I went for a drive last Saturday afternoon on the Dollarton highway, it's a great strip to of road to take the top down and crank some tunes. The weather was awesome (as it has been for quite a while now) and cruising along I caught this out of the corner of my eye...
I've driven by it dozens of times in the past but never stopped to take a look (probably because I never had a camera) and nearly did again, only this time I decided to brake and prowl around. All signs said, "No Trespassing" but the place looked deserted and I saw a good opportunity for a photo op... 
As I was leaving this dude appears from out of nowhere. He was near the main building, about 100 yds. away, and from the distance he motioned at me to approach him. My insides started to churn as I could envision a crazy person smashing my camera (and my head) for taking illegal photos. When we were within striking distance I encountered a scraggy, yellow-toothed, ball cap wearing, bespectacled, hillbilly type (even though we don't have hillbillies) that possessed a bouquet of alcohol and cigarettes.
He was some sort of caretaker/security guard-- asked me if I was with the press, how I got past the alarm and what I was doing here. A little freaked out, I explained I had just stopped to snap a few pics and was definitely not with the press. He told me this is one of the last working shipyards in Canada and because it is on the Indian reserve there has been some unpleasantness between the owner (private) the Indian band (what are the odds?) and the government-- press were forbidden.
He turned out to be not a bad guy and gave me a little history of the shipyard and the owner-- although I could still see myself chopped up and fed to the giant ravens that inhabited the dock. I extended my hand and introduced myself... He said his name was Mark and if I ever wanted to take any more pictures, just stop by his trailer and ask... I might, it would be a cool place to take some photos in the fall, all misty and whatnot.
He also said these giant ravens have become quite a problem in the area but the natives are unsure what to do with them because they're a "sacred bird"... it's hard to tell from the photo but those suckers were huge... and scary...
4 comments:
Love the photos and the area. It looks exactly like someplace I would explore. Even when I was in high school and we'd drive to Kansas City to get concert tickets or something, I would beg to drive around in the old abandoned warehouse district...crumbling, rubble, rust--I adored the dust and peeling paint and rotten boards and lovely detail of the limestone carvings...
Now they have turned a couple of the buildings into high dollar haunted houses, which is rather neat...at least they aren't torn down.
Like that double-door-cab truck...reminds me of some movie with Kurt Russell when he picks up the new 'mom' for his kids...
Nice pics!
Thanks Bren. The security guy said that truck was used in a movie, maybe it was that one. It really is a cool spot, I'd like to see it in the fall.
I'm with you , I love old buildings as well...but they're starting to disappear here...
I know the Royals are in Kansas City, Missouri but my KC cap is a little tribute to you and your neck of the nape. It was the only thing "Kansas" that came to mind...
I used the same cap on a spoof of "American Gothic" for graphics class. They're both wearing the cap and he's holding a baseball bat instead of a pitchfork...
I found this movie clip that shows the "Overboard" movie truck a few times, though briefly. Do you think it's the same one? I bet it is..., though I don't know why someone would spend time putting all this to music!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yME_TWGbFlw&feature=related
bd
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