Eighteen and a half gruelling ferry hours, a borderline-exorbitant ticket cost, and three super cool whale sightings later, I’m thrilled to bits to report that we’re in Port Hardy. We got to the ferry terminal tuesday afternoon at 4:00 and slept in the van until 3:30 AM, at which time we went inside to desperately pray the ticket lady called our names off the standby list. By the time she did, I can honestly say I’ve never been so close to hugging a BC ferries employee in my life. We were the second-to-last vehicle on, and I'm pretty sure at one point I experienced some minor stress-induced cardiac arrest, but that's neither here nor there.

The trip was very foggy until about 7:00 in the evening, but we got some very nice views all the same, including some great waterfalls off of Princess Royal Island. I was hoping for a Spirit Bear, but I had to settle for some orcas - life is tough. Apart from the wildlife, one of the most intriguing things about the ferry was the sheer number of German tourists aboard. I don’t think I’m exaggerating even a little bit to posit that a good 80% of the passengers were from Germany – I was slightly confused, as I am wont to be from time to time, but they were all delightfully friendly so I got over it pretty quick. Also helpful was the fact that a big European tourist market share has apparently prompted BC ferries to offer beer and wine on this particular route. Danke Schon, my globe-trotting friends.

As it has been every time I've had the chance to visit, Port Hardy thus far has been beautiful. Geoff lived here when he was a wee lad, so I got the grand tour. Later today we're heading first to Port McNeill and then on to Campbell River, so sadly won’t have any time to fulfill the "party hearty in Port Hardy" mantra that I usually adopt through these parts. We’ll be cruising over to the Comox Valley tomorrow, where we’ll see Michael on the 30th. That should be much more pleasant for the people of Comox than it would otherwise be, since we’ll be able to sleep at Geoff’s parents’ house, where such luxurious amenities as bathtubs, washing machines, and roofing that doesn’t wake you up in the middle of the night with Chinese water torture will be available. Ah yes, it’s always nice to be smelling of something other than the bowels of the Queen of Prince Rupert and the interior of an extremely well-loved van when you visit a community.

We’re planning a pub night in Victoria in the near future – if you’re in the area please give us a shout at 604-715-5644 or bcyouth@michaelignatieff.ca and we’ll see you at the Stickey Wicket faster than you can say "next round’s on those guys".

Gettin Iggy with It,
-Paige & Geoff.

We're in Prince Rupert at the moment, and I can honestly say that the drive here from Prince George had some of the most extraordinary scenery I've ever seen in my life. On the animal front, we saw a bear on the way, and it fully made my day. No moose yet, but a girl can dream.

After our foray in PG, we spent the night in a cool little place called Moricetown, which is a beautiful Wet’suwet’en community a little way past Smithers. The campground was great, and on our way out yesterday morning we got to see some local men net-fishing in the Bulkley River, which was pretty amazing. We stopped in Terrace for a quick meeting and caffeine fix before booking it up to Prince Rupert in time to catch up with the Hon. Stephen Owen, who was kind enough to sign the van, as well as some extremely insightful PR liberals. Later that evening we met up with some members of the fishing community, who had some fantastic input on the state of BC's fisheries and conservation efforts.

Today our prime concern is getting ourselves on the ferry to Port Hardy. Since the sinking of the Queen of the North, the remaining ferry out of Prince Rupert has been having some serious trouble keeping up to demand. As a result, when we went to make our reservations a few weeks ago we were somewhat alarmed to find that it was booked solid through September. The plan at this point is to park the van in the line up this evening, and hope that someone doesn't show up in time for the 4 AM boarding. If that doesn't work, we haul it back down to William's Lake, hang a right and book it to Bella Coola in time for their next sailing. The highway to Bella Coola is supposed to be a pretty formidable stretch of road, complete with a gravel section over a 3000 foot mountain pass. I would really rather not attempt such a feat in a freaking '74 VW, but I think Geoff secretly hopes we miss the ferry.

Michael's in Comox, which is Geoff's hometown, for an event on the 30th which we're pretty excited about. If you don't see us there, do us a favour and send a search crew down the Bella Coola. If you can't find us at that point, assume the inate nature of the van has finally won us over and that we're halfway to Tijuana.

Gettin' Iggy, PR style.

-Paige & Geoff.

Prince George has been a good time - lots of great people, lots of cool places, very little sleep. Our first impression of PG came on the drive up from Quesnel in the 40 degree heat, when there was honestly a guy in a full out clown suit - wig, nose, makeup and all - pushing a shopping cart up the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere. It only got more interesting from there, but I digress.

In terms of policy, Prince George has been an extremely valuable experience for us. Again the pine beetle was at the forefront for most people we spoke to, with western alienation, party renewal, and the softwood lumber deal close behind. We met with a group of youth at a place called the Riverstone, and were really impressed with their knowledge of the issues relevant to Prince George and the surrounding regions. I was also really impressed with their suggestions regarding good places to see a moose, which in my books counts as an extremely dangerous animal.

Today we have a huge drive ahead of us, through Vanderhoof to Smithers. Geoff's been giving the van a lot of love, so hopefully we'll make it there without overheating or blowing any tires. Ah, never a dull moment.

Gettin' Iggy with It,
Paige & Geoff

Cache Creek was absolutely amazing. Although I was slightly disappointed that the most dangerous animals I got to see were cows (pictured at left, along with my sheer terror) the scenery was mind-blowing. The next stop was William's Lake, where we stopped for a chat and were more than a little dismayed that we'd just missed the rodeo they host, which is supposed to be a crazy good time. Next we headed to Prince George, where we're camped out at the moment, planning an event for tomorrow night. If you so happen to be reading this from the PG area, give us a call at 604-715-5644 if you'd be at all interested in coming.

The drive up to Prince George was beautiful, but as we get further north the devastation that the pine beetle is wreaking upon the province becomes more and more visible. There were moments in our drive today where the rusty red of infested trees took up over half of the visible forests. We took a lot of photos, which we'll post as soon as they're off the camera, with the hope that they'll help illustrate the destruction that these nasty creatures are inflicting to people who aren't able to visit this otherwise supernatural part of the province.

The general sentiment towards the Tory treatment of BC's industries, particularily our resource-based sectors, has been very negative from almost everyone we've spoken with. People we've met with from Kelowna to Kamloops to Prince George have been extremely unimpressed with Stephen Harper's dismissal of the West, especially in light of the enormous amount of money we're being shorted on the softwood lumber deal. The more people we meet, the more apparent it becomes to us that his attitude towards Western Canada shows shockingly little commitment to the preservation and sustainability of our industries and economy.

We'll be heading towards the coast from here on in, so keep your eyes out for a big yellow van with abundant Michael-decor through the Terrace/Vanderhoof regions. Word is on the street that the Hon. Stephen Owen will be in Prince Rupert over the next few days - if we're lucky we may get to add a signature to the side of the van.

Gettin' Iggy with It,

-Paige & Geoff.

After seven hours of second gear up the Coquihalla, the MiBC Youth Caravan made its first stop this past Friday at Camp Wannabefree, just outside of Peachland. Great conversation and healthy debate flowed like so much free Pacific Pilsner, and we think it's pretty safe to say that a mighty fine time was had by all. The setting was perfect for the caravan's debut, and despite the added class of the holes in the pop-top canvas that we didn't get around to fixing and the chunk of wood that we use as an e-break, the response was great. The organization on the entire weekend was phenomenal thanks to my new hero Oz, and we got to meet a great group of YLs and Iggy supporters from as far away as Ontario (shout outz, Brian Clow!)

The next stop was Kelowna, where we had the enormously good fortune to be offered an orchard to camp the van in for two nights. This picturesque locale served as a great base from which we were able to meet up with some fantastic young liberals as well as the Hon. Ruby Dhalla, who was kind enough to sign our van. The youth we met up with identified some of the key issues in the Okanagan region, including pine beetle infestation and forest fire controls, and also took us on a pretty fantastic tour of the city that included a walk to an amazing rockface overlooking the water, which was beautifully tranquil up until the moment Geoff felt compelled to cannon-ball off of it.

After Kelowna we spent an evening in Vernon, where we enjoyed some huge hospitality on the part of some fellow liberals. The next stop thereafter was Kamloops. We were lucky enough to catch a farmer’s market and meet up with some local luminar

ies, who were very helpful in familiarizing us with Kamloops and the surrounding regions, and informing us of local concerns such as the introduction of a gateway trade plan that included the idea of Kamloops as an inland port and the refurbishment of the transcanada highway. After lunch in Kamloops and a quick stop in the small town of Whalhachin we headed over to Cache Creek to stay with a fellow liberal who has kindly offered us a spot to park the van.

On a totally unrelated note, the landscape in Cache Creek has prompted me to decide that one of my major goals from here on in, apart from spreading some serious liberal sentiment, is to see some sort of extremely dangerous animal sometime before we leave the interior. This is, of course, on the condition that such a sighting occurs from the interior of a firmly locked vehicle. We’re going for a meander around the property before heading out, so I’ll let you know if I see anything life-threatening. Fingers crossed.

Getting Iggy with It,
Paige & Geoff.