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In last year's Georgia Straight BEST OF awards we took home an editor's pick for "Best Navel Gazing Web Site", and while our non-profit organization that supports our web site (Vancouver Is Awesome, Inc) is focused on celebrating all of the awesome things that make up our city one of those things is it's proximity to other awesome places. In this new series of features entitled Super, Neighbours in British Columbia we'll be taking you on adventures to other BC locales that we think you should check out. |
In this fourth part I'm bringing you the Carving Shed... and beyond! Just down the beach from the Inn, just on the property, is this mystery of a little wood-and-tool-filled shed that you can walk into and see carvers working. It was originally inhabited by a fellow by the name of Henry Nolla (who passed away a few years back and left an amazing legacy) and it was our pleasure to be at the Wick during the soon-to-be-annual Carving On The Edge festival. The festival "showcases the traditional and contemporary explorations of west coast carving with exhibits, forums, feasts, family programs and demonstrations." and they had a Henry Nolla retrospective show (hosted by the Wick's very own The Pointe Restaurant) that we checked out on our last night there.
The entrance to the shed.
A small sampling of the plethora of tools lining every single wall.
I wonder what the floor is actually made out of?
Carvers out back, working on some figures.
Part of Henry Nolla's aforementioned legacy at the Wickaninnish Inn can be found in the actual buildings themselves, as he did the most of the decorative woodworking throughout them. It must have taken countless hours for him to do amazing pieces like this doorway to the Beach building that we stayed in.
Also, so many of the supports and framing and artwork, as well as the mantle of the fireplace in the room we stayed in, have these grooves carved into them. I would venture to say miles of grooves, if you put them all together in a row. It's kinda mind boggling to see all of this work and picture how long it must have taken. Just another tiny detail that makes the Wickaninnish Inn an awesome place to visit.
Come back on Friday for the final part of Super, Neighbours in British Columbia: The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino.
