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 Lasqueti Island (and Gerry) featured on Global
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guntis
Senior Member


Smurf Village, BC
Canada

1495 Posts

 Posted - 04/30/2012 :  07:41 AM  Show Profile  Reply to this posting
Pretty cool piece about "Living off the grid"
http://www.globalnews.ca/video/index.html?v=cn1PEN5LiuyhJ1gLm_fo5an8LdTzDaiC#video

sixer
Junior Member


Vancouver, BC
Canada

277 Posts

 Posted - 04/30/2012 :  12:46 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I have a couple of friends that live out there much of the year. Looks pretty fantastic. Of course now the secret is out lol. Wow, looks like paradise, life off the grid. Dreaming now...while I toil at my tedious day job... Thanks for sharing! 8D
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Moses
Senior Member

God fearin' music packin' animal BBQin' funny trip reportin'.... cheese lovin' MH lover who skinny dips in Ling secret lakes

Somewhere between pomp & circumstance, British Columbia
Canada

1401 Posts

 Posted - 04/30/2012 :  7:44 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Any word on Buddy?
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seawallrunner
Advanced Member

double-double seeking, snow-chasing, short-cutting, vertical feet collector


4523 Posts

 Posted - 04/30/2012 :  9:18 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
charming feature, well done.
now I want a Saint Bernard :)

tzoflier
Junior Member



122 Posts

 Posted - 05/01/2012 :  12:48 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I hope that St. Bernard breeder with some 42 or so dogs rambling through the forest are not defacating in some one's drinking water supply like the engineer who said he drinks water straight out of "his" creek. The thundering and scrabbling feet of 40 dogs looks like they were laying waste to some beautiful mosses and lichens. St. Bernards have no concept of Leave No Trace, or Tread Lightly, that's the dog breeder's responsibility.

I don't get why the featured couple had a bunch of exercise machines on their porch? You supposedly live in paradise, with a lush rainforest, ocean, beach just outside your door, and you'd rather get a workout on a big box store, chinese made fitness machine? Can't Lasquetians hike, bike, swim, paddle, run, walk, cut/split firewood to get some exercise?

Edited by - tzoflier on 05/01/2012 1:23 PM

gchicalo
Intermediate Member


Lasqueti Island, British Columbia
Canada

533 Posts

 Posted - 05/02/2012 :  09:04 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Can't Lasquetians hike, bike, swim, paddle, run, walk, cut/split firewood to get some exercise?


That's what I do. I doubt that any of the other Lasquetians featured in the show have excersize equipment.

gchicalo
Intermediate Member


Lasqueti Island, British Columbia
Canada

533 Posts

 Posted - 05/02/2012 :  09:26 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
from The Morning Show:

http://www.globaltoronto.com/Pages/MorningSegment.aspx?id=6442629198

KARVITK
Advanced Member

Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards

Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada

13445 Posts

 Posted - 05/02/2012 :  7:22 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Impressive.....from the most basic to the earthship.

Could be fun for a while, a short period though.

Wow, and a huge pack of dogs. and 1000's of sheep.

K

Edited by - KARVITK on 05/02/2012 7:23 PM

prother
Senior Member


Qualicum Beach, BC
Canada

1303 Posts

 Posted - 05/03/2012 :  08:18 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Utopia? Every pound of dog food (or all other freight, for that matter) takes this route:

Drive from home to ferry and find a parking spot. Run down to the ferry before it takes off.

Go from Lasqueti to VI on the passenger ferry, that costs $ and burns diesel. Don't forget to get your loading pass for the return trip.

Try to get your car at French Creek running, that's maybe been sitting for weeks. Hope the vandals haven't stolen your gas, or slashed your tires.

Spend your day shopping and race back to catch the last ferry (3 a day, except none on Tue-Wed). Load freight (space is very limited) and race to park your car and get back down to the ferry before it takes off. Hope it's not a SE wind or you'll be rolling broadside for the hour of open water crossing.

For most people, they find it necessary to have a vehicle on both Lasqueti and VI. That's insurance twice, plus parking fees at French Creek. There's no car ferry to Lasqueti, so vehicles need to be barged over, costing a couple of hundred dollars each way... which usually means a one way trip for an old used vehicle.

Once on the Lasqueti side, you'll need to pack your freight up the ramp (hope it's not low tide) and go fetch your vehicle and bring it down to the dock. How much does gas cost on Lasqueti?

Final leg, drive home. For many, this last leg also involves a path between the road and home, involving packing or wheel barrowing the freight down the trail.

Finally time to kick back and rest... But first start a fire and turn on the propane lights. You did remember to get your tanks filled on "Dangerous Freight" day, didn't you?

Every jug of milk, roll of tar paper, cast iron bathtub... all freight, goes through this scenario.

You could get your own boat and skip the ferry, but anybody that's gone this route soon realizes that boats are just holes in the water, needing to be filled with money.

Sound's pretty idyllic doesn't it?

sixer
Junior Member


Vancouver, BC
Canada

277 Posts

 Posted - 05/03/2012 :  10:59 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Lol, sounds like a good reason to be really well-educated on what you'll need to be as self-sufficient as possible, to avoid those trips whenever possible. 8D And perhaps make a group shopping list, so neighbours can help each other out when visiting VI... Grow yer own, brew yer own. 8D Seeds are a lot lighter to carry than groceries! Maybe learn to love my tea without milk? (!!!)

cambium
Advanced Member



3022 Posts

 Posted - 05/03/2012 :  12:42 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Some of these people barge in quantities of diesel for their generators, not so great for "peace & clean air". No different than camping in a regional park.
Got to put up with annual RCMP flybies from helicopter searching for that evil weed.
RCMP also visit to catch unlicensed motor vehicles.
That guy's plastic wrap living quarters looks like my greenhouse.
That other guy's "fire under the bathtub while drinking plum wine" reminds me of that science quiz.."when a frog is placed in a shallow pot and the water turned on slow boil..."

Some lasquitians sure do dress unusual when they visit the big island, and somehow the Clock and Work ethic in a structured work environment eludes them when they land a job here.

Others feel entitled to let their dogs roam nilly-willy.One ass dog owner held his neighbors' at bay with a .22 when they complained of the noise, shit and trespass and stalking by his dogs, and it took the police 12 hours to arrive and investigate.

On the plus side, the island is dark at night.

prother
Senior Member


Qualicum Beach, BC
Canada

1303 Posts

 Posted - 05/03/2012 :  7:05 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Other than the pub at False Bay, I don't know of anyone that uses diesel to fuel generators for electricity. Most of the people, living on Laasqueti, that I have known from the 1970's, are making their own power from wind, hydro and solar.

This is not a simple process and requires much knowledge of the systems and a large output of funds to set up. It is not "free" electricity, as it has it's initial set up costs, including wiring a house similar to one on the grid and maintaining, replacing and disposing of deep cell batteries (much like car batteries).

People that fully embrace a lifestyle like this are not taking the easy way out and work far harder for their power than do people on the grid.

It's one thing to hang out for a summer, strumming your guitar and growing enough vegetables to think you're self sufficient, yet another thing to live there year round for many years, raising a family.

Cambium, please keep your nose and comments away from business that you have no real knowledge of.

Peter

Cherry Pirate
Junior Member


Maple Ridge, BC
Canada

344 Posts

 Posted - 05/04/2012 :  10:44 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It is a genuine life-goal to build an earthship. But it's hard to see where I'm going to get the approval and that kind of upfront cash.

Great video though, was nice to see the dream being lived.

Also it delights me how unable that woman was able to cope with a fairly comfortable level of rural living.

Edited by - Cherry Pirate on 05/04/2012 11:03 AM

cambium
Advanced Member



3022 Posts

 Posted - 05/04/2012 :  12:40 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Somebody here is suggesting that they know every one that lives on this island and still flashbacks to the 1970's.
Some of us talk to people that regularly visit the island and deliver goods and services there.
I can see it from near my home.
Got some news for that person, real-estate-push has brought in a different mindset & me-attitudes & dreams of cheap cheap deals, and even in this film there is a hint thrown at lowermainlanders that lasqueti is only "90 minutes away fron vancouver".
Those that do make a success of using renewal energy and living off the land and community cohesiveness are doing something that we should be striving to do across the water.
All the power to them, no pun intended.

prother
Senior Member


Qualicum Beach, BC
Canada

1303 Posts

 Posted - 05/06/2012 :  8:15 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Cambium,

I never stated that I knew everyone on Lasqueti... only that I know many established residents on the Island. I am in personal contact with many of them on a regular basis. For 25 years, much of my cabinet business was done for people living or owning land on Lasqueti.

You know more than I do about Lasqueti Island, because you say, "I can see it from near my home."?... and you, "talk to people that regularly visit the island"? Have you ever even been to Lasqueti?

Cambium, or what ever you want to call yourself, stop making a fool of yourself and stick to the very few subjects that you may know something about, which doesn't seem like many.

I'm sure you will just have to have the last word on this, so have at it.

Peter

gchicalo
Intermediate Member


Lasqueti Island, British Columbia
Canada

533 Posts

 Posted - 05/07/2012 :  08:24 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Utopia? Every pound of dog food (or all other freight, for that matter) takes this route:

You're a bit off; Order freight online or by phone. Truck delivers freight to French Creek. Forklift puts it onto barge. Forklift takes it off barge and places it onto HYAB truck waiting on Lasqueti Island. Smaller and personal items can be taken on the passenger-only ferry.

I live here on Lasqueti Island and look back the other way; to Qualicum Beach / Parksville, Vancouver Island. When the power goes out on Vancouver Island (frequently, during the winter months) we laugh and we laugh.

I am the one who lives in the (temporary) plastic-wrap house. What they didn't show on TV, however, is my 'real' house, now under construction nearby.

cambium
Advanced Member



3022 Posts

 Posted - 05/07/2012 :  12:15 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I can understand that in order to make a home and use power tools, that a generator is needed, my question is once the projects are completed are these generators dismantled and retired forever or do they become a permanent constant fixture of the resident's lifestyle?
Being off the grid is commendable, trying to avoid nearly 100 percent of fossil fuels is the next logical step.

prother
Senior Member


Qualicum Beach, BC
Canada

1303 Posts

 Posted - 05/07/2012 :  10:48 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Gerry,

I stand corrected, regarding freight these days on Lasqueti. The last time I did any work on the Island was almost 15 years ago and everything was hand bombed on. Still, much of what I wrote is current and most freight, such as groceries and light building material gets carried on to the ferry.

I remember one memorable (?) trip to install a kitchen and loading it onto the back deck of the ferry, on an Easter weekend. We had to wait for an acting troop to unload all of their stage props and then hussle our cabinets on by hand. Once I parked my truck and ran down the dock to get onboard, before departure, I was told I couldn't board because I didn't have a boarding pass. I somehow talked my way through it and got over to install the job.

I can also recall the skipper in 1972, placing two wood planks, from the upper dock, across to the ferry cabin top, at high tide and driving a VW Bug over. That boat was the Capt of Vancouver and the skipper was found, at least twice passed out, while the ferry went in circles during crossings.

My hat's off to you for making the commitment to Island life. Still, we on Vancouver Island often look across to Lasqueti during howling southeasters and chuckle about how we're not stuck there.

Peter

Edited by - prother on 05/08/2012 5:47 PM

cambium
Advanced Member



3022 Posts

 Posted - 05/07/2012 :  11:17 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by gchicalo


I live here on Lasqueti Island and look back the other way; to Qualicum Beach / Parksville, Vancouver Island. When the power goes out on Vancouver Island (frequently, during the winter months) we laugh and we laugh.





Talking to someone today that has a bit of background on the island, tells me that a few people from the states during the vietnam war era dodged the draft and fled to lasqueti because of its anonymity to the outside world, and after a few years that seclusion got to them and they later left.
Ever hear of that?
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