Gabriolan.ca » Kensington

Rabbit in the Gabriola woods

Gabriolan — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:34:29 +0000

I’ve seen rabbits in the Horseshoe Road area, but not elsewhere on Gabriola – until today. This bunny was in the Kensington Lands this morning. How’d that happen? Has the rabbit population expanded quite a lot recently, or….?

Dog was disappointed that I wouldn’t let her catch the rabbit for lunch. I think this rabbit is destined to be dinner for Owl, though. Such a white bunny – so easy for Owl to see at night.

Or maybe the eagles will get there first. They were calling in the woods today, not far from where the rabbit was munching on grass.

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

Weldwood on Gabriola

Gabriolan — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:33:14 +0000

Were you on Gabriola in 1992, when there was much concern about the Weldwood property and what should become of it? I wasn’t, so all I have to go on is the accounts of others. Here’s what Paul Grignon has on his website: Not What We Thought It Was? – Weldwood, 13 Years After.

As someone deeply involved with the Weldwood Deal from very many angles, 13 years later I present this version of events as the most consistent with the facts as I know them.

In 1992, we learned that Weldwood had decided to dispose of their operations on the coast. Some Gabriolans suggested that Weldwood simply give their 2800 acres of Gabriola tree farm land the to the community as they had already made lots of money from it.

(This blog entry used to link to that article on Paul’s website. But the article is no longer available, so I’ve removed the link.)

Paul ~~has~~ had another article on Weldwood, too: The Past is not Past if We Keep Making the Same Mistakes – One Islander’s Recap of the Weldwood Fiasco.

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

Gabriola trail blocked

Gabriolan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:17:47 +0000

Until recently, this was a trail into the Gabriola woods, on Federal Government property (Kensington Lands). Now the trail entrance is blocked by a serious wall of cedar branches. Somebody’s gone to a lot of work to do this! A mature alder tree has been cut as well, and it lies across the path.

I’m guessing that this will be cleared away soon, or that a work-around trail will soon appear. That’s what usually happens, after all. How long do you think it will take?

(From Gabriolan.ca.)

Gabriola history: Weldwood and Kensington

Gabriolan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:41:35 +0000

I’ve been reading bits about the history of Weldwood on Gabriola Island. According to a page at the Islands Institute library, Until 1994 Weldwood of Canada owned 2800 acres, approximately 1/4 of Gabriola Island. Weldwood seems to have been a forestry company. (It’s since been purchased by West Fraser.)

Apparently Weldwood wanted to develop some of their Gabriola land — note the white parts inside the green-edged shapes in this map, which apparently shows one proposal made in 1993.

OK, so what I do know about the Weldwood proposal is that there was much division on Gabriola about it. And it seems that Weldwood’s proposal wasn’t accepted…right? Otherwise there would be development in the areas they wanted to develop, like on the lands between North Road and Whalebone beach.

But now those lands (between North Road and Whalebone) are owned by the Government of Canada (you’ve seen their no tresspassing signs along the Tunnel), and are called the Kensington Lands. How’d we get from Weldwood to Kensington? Kensington seems to refer to Kensington Island Properties. Their website (edit: site no longer online, but was at http://www.kensingtoncoastalpoint.com/developer.html) says Since 1996, Kensington Island Properties have been in the land development business on Vancouver Island and Gabriola Island.

So I’m assuming that Weldwood logged the land, and then Kensington bought it, hoping to develop it. Is that right? Did Kensington develop other land on Gabriola?

Who drilled wells (see this photo and that photo) in the forest – Weldwood or Kensington?

I hope people who’ve lived on Gabriola since the early 1990s will be able to supply some of the details that I’m missing.

(From Gabriolan.ca.)