Western Canada Wilderness Committee

Why do they call it China Beach?

This is pretty much the big one. If you’ve been reading along with my adventures and were looking for a climax, here it is. This is the point at which I will show you the ocean…

Having spent time with my girlfriend and my friend Janine (J9), and having been able to re-explore and re-discover Victoria, I began the trek to China Beach, the most eastward of the Juan de Fuca beaches. Along the way, I stopped at Sooke Potholes. This was where last week’s stop was original scheduled but for a couple of reasons (most notably that it’s a regional park and not a provincial one) I ended up at Goldstream. Honestly, I expected more from the area. The Land Conservancy (TLC) is trying to buy an addition to it now. I’ve got a TLC membership and I wish them luck.

The drive to China Beach is a funny one because you round to southern tip of the island. At that point, the ocean mist forms a fog in some areas where it had previously been totally sunny. The bright point of this is that the area is somewhat wetter than most of the province and the fire ban wasn’t in effect here. This meant that I got to have a fire for only the forth time this summer, which has been a fairly long one and during which I’ve spent about a million hours driving and about a thousand nights camping. A fire is a nice commodity. I want to get into a finding-firewood-in-the-forest story but I think I’ll save it.

So the ocean is beautiful. It smells very strongly and brings cold winds from across the world, but it has such power that I really started to feel primal stirrings in myself. The gods of the mankind’s myriad mythologies are based on the physics of the sun shining on the endless series on waves that the boundless ocean brings crashing to the sandy shore. It’s truly majestic and invigorating, certainly befitting of a longwinded description.

The Juan de Fuca area is out of cell phone range. As such, I spent a fair amount of time waiting to use the sole payphone on the campgrounds. With nowhere nearby to buy a phone card, I recommend coming equipped with one.

The kiosk was a big success at this park. The lot is very central and popular and a parking meter in such a remote area is very out-of-place. All the parks operation staff were great. The lone ranger (park ranger, that is) that operates from Botanical Bay to China Beach (about a 45 minute to an hour drive) came by to see me. He was going to kick me out of the park (something about having a structure set up) but when I asked for a second opinion, whoever he called told him to forget about it and leave me be. So I got to carry on with my petition gathering.

One interesting thing that I’ve learned is that only government employees have the ability to ticket you. The private operators can only give you warning. So this lone ranger was the only guy who could hand out parking fines. I guess he does it on some days, but not on the weekend I was there. Enforcement in most areas of the province seems pretty limited, in that there are very few rangers left, most having been replaced by cheaper private sector employees.

Another remarkable facet of China Beach is Smitty, the Parks Watch guy. Crime in the Juan de Fuca has been a problem (car break-ins, vandalism, etc.). In response, private industry from Port Renfrew to Sooke has sponsored Parks Watch, a program to have someone watch the parking lots during the day. While the RCMP officially sponsor the program, the provincial government doesn’t. I’ve heard from a lot of people that the would like to see someone is watching there cars, particularly if they have to pay for parking. But that’s not where the meter money goes. Smitty, by the way, used to be a truck driver. He is a tall, slightly hunched middle-aged feller and very friendly. I had a very good time chatting with him intermittently throughout the day. If you go to China Beach and see him there, tell him I say ‘hi’.

I went to Botanically Bay while I was in the area because I was told the intertidal pools were great. I was planning to wake up at 6am and go see it at low tide, but having meet up with some ‘volunteers’ (they never did volunteer) and had a few drinks the night before, 9am was the earliest I could manage it. I highly recommend this beach! There is a massive limestone deposit there. When the waves bring large rocks in and they bang down on the limestone, dents are created. Then sea urchins for colonize in the dents and enlarge them further. The result is beautiful pools with purple urchins and green sea anemone and other plant and animals I don’t know the names of. Plus, I saw a black bear on the way there. Overall, it was very awesome.

And though I probably don’t need to prove my point to you, the reading audience, I will make it anyway. When people wonder how parks generate money if they don’t charge you, one answer is: Port Renfrew. This is a town with absolutely nothing to other except the opportunity to hike the West Coast or Juan de Fuca trail. The protection and public accessibility of wilderness near Port Renfrew are the means by which the town’s economy stays productive. Every business you see is there to supply lodging, food, or souvenirs to visitors. And it’s a small town. It doesn’t even have a gas station. But when visitors drive all they way out there and pay taxes on all the good and services they purchase, it fills the government coffers. Considering that this influx of cash creates jobs and those mean more tax money, the least the province could do is let you enjoy the beach for free. You’ve paid for it and you’re entitled to it.

In conclusion, I don't know why they call it China Beach. An elder English lady really wanted to know. One theory is that you could see China from there if the earth was flat. Another is that maybe Chinese immigrants would land there or stop off there. Or maybe explorers thought they were getting close to Cina when the first came upon it. If anyone does know, put it in the comments section.

Next I head north to Nanaimo, to visit nearby Rathtrevor Park. More good stuff to come, so check it out.