POTTY PLACES ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

A wee peek at unusual street names in out-of-the-way places – Part 3

By Ovid Publius Hadweenzic, a professor of paltry pedantry with an eye for the unusual, a nose for notabene news, and a discerning tongue for tasting tidbits of titillating trifles.

If you want to get a feel for the personality of a place, the best thing to do is check out the signposts and street names.

On Vancouver Island, (conveniently situated off the left coast of Canada), the smaller communities have a certain shall we say "quaint charm" about them, (especially if they’re really off-the-beaten-track both literally and figuratively).

Take for example Port Alberni, (situated on the West Coast of the island with a long history as a sawmill and later paper manufacturing town). Besides having suffered a devastating disaster, (a tsunami to be exact, not to mention being deluged by "heavy precipitation" for all but one day a year -- on Christmas Eve -- when fortunately it turns to snow), its true claim to fame is “the sports fishing capital of Canada” (when the fish used to live there once upon a time long ago). With so much going for it, one wonders who dreamt up their street names like Ekooth Rd., Heaslip Rd., Huff Dr., Kitsucksis Rd., Pybus St., and Whittlestone Ave.

Then there’s Comox (on the east coast and “up island” as they say). It’s got a Canadian Forces airbase, some great skiing in winter and oodles of hiking and camping spots. With so much to do, it’s not hard to see why they have such an eclectic bunch of street names from Dingwall Rd., Docliddle Rd., Drabble Rd., Foxxwood Dr. Gingwell Rd., Gutwald Rd., Houlgrave Rd., Niminim Pl, Nimpkish St. Ninebark Wy. Pandrama Cr., Pidcock Ave., Puntledge Rd., Rod and Gun Rd., Rodello St., Schlederup Pl., Soapberry Blvd., Tsimshian Ave., Tobacca Rd. Toslum Rd., Turnstall Rd., Tweed Rd., Ubique Way, Whatcom Rd., Zeballos Dr., to Zerkee Pl.

Another “up island” town is Campbell River, home to a community college, a swanky hotel/resort, mining and forestry operations, and the odd diving adventure or two. So it’s not surprising that such a hodge-podge of activities would give rise to street names such as Bushbuck Dr., Mo Rd., Nilhut Dr., Old Spit Rd., Sandtrap Pl., Sassaby Pl., Serengenti Ave., Spit Rd., Twillingate Rd., and WeiWakum Rd.

“Freedom Fifty-fivers” will find themselves quite cozy in rather posh places like Parksville and Qualicum Beach.

With the rat race far behind them, residents with short attention spans from Parksville get a real kick out of living on Bagshaw St., Blower Rd., Brunt Rd., Butler Way, Digby Ave., Ermineskin Ave., Forgotten Dr., Hickey Ave., Kasba Dir., Kazan Ave., Mistaken Pl., Modge’s Rd., Nicklin Rd., Popham Rd., Ruffels Rd., and Woodpecker Pl.

Qualicum Beach, besides being situated on shores of the Strait of Georgia, is home to the “well-to-do” folks who like to build sandcastles, mow well-manicured lawns and yell “fore” a good deal of the time. Not surprisingly the street names reflect the life of the lollygaggers: Beach Tr., Blind Bogey Dr., Broom Rd., Bunker Pl., Butterball Dr., Cleek Cl., Country Club Dr., Dalmatian Dr., Dewberry Way, Dogleg Cl., Dollymount Rd., Fairway Dr., Flamingo Way, Hollywood Rd., Illiqua Rd., Kibble Rd., Namqua Rd., Nassau Cr., Niblick Cl., Pelorus Pl., Royal Dornoch Dr., Sand Wedge Cl., Spoon Cl., Tournament Tour., Troon Cl., and believe it or not, Yambury Rd.

Down the highway near the south end of Vancouver Island lies the "Cowichan Valley", home to loggers, pulp and paper workers, starving artists, Aboriginal museum visitors, theatre goers, mural watchers and a smattering of wine growers.

"North Cowichan" residents feel all warm and fuzzy with such street names as Bare Point Rd., Dingo Rd., Drinkwater Rd., Drumcullen Rd., Dyke Rd., Godkin Rd., Harmony Pl., Humbird St., Jackman Rd., Lower Chippewa Rd., Moose Rd., Oyster Way Rd., Peerless Rd., Quamichan Park Pl., Redcap St., Rumble Rd., Thicke Rd., and Winget Pl.

Duncan, “City of totems”, is a sub-regional shopping hub in the Valley with most of the prime properties in town belonging to the Cowichan Tribes. So it’s quite a cultural mix as reflected in the street signs from Bundock Ave., Inverarity Rd., Kakalatza Rd., Kinch Ave., Koksilah Rd., Kowutzen St., Polkey Rd., Somenos Rd., Stotlou Rd., Tzouhalem Rd., to Wharncliff Rd.

So, if you’re looking to “chill out”, “get away from it all”, or “get lost in the forest”, do drop by and say hello to the folks living in these out-of-the-way spots. And, if you want to be welcomed with open arms, drink a pint of their local brew (hot or cold), and whatever you do …don’t wear a suit and tie or tell them you’re from Ontario!