin and fiddle virtuoso

1/2/2019

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Dwayne Cote

Mine

On September 30, I made my way back to the Cabot Trail with the explicit intention of participating in the Celtic Colours Festival and to witness the explosion of colour brought on by the changing of the season. Many of my decisions on that journey were spontaneous and wow, did they pay off.

I have long been a fan of Celtic music, specifically jigs and reels played on the fiddle. In my opinion, if you don’t spontaneously want to dance when listening to this music, you must be unconscious. So, I hit every pub I could find and even the after-hours party at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s where musicians rocked it out Maritime style. The concert in Whycocomagh featuring the Irish band, Rura was one of the highlights of my trip. How I came to get that concert is a story in itself. Amazing! I have never really held a fiddle before and yearned to at least once sit with a fiddler and learn the basics of this beautiful instrument. Another spontaneous decision paved the way for that aspiration to become a reality.

The Celtic Colours Festival runs for nine days during which Cape Breton Island comes alive as venues all over the island host concerts featuring local and international musicians, pub floors are pounded by revelers stomping to the energetic vibe of fiddles and bagpipes and community centres host extravagant meals featuring local cuisine. Time-honoured dance and wool spinning demonstrations as well as traditional ceilidh story telling events offer visitors a glimpse into the distinctive history of this amazing place. The Celtic Colours Festival is truly one of the great Canadian events.

As with all journey’s, my time on the island was coming to an end. I needed to make my way home to Red Deer but a family visit in St. Thomas was still required. So, at 8:30 a.m. on October 9, I packed my bags and hit the highway. I have to admit, I was feeling somewhat depressed as I approached the Canso Causeway, that short link between Cape Breton Island and the Nova Scotia mainland. The Rura cd that I purchased at the Whycocomagh concert blasted from my speakers and memories of my visit to this beautiful place filled my head. I was both elated and sad at the same time.

As I approached the causeway, I remembered an event listed in the festival guide—Fiddle From Scratch – the basics. I had to stop and check the guide. Sure enough, that event was being held that day at a place called Prime Brook. I had no idea where Prime Brook was but of course, I needed to find it on my map—near Sydney, about two hours back. I wasn’t about to leave Cape Breton Island without sitting with a fiddle player and at least learning the basics. I turned around and headed for Prime Brook. It was also an excuse to spend another night on the island. I got a room in Sydney.

This is where Dwayne Cote enters my life. As a late arrival and not yet registered for the lesson, I wasn’t sure if I would even get to sit in on the one hour seminar. Luckily, Dwayne welcomed me in. Eight of us sat in a semi-circle and he promised us that we would learn one tune on the fiddle—Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I was finally holding a fiddle and learning from a pro. Even though I didn’t have my guitar with me, Dwayne loaned me his and allowed me to sit with the three others who had signed up for his advanced guitar lesson following the fiddle session.

Dwayne presented as a genuine and sensitive man. Following the fiddle lesson, I told him about my Cape Breton adventure and how I had turned around specifically to participate in his fiddle lesson. He was genuinely touched. I told him that I had often looked at violins at the music store but never purchased one. What he did next blew me away. He offered to sell me one of his favorite fiddles at a great price, an offer I couldn’t refuse. In exchange, I promised Dwayne that I would learn how to play it. So Dwayne, I start my first violin lesson on January 8.

As it turns out, Dwayne is one of the premier fiddler’s on Cape Breton Island and regularly performs at the Celtic Colours Festivals. He is also internationally renowned as a violin virtuoso. The following is an excerpt from an on-line article in Kitchenfest:

“John Allan Cameron called Dwayne Côté, "The best kept secret in Celtic Music". Dwayne was raised in Grande Greve, Cape Breton in a family deeply rooted in all aspects of Cape Breton, Irish and Scottish music traditions--his mother being a renowned dancer, instructor, and performer and his father is the late Gordon Côté, a celebrated Celtic fiddler/teacher who in recent years performed with Bobby Brown and The Cape Breton Symphony. Dwayne has been performing since the age of four, entertaining audiences far and wide. He has performed with such celebrated artists as John Allan Cameron, Graham Townsend, Sean McGuire, Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland, Dave MacIsaac, to name a few. Dwayne Côté is an accomplished instructor and has taught at many fiddle camps and universities. His international musical performances include guest appearances at The University of Cork, Ireland, The Juhmarah Resort in Dubai the United City of Emirates, and many cities in the United States. Dwayne is also a composer and has more than 200 tunes registered with SOCAN. Dwayne has many musical influences including Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland, the late Angus Chisholm, Sean McGuire, and Winston Scotty Fitzgerald. Dwayne Côté is deemed to be one of the most unique violinists and fiddlers in Atlantic Canada. In short, his musical tones are inimitable and seldom forgotten”.

A Google search of Dwayne Cote will bring you to sites where you can hear for yourself the talent of this incredible musician. I promised Dwayne that I would learn how to play this complicated instrument but I can’t guarantee to what level I will achieve. Based on my uninstructed attempts so far, I would keep your distance if you see me with my fiddle on my shoulder. I make dogs howl. And I know it’s not the violin’s fault. I listened as my soon-to-be violin instructor played a few notes. She made it sound amazing.

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Mary Macaulay, P.Eng. B&B owner, staunch defender of bugs

12/31/2018

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Mary Macaulay, P. Eng.

Remember Adventures/Caper Café & Gift Shop – Tatamagouche, NS

I dropped my travelling companion at the Halifax airport at 5:30 a.m. on September 30 and excitedly started out on my own for the Cabot Trail. We had explored the trail a couple of weeks earlier but I hadn’t seen enough. I was especially keen on partaking in the Celtic Colours Festival and witnessing the explosion of colour that I knew would soon arrive with the changing of the season. There was, however, one place that I needed to visit before heading back to Cape Breton.

I rolled into Tatamagouche at about 7:00 a.m. I’m not sure what it is about Tatamagouche that attracted me. I think just the name—Tatamagouche. It was a bit off the beaten track but getting off the beaten track is why I made the trip in the first place. I hadn’t eaten breakfast and was looking forward to sitting down to a traditional morning meal—bacon and eggs with rye toast and one or two, okay three cups of black coffee. My growling stomach was hastily disappointed as I rolled into the sleepy village—barely a soul in sight and the only eatery I saw with an open sign flashing was a Subway. Not the breakfast fare I envisioned. I hadn’t planned on staying long but it seemed my visit to Tatamagouche would be even shorter now. I wasn’t going to hang around waiting for the place to come alive so I recharged my two travel mugs with Subway coffee and decided to make the obligatory tour of the village before hitting the highway. As happened many times on this trip, that impulsive decision paid off.

As I made my way up Station Road towards Main Street I noticed a sandwich board sign out of the corner of my eye—Caper Café & Gift Shop, BREAKFAST SERVED—OPEN. It was a B&B and the only game in town. And that’s where I met Mary Macaulay.

Mary is the owner/operator of the establishment. She was quick with a friendly greeting and a welcoming smile and straight away led me to the small dining room where a young couple from Halifax had already been seated. And of course the menu included bacon and eggs. I hit the jackpot. I hadn’t thought much more about who Mary might have been other than a great host and an awesome cook. It wasn’t until we started to chat that I realised there was much more to her than observably met the eye.

While Mary served me breakfast we exchanged casual bits of information about ourselves. I told her about my Maritime adventure and that I was working on a website to document my Canadian travels. As I always do, I asked her about her story and if I could take a photo for the eventual narrative that I would write. Mary was obliging.

Mary told me that she earned her engineering degree in Toronto and is in-fact a chemical engineer with specialties in environmental, food processing and biotechnology. Her special interest is human impact on the environment and she holds a degree in anthropology with specialties in archaeology and linguistics. Didn’t expect that! Throughout her career, Mary became aware of and then concerned about the declining insect populations world-wide. So, in 2013 she established the Insect Recovery Project (IRP).

The following excerpt is from her website: www.insectrecovery.org

The Insect Recovery Project was established in January 2013 in response to the concern about the sudden disappearance of common insects. The Project uses social media to educate the Public about the ecological importance of insects and about their recent precipitous global decline. The Project advocates for a reversal of anthropogenic practices which have caused this decline. It also works to raise public goodwill for insects by sharing information to increase their positive profile.

I have long been aware that bee populations are in trouble and I’m concerned of the consequences of that but had never considered how all insects play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance. So, my coincidental meeting with Mary educated me on the plight of those critters that most consider to be nothing more than annoying pests. Mary is so committed to protecting insects that the property on which the café stands is purposely developed to encourage insect activity.

The Caper Café & Gift Shop and B&B is just one of the amenities offered through her business, Remember Adventures established in 2015 so that she could focus her time on the Insect Recovery Project. Site facilities include a demonstration pollinator meadow project; pedal buggy, bicycle, kayak, hiking poles, snow shoe & coaster rentals. Additionally, Remember Adventures offers accommodation at a rental chalet on an eight acre dragonfly nature reserve at near-by Angevine Lake.

Now it isn’t just the name Tatamagouche that will take me back to that place when I next visit to the Maritimes. The Caper Café & Gift Shop will definitely be home while I explore that area of this beautiful province.

Check out these websites for more info on Remember Adventures, the Insect Recovery Project and for general information on the plight of insects world-wide.
www.rememberadventures.ca
www.insectrecovery.org

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Printing Fish - Fishead Company Store

11/22/2018

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Cheryl Thomson and Tracy Gallant.

I tend to stop at many places during my travels hoping to meet as many people as I can. As I've mentioned elsewhere on this site, Canadians are very friendly people and most are willing to chat and let you grab a photo or two. While touring the Central Coastal Drive on Prince Edward Island, I stopped at North Rustico Harbour, about a 10 minute drive south of Cavendish. The sign on the replica lighthouse immediately drew my attention - Fishead Company Store. Inside is where I met sisters and the new owners, Cheryl Thomson and Tracy Gallant.

Like most other Canadians I've met, the sisters were more than happy to engage in chit-chat and pose for a photo. They told me that they recently bought the store where they are now selling a very unique product, fish print t-shirts. The process of printing fish on t-shirts is derived from the ancient Japanese method of printing called Gyotaku. They also sell other local art as well as coffee and baked goods.

To read a more in-depth story on how and why the sisters started their new venture, you are invited to read an on-line article written by Guardian reporter, Sally Cole: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/business/None/sisters-team-up-to-print-fish-t-shirts-in-north-rustico-236237/

When you visit P.E.I, you will undoubtedly travel the Central Coastal Drive. I highly recommend a stop at North Rustico Harbour and a visit to The Fishead Company Store to meet Cheryl and Tracy. These two gracious women truly do embody Maritime hospitality.

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Angie's Restaurant - spreading wings

10/25/2018

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Angie's restaurant is located a short walk away from the Highlands Hostel at Cape North. I had eaten there earlier in the day so decided go back for supper. Angie's is a small eatery, maybe eight tables. When I entered, there was, among a few other patrons, an older couple seated together. The first thing that struck me as I waited for my meal was what the elderly woman said as they left, "good night everyone." It was like we were all friends at a house party and they were heading home after a great visit. Another example of just how welcomed I felt in Cape Breton. I wished they had stayed--they would surely have been in the pic.

So, what about the pic, you ask? The two young ladies (kneeling) Colleen Riley and Tenley Lemay, from Toronto and Joey, the young Chinese fellow, were the only other patrons in the restaurant when I got up to pay my bill. The young ladies were nearing the end of their trip and Joey, a Chinese student recently arrived to Canada was enjoying a weekend on the Cabot Trail.

At the counter, I asked Clayton (black tee shirt) if he was a long time resident of Cape North. Clayton told me that he had in-fact never been further that two hours away. That would barely get him off the Cabot Trail. Clayton then proudly proclaimed that he was going to spread his wings soon. He was moving to Guelph, Ontario to live with his uncle. So, like I do, I asked Clayton if I could get a pic for my website. He not only agreed he ran into the kitchen and grabbed his grandmother, Wilma and his mother, Angie (hence the name of the restaurant) and brought them out. So, to make it a real family affair, I invited the others to join in. They were all more than eager.

I do hope that Clayton enjoy's his new adventures in Ontario and I understand why such a young man would want to explore more of the world. From what I experienced, I would have been hard pressed to leave Cape North.

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Highlands Hostel or........Church of Skatan

10/24/2018

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When I booked three nights at the Highlands Hostel at Cape North on the Cabot Trail, I wasn't sure what to expect; it had been a long time since I'd stayed in a hostel. But, I wanted to meet people and a hostel is a great way to do that. The price was right for a bed in this converted church, $25.00/night and it is located at the top of the Cabot Trail.

My first inkling of what to expect came when I stopped at the Wreck Cove General Store, still about two hours away from Cape North. When I told the man behind the counter where I was headed and that I'd be staying in the hostel, his face lit up. "Oh, Bricin's place," he said. "Bricin is a character. Call him Striker." I was a bit leery of calling a stranger names for fear that it might be an insult, but the man assured I would be okay.

When I finally arrived at the hostel and stepped inside, I was pleased to see that it seemed clean and inviting. When a rather large young man stepped out of a room to greet me, I said, "you must be Striker." He laughed and said, "ya, that's me." I was relieved that he didn't seem to be insulted.

Striker (Bricin Lyons), told me that he and his partner, Patricia Sauer came to the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island from the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia last September. Bricin stated that he fell in love with the place after visiting the area years earlier. It wasn't only the friendliness of the people and the beauty of the place that captured his attention, it was the long, downhill stretches of highway in the highlands that brought him there in the first place. You see, Striker is a long-boarder. If you are not familiar with the long-board, it is basically a skate board on steroids. And long-boarders are those crazy people that you might see flying down a mountain road at speeds up to and sometimes in excess of 100 km/hr.

Striker told me that he initially approached Patricia's father and told him of his plans to move to Cape Breton and that he would only proceed if her father agreed to make the move with them. Her father agreed. So, Striker and Patricia bought the 100 year old church, packed up their two children, Billie and Cassius (Cash), moved to Cape North and opened the hostel with, he noted, considerable help from the international long-boarding community. Striker is well known in the community and travels back to British Columbia every year to organise his long-boarding event, the longest such event in the history of the sport. Money from the sale of tee shirts in Australia helped fund renovations and friends that came from all over provided the labour.

The hostel is open all year long and serves as a great staging spot for all kinds of activities such as cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, hiking, bike riding, canoeing, whale watching, touring and of course, the Celtic Colours Festival. During the season from May to July, Striker buys fresh lobster off the boat each night and offers them to his guests for a very reasonable price.
Patricia is a very warm and friendly woman who obviously enjoy's the lifestyle of operating a hostel while raising her children surrounded by nature and the beauty that is the Cabot Trail. While I was there, Patricia spent considerable time planning a birthday party for her son Cash including painstakingly constructing a pinata for the big day. She made sure her daughter got to and from the school bus, socialised with guests and looked after the over-all day to day operation of the hostel.

Striker told me that he worked the night shift which included stock piling enough wood to keep the fire pit aflame every night and socialising and entertaining guests that gathered around the fire.

The fire pit is where I had one of many great experiences on this particular trip. My first day at the hostel was drawing to a close; I was enjoying a beer and chatting with other guests. Out of nowhere, six hunters (moose hunting season was in full swing) came into the hostel still dressed in their hunting gear. They had obviously had a few beers, no doubt celebrating the moose kill earlier in the day. They were driving by and just wanted to check the place out. They were very friendly and we all ended up at the fire pit chatting over some cold ones. Out of the blue, one of them said, "hey, we have the moose heart in the truck. Who wants to eat it." All hands immediately went up. He went to the truck and returned with a piece of meat as big as any roast I've ever seen. Work quickly began on setting up a grill on two logs standing on end and the moose heart was cooked to perfection. It was delicious. Patricia even invited one of the hunters into the kitchen where he fried a slab of heart in a pan with onion and spices. That was what I considered to be an act of generosity and was just one example of what I experienced many times while on the island. The pics below tell some of the story of the moose heart feast.

Not if, but when I go back to the Cabot Trail, I will stay at the Highlands Hostel.

www.highlandshostel.ca

You can also check out some of Bricin's long boarding adventures with a google search of his name.

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Pest control from the air.

10/24/2018

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I came across Wildlife Control Officer, Scott Jackson and his trained hawk at the Halifax Harbour. Scott was providing information to the public about these birds and how they are used as environmentally-friendly and chemical-free nuisance bird control at facilities such as airports, food processing plants, sea ports, landfills, compost facilities, and wineries and blueberry farms. Scott works for a company called Atlantic Falconry Services and Wildlife Control out of Dartmouth, That company also provides wildlife control services to residential and commercial properties by trapping nuisance animals and safely relocating them.

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Amy Russell - a small world.

10/1/2018

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I was quite excited when I saw the Bluenose II docked at the Halifax Harbour and more excited when I saw that it was open for visitors. On board the ship were a number of deck hands standing at the ready to answer questions. So, I approached one of them and asked if I could take her photograph--she agreed. We chatted a bit about the ship and I eventually got around to telling her that I was travelling from Alberta. She replied, "I'm from Alberta too, Didsbury." Didsbury is about 40 minutes south of Red Deer and I had done books signings at the Mountainview Arts Festival there for a number of years. We both thought that was quite the coincidence.

I then stated that I was actually born in St. Thomas, Ontario and had moved to Alberta in 1975. Amy's eyes lit up. "My family is from St. Thomas," she said. "My parents moved to Alberta in the 70's, when I was 2 years old." Amy went on to tell me that she knows St. Thomas well as she travels there frequently to visit family.

Although I didn't recognise, or at least remember the name Russel, I might have known some of the same people that her parents knew as we would be about the same age. Maybe I did cross paths with them in my youth, who knows.

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Pro rodeo photographer Ken Marcinkoski - 50 years and counting.

7/17/2018

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My first encounter with Ken Marcinkoski was at the Big Valley rodeo in 1994 while on assignment for a small weekly newspaper that I was working for. It was literally my first rodeo. Little did I know then that Ken had already been a rodeo photographer for 25 years. I recall standing beside Ken inside the arena during the roping and steer wrestling events. Every time an animal escaped capture, it would frantically race straight towards us at blazing speed, and of course my initial reaction was to scurry back to the fence for fear of being bowled over. Ken just stood his ground with the knowledge that the animals would always veer away at the last minute. I learned something about rodeo photography that day. Of course one wouldn’t try that during the bull riding event.

Since that day I have photographed many, many rodeos and have stood next to Ken many times. One thing that stood out to me was that Ken always keeps it simple. From that day in 1994 in Big Valley to now, he uses one camera, one lens and a mono pod. Most other rodeo photographers, myself included, lug around a couple of camera bodies, a couple of heavy lenses and in my case, a mono pod and a tripod or two.

Despite our paths having crossed many times, Ken, now 76 years of age, and I never spoke much. I always assumed he was a man of few words. But, curiosity finally got the best of me and I needed to hear his story. It was a brief meeting but Ken was open to a quick chat before heading off to shoot an award ceremony.

Ken has been around rodeo all his life and had at one time considered a career as a competitor (he didn’t say what events he participated in). I think it is safe to say that if Ken had chosen that route, his career in rodeo would not have been so long lived. Luckily for a younger Ken, a teacher introduced him to photography, gave him a camera and the rest, as they say, is history. Ken’s career as a rodeo photographer is now in its 50th year. Despite dealing with knee injuries and carpal tunnel, Ken stated that he plans to photograph rodeos for a long time yet.

So, it’s not surprising that Ken is not only well known on the rodeo circuit, he is a well respected and award winning rodeo photographer. He has covered most of the rodeo associations as well as all of their finals in western Canada. He covered the first two British Columbia Professional finals in Penticton and has covered the Calgary Stampede numerous times. He is the only rodeo photographer to have covered all CFR (Canadian Finals Rodeos) in Edmonton. In 2013 the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association gave Ken an award for having covered all 40 CFR Rodeos to date. Ken is a founding member of the Canadian Rodeo Historical Association and in 2016 was awarded Gold for his lifetime of history to the sport of Pro Rodeo.

Earlier this year, Red Deer, Alberta was named to host the Canadian Finals Rodeo for the next 10 years. That event had been held in Edmonton during its entire 44 year history. I’m expecting to see Ken at the finals and maybe even get a place next to him if I’m lucky enough to be considered to photograph that major event. That event runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4. If you are in the area, the CFR should be on your list of events to take in.

You can see Ken’s work at his website: www.rodeophotos.ca

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