The first Grub ‘N Groove, Lasqueti Island’s version of an “open mike night”, of the season was a hit with some acts putting together a set of three or four songs to perform for the packed house. And they were good. Really good. In fact, with only 350 year-round residents on the island, the amount of talent in the room was dumbfounding. It must have been somewhat daunting, but even David went up at the end of the evening and jammed with a few of the guys putting together a small set of blues including Stormy Monday which brought the house down (or what was left of it by 11 pm). It was great night and something we look forward to doing again.
The music wasn’t the only thing that left an impression on us. It’s the strong sense of community, support, and respect that we’ll remember the most. The people who live here are like-minded and come to build a life off the land. They grow gardens, not merely for pleasure or hobby, but to produce their food. There’s no electricity. No water. No sewage. They live completely off the grid using solar panels, wind generators, water catchments, and composting toilets—systems similar to the ones we use on the boat (outhouses excepted) – to provide their creature comforts, wasting nothing and leaving behind the smallest possible carbon footprint. They’re a community of individuals with artists, musicians, authors, and professionals making up a population that is the most highly educated community in British Columbia. And all this in an area the same size (12 miles long and three miles wide) as Manhattan.
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