Of course, one of my first and favourite stories about Vancouver Island is Alice. I accidentally found the photo of Alice performing off Harling Point and thought, "Wow, what a great experience to watch orcas playing within feet from shore!" The more I researched her story, the more I fell in love with Alice, just as thousands of islanders did in her time. However, the end of the story left me feeling guilty for being human. Although the whales' captivity happened in a different place and time, it was still tough to read. But then, if the scientists hadn't captured the whales and held them in captivity to study, would we know now what we didn't back then? Even if the only lesson learned was that whales do not belong in captivity? It's a bittersweet story, but it's worth the read—as far as whale stories go.

One more thing: While researching a different story, I came across an old Vancouver Island Indigenous vocabulary list. I was stunned to learn that the tribe's word for spirit was Alis. My computer died shortly afterwards, so I was unable to catch the particulars of this list. If I come across it again, I will update the story.

Thanks for following along! 🐳 🚂Papertown Conductor