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New book highlights nature of PQB and Island

Redl will talk about her new book in the Forum of the Parksville Civic and Technology Centre May 27
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Former Parksville resident Carolyn Redl is the author of ‘Four Seasons by the Salish Sea: Discovering the Natural Wonders of Coastal Living’. (Lillie Louise Photography)

Carolyn Redl hopes her new book will serve as a love song to the Salish Sea and highlight the importance of preserving the environment.

The former long-time Parksville resident recently published Four Seasons by the Salish Sea: Discovering the Natural Wonders of Coastal Living, which is based on many experiences of living in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area and beyond. Redl now resides in Victoria.

Living on Vancouver Island, she welcomed numerous visitors over the years and realized many people were only getting a partial story.

“They were seeing the Salish Sea during the summertime, but they didn’t know what was happening during the other seasons,” Redl said. “And it seemed to me they were missing out on a lot of important events.”

Redl moved from the Prairies to Vancouver Island in the early 2000s and was amazed by winter nature events like the herring spawn, the arrival of California sea lions and Dogwood and Trillium flowers in bloom.

“I wanted to emphasize to our visitors, too, that what they saw in Parksville is repeated over and over around the Salish Sea,” she said. “So I talk about the great gardens like Milner, but I also talk about my own garden, which evolved over the years in Parksville.”

READ MORE: B.C. travel writer visits Parksville Qualicum Beach for new book

Redl hopes her new book will be a great gift for Islanders to bestow on lucky visitors because it covers places many will have seen and expands on them. She explored all parts up and down the Island, visiting spots as far a field as Bamfield, Alert Bay and Port Hardy.

Four Seasons by the Salish Sea is a product of her inclination, as a lifelong writer, to journal. One day she realized she had enough material for a book.

Redl said she wishes every Canadian child could visit Yuquot, also known as Friendly Cove, where Captain Cook landed in 1778.

“It maybe gives a better understanding of the whole colonial process — and the same with Alert Bay,” she said, explaining that these two places show what has happened since then and the grave mistakes that were made via colonialism.

“I hope through the book that I also am respectful of all the First Nations, whose land we’re living on and who have cared for it.”

Redl will talk about her new book in the Forum of the Parksville Civic and Technology Centre (100 Jensen Ave E) on May 27 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. She will be joined by contributing photographer Nancy Randall, Linda Fullalove and Nanci Landford to discuss their new project.


kevin.forsyth@pqbnews.com

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