Digby Island is one of those fascinating little places, that seem to somehow fly under the radar. I suppose that is why it was chosen in WWII to be a defence port, but even today it holds so many secrets. It has been inhabited by man, in many ways, for hundreds of years, and today it is still home to a small number of people, and is the location of the Prince Rupert Airport. The only houses left today, are located in Dodge Cove, which was originally a Norwegian settlement of boat builders. These men were world class boat builders, and during their time in Dodge Cove, they put out more than 1000 boats, all master quality. This time in history is critically important to British Columbia, and the city of Prince Rupert. BC has a remarkable coastline, but it is incredibly hard to access. We have only a half dozen port towns along our entire coastline, and Prince Rupert is a major hub for port activity, but somehow it is a relatively unknown spot in the Province. It is one of the richest areas in Canada for history, it has some of the best fishing and crabbing in the world, and top it off you rarely have to deal with those pesky sunny days :). That last one is a joke, but honestly Prince Rupert has become one of my favourite destinations in Canada, and I can't wait to get back.
This story was really supposed to be about Digby Island. Then after my beautiful sunny day, I was given nothing but storms. Then unfortunately none of the residents of Dodge Cove wanted to talk to me, so the video hit the back-burner for a little bit. Then I met Art, and he was very willing to tell me about his time living in Dodge Cove, and the history he knew. After our interview, his Wife told me that I "had to see Art's boats", and I got a tour of the Model Boat Collection. At this point, our interview was over, my camera battery was dead, but the real story was in front of my eyes. Seeing Art's passion for the sea, in every sense of the definition was truly inspirational. From building boats, running boats and owning boats, Art has dipped a toe into every bit of the industry, and it was a pleasure getting to see him light up sharing it.
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And of course, if you want to get out on your own and explore places like Digby Island and Dodge Cove, you're gonna need a reliable adventure boat. Good thing theres a DA Certified one available just for you. ;) https://swellfish.co/DUSTINPORTER